I just picked up the most recent versions of Babywise and Babywise II
(Bucknam & Ezzo) to see what changes have been made. Haven't started reading
yet--- maybe I'll report on that later, but I had to force myself to read the
endorsements of doctors in the front. The one *lone* breastfeeding counselor
endorsement (I had wondered if any more had joined the GFI army since the
first edition) is the C.L.E. who is also the GFI resource. Here is what she
wrote:

"As a mother, I have parented both ways. As a certified lactation educator, I
only recommend Babywise. I know how discouraging it is to feed a baby around
the clock with no apparent advantage. I know how tired a young mom can get
and how that affects her milk supply. I also know how discouraging the first
18 mos of parenting can be without a plan. I know because with my first child
I did everything the opposite of Babywise. Before my second baby was born, I
was introduced to the concepts in this book. Applying the principles
revolutionized my thinking. Instead of being in baby bondage, I was liberated
to the be the mother God wanted me to be. I have consistently used Babywise
with the women I counsel. These mothers have met with tremendous success,
whether bottle or breast-feeding [sic]. Babywise is proactive, preventative
parenting, minimizing the common problems often associated with
breastfeeding."

I found the use of the spelling "breast-feeding" to be telling, because GFI
views nursing as a method of feeding only, and not as anything else. I am
withholding the author's name, though anyone picking up the book can readily
find it.

There are 8 MD recommendations from Los Angeles, Brisbane Australia,
Chatsworth CA, Glendale CA, Pasadena CA, Richmond VA, Longmont CO and
Bellingham WA.

Here is a parent testimonial that grieves me:
"Thank you so much for your book. What an eye opener! With the utmost love
and best intentions, I had gone wrong in most ways with regard to
feeding/sleeping patterns and breast feeding [sic]. I followed the
demand-feeding methodology. How deceived I was. Your book arrived at a point
in desperation, with our baby waking 8 to 12 times nightly and a 4 yr old
coming into our bed each night. Existing on almost no sleep, our marriage was
suffering and we both decided we couldn't live this way anymore. A counselor
pointed us to Babywise. It turned our lives around. Please use this letter to
encourage young couples to grasp and holdon to the principles of Babywise. --
A mother from Christ Church, New Zealand

Evidently there are two ways to parent: The  Ezzo way, and the disastrous
monster-building way.

From foreword of Dr. Robert Bucknam, co-author:
"I have personally observed both infants who were guided by the Ezzo's
principles and those who were not. It became obvious that parents equipped
with the right information do make a difference........ When parents come in
looking exhausted and discouraged and tell me their woeful stories of
sleepless nights and fussy babies, I can give them a positive prescription
that cures the problem--- I had them a copy of Babywise."

There you have it, folks.  Looks like we've all missed the boat.  Stay tuned
for Ch 2 of this review....... eventually. I have something else on my desk
first!

-Lisa Marasco, LLLL, IBCLC
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