📖 Overview
The Natural Baby Care Book by Carla Emery provides guidance on raising infants using traditional and natural methods. The book covers pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and infant care through the first year of life.
The text includes detailed information about herbal remedies, homemade baby foods, cloth diapering, and natural solutions for common infant ailments. Instructions for making natural baby products and recipes for infant-safe household cleaners are presented alongside advice for navigating decisions about medical care and vaccination schedules.
Topics range from selecting a birth setting and care provider to establishing routines for feeding, sleep, and developmental activities. The book features interviews with mothers and care providers who practice natural parenting methods.
The work reflects a philosophy of simplicity and self-reliance in child-rearing, emphasizing the connection between traditional wisdom and modern parenting choices. Through its practical approach, the book makes natural parenting accessible to readers of varying experience levels.
👀 Reviews
There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Carla Emery's overall work:
Readers consistently highlight "The Encyclopedia of Country Living" as a detailed, practical resource for homesteading skills. Many reviews note the book's comprehensive scope and clear instructions for tasks like canning, gardening, and animal care.
Readers appreciate:
- Real-world tested methods and tips
- Personal anecdotes that make complex topics approachable
- Inclusion of both basic and advanced techniques
- Hand-drawn illustrations
- Detailed index for quick reference
Common criticisms:
- Dense text can be overwhelming for beginners
- Some information feels dated
- Organization could be more intuitive
- Print size is small in newer editions
Ratings averages:
Amazon: 4.8/5 from 2,100+ reviews
Goodreads: 4.6/5 from 3,800+ reviews
One reader noted: "This book taught me more practical skills than four years of college." Another wrote: "The information is invaluable but you need a magnifying glass to read it."
📚 Similar books
Natural Baby and Childcare by Lauren Feder
A complete guide to holistic health for babies and children that combines natural remedies with conventional medical advice.
The Baby Book by William Sears, Martha Sears A comprehensive resource for natural parenting methods covering topics from birth through age two.
Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Jill Romm A reference guide for treating common childhood ailments using herbal remedies and natural healing methods.
The Vaccine Book by Robert W. Sears A resource that presents information about childhood vaccines and helps parents make informed decisions about immunization schedules.
Super Nutrition for Babies by Katherine Erlich and Kelly Genzlinger A guide to feeding infants and toddlers using whole foods and traditional nutrition principles.
The Baby Book by William Sears, Martha Sears A comprehensive resource for natural parenting methods covering topics from birth through age two.
Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Jill Romm A reference guide for treating common childhood ailments using herbal remedies and natural healing methods.
The Vaccine Book by Robert W. Sears A resource that presents information about childhood vaccines and helps parents make informed decisions about immunization schedules.
Super Nutrition for Babies by Katherine Erlich and Kelly Genzlinger A guide to feeding infants and toddlers using whole foods and traditional nutrition principles.
🤔 Interesting facts
🌿 Author Carla Emery spent over 30 years researching and writing about natural living, homesteading, and traditional care methods.
👶 The book emphasizes using simple, natural remedies that have been passed down through generations, including herbal treatments that were commonly used before modern medicine.
🌱 Many of the natural baby care methods discussed in the book align with practices still used by indigenous cultures around the world today.
🏡 Carla Emery wrote several other influential books, including "The Encyclopedia of Country Living," which became a beloved resource for the back-to-the-land movement.
💚 The book promotes eco-friendly parenting practices that were ahead of their time when published, such as using cloth diapers and natural cleaning products, which are now trending among environmentally conscious parents.