Product Description
Cradle the Thought is an insightful weekly journal allowing a new mother to capture the most important moments of her first year with her baby. Each week, Cradle the Thought supplies thought-provoking questions, prompting the new mother to reflect on her own feelings and activities, and providing a guided diary to record information about the growth and development of her baby. Topics include baby's sleeping and eating habits, mother's relationships with friends and family members, pediatrician well-visits, developmental milestones, baby's mobility, baby's personality, and nicknames.Charmingly illustrated, each page provides plenty of space for the new mother to write her answers to each question.

Cradle the Thought is the perfect baby shower gift for any new mother.This journal is different from traditional baby books, offering more detailed questions which allow the new mother to record exciting day-to-day developments and changes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Would Not Buy Again
I bought this with high hopes after reading the reviews. I was hoping it would be something I could give to my daughter when she was older. However, some of the questions (such as "how are you feeling about your postpartum body?" or something like that) are things that I wouldn't want her to read. Also, questions are very redundant from week to week. It's difficult to write on the left side of this book due to the spiral binding - a 3-ring binder would be better where we could remove pages, write, and then put them back. I also found it difficult to respond to some questions and on others, I ran out of room too soon. It just wasn't a good fit for me - I stopped using it after 2 months and am much happier with a more traditional baby book!

The BEST baby gift ever!!
I received this 3 years ago and wasn't sure if I liked it.Yes, some of the questions seem redundant... But!Your child changes that fast!This week, he loves peas!Next week, he hates them!It seems minor, but it's so much fun to look back and remember the little things that could have been lost to amnesia-due-to-sleep-deprivation.This was a great way to record the joys of baby- and mother-hood.

Since then, I've bought this for every new parent, and keep a couple on hand for baby gifts.Be sure to point out that there is a special area in the back for special events (holidays, etc.)I didn't have time to pore through it the first time, and almost missed it.Also, this could be really special if presented with a special toy or blanket or something that they can be pictured with each month to measure their development.

Great book and a "must" for gift giving
I have just purchased my sixth copy of this book for another friend.I received this book as a gift when I had my son and bought another for myself for the birth of my daughter and have given the book as a gift 5 times!It's easy to complete - walking you through every stage and first year event.It makes me reflect on things I may not remember if I was free journaling.And I love that I have my son's book to look back on and compare my daughter's growth to.The book is quality and the binding makes it easy to leave the book open to the week you are on.A must for any new mom!

A great resource
My son is now two years old and having some developmental issues. During our screening process I was asked a lot of questions about his development as a baby, things no mother would ever be able to pull out of her head. Having such a well written journal that asked so many good questions was monumental in helping the professionals assess my sons past and current situation. Thank you Ms. Nelson for putting pen to page and providing this tool for me and my son. It not only helps me remember that first precious year, it is also helping us get a sense of where my son has been and where he is headed!

A bit repetitive
While I realize this is a type of "journal", I ended up wishing I hadn't purchased this item or had supplemented it with another standard baby book. There are no pages for the baby's firsts so I ended up putting them at the end of the book in the blank pages section but didn't think to start doing it until my son was 9 weeks old.There is a lot of repitition in the book as well, such as asking every week "What is your baby's sleeping schedule?", "Describe a typical day for you and your baby",or "What have you done for yourself this week?"I ended up leaving so many items blank because the answers didn't change on a weekly basis.Other things I ended up putting in the weekly "notes" section only to find it touched upon a few weeks later - Example: "Have you used a babysitter yet?""Has your baby been sick yet?".Again, I realize this is a journal but I think the format is a bit odd and I see myself filling out less and less as time passes.The idea behind the book is good and the book itself is nice so I am giving it 3 stars. ... Read more