The first three months of a baby's life is an outside-the-uterus period of intense development, a biological bridge from fetal life to preparation for the real world. The fourth trimester has more in common with the nine months that came before than with the lifetime that follows. This comprehensive, intimate, and much-needed "operating manual" for newborns presents a new paradigm of a baby's early life that shifts our focus and alters our priorities.

Combining the latest scientific findings with real-life stories and experiences, Susan Brink examines critical dimensions of newborn...