Finally, a sensible plan for women who return to work
after a three-month maternity leave

Anyone who has ever had a baby has heard the prevailing medical wisdom that "breast is best" for baby's first food. Solid science stands behind that wisdom: Excellent studies show that there are immunological and other benefits for the breastfed baby. On the other hand, doctors and breastfeed- ing advocates rarely appreciate or even acknowledge the challenges that go along with breastfeeding until baby is ready for solid food -- anywhere from four to nine months. The simple and reasonable approach is one that many doctors and breastfeeding advocates unfortunately treat as sacrilege:

As Dr. Wilkoff explains, the truth is that women who nurse for three months (or until their maternity leave is over) provide their children with an optimal start in terms of nutrition and can have the same rewarding experience as mothers who nurse their children much longer. In contrast to the insistence of militant breastfeeding advocates, he offers an important and comforting message: Breast is best for as long as you can comfortably manage it.

There are no guilt trips or political agendas here. Instead mothers will find:

End the Food Wars!

Do you feel as if you're running a restaurant instead of cooking dinner for a family? Are you tired of dumping plates of uneaten food in the garbage? Then you must read Coping with a Picky Eater. This fresh, practical, and realistic guide explains to parents how they can avoid mealtime battles with kids aged one to six years, using sensible strategies that will establish a lifetime of healthful eating habits.

With cases ranging from the toddler who eats only peanut butter and jelly on white bread to the six-year-old who insists on scrambled eggs and cheese at every meal, pediatrician William G. Wilkoff, M.D., has been counseling picky eaters and their concerned parents for more than twenty years. Debunking common myths and soothing parents' fears, Dr. Wilkoff covers such practical matters as:

• providing appropriate nutritional guidelines for youngsters one to six, including serving sizes;
• dealing with nutritional saboteurs -- from indulgent grandparents to accommodating (or impatient) caregivers;
• resisting the temptation to "whip up" special orders that disrupt family meals and give the picky eater control over the family dynamic.

Dr. Wilkoff shows that by establishing reasonable rules when children are young, parents can not only eliminate daily fights about food, but also reduce the possibility of eating disorders later in life.