Should you read The Blossom Method?
Before I answer that, here are 3 things you have to know.
The Author
Vivien Sabel is a Relational Psychotherapist and qualified British Sign Language (BSL) user. She was born to a deaf mom who would lip-read instead of using sign language. This is how Vivien learned her amazing ability to pick-up the subtleties of non-verbal communication, that regular folks don’t.
Vivien is also a mom to her wonderful daughter Blossom, whom the book is named after.
The Book
The Blossom Method promises to teach moms of infants how to meet the needs of their babies, before they get to the crying stage. The book also shows moms how to make infants feel “heard” and “understood.”
The Review
The book is written in a manner that’s easy to understand. That way, you can focus on learning instead of breaking your concentration to consult a dictionary or analyze technical terms. This is perfect for busy and harried moms because it’s a light and easy read.
But don’t be fooled by the number of pages. Even if it’s less than 160, it’s packed with useful ground breaking insights that may leave your jaw hanging.
The book also includes illustrations so you’re not left imagining a certain body language the author describes. However, without the illustrations, Vivien Sabel does an excellent job at describing how a baby would look if she were hungry, for example.
While reading the book, there were two things I kept thinking:
- Really? A baby can tell you what it needs?
- You can actually talk back to a baby?
These concepts are so unbelievable – I’ve never come across anything like them – yet here is a lady saying it is possible. All those movements and facial expressions that I thought were just done with no purpose, apparently had meaning.
So, should you read the book?
You’d be crazy not to!
- Communicate with your baby immediately after birth
- Significantly lower stress that comes with caring for a newborn
When you learn to decode your baby’s body language, you can save unnecessary frustration – and even depression – from feeling like an inadequate parent.
Final Words
Once in a while, I come across parenting studies and techniques that surprise me, but non have impacted me as much as The Blossom Method. My only wish is that I have an infant to practice on. Unfortunately, I don’t, but I think my neighbor does.
Kidding aside…read the book to keep your sanity: The Blossom Method.
You may contact Vivien Sabel on twitter or her website.
About Anne Mercado
I’m going to show this to my daughter in law who has a new born. I tweeted this post, G+ shared and liked!
~Erin
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Erin!!! Thanks for sharing this with your daughter in law… I really appreciate it
This book can REALLY help moms with newborns… I’m 100% sure of it!
Dear Erin and Anne
Thank you so very much for sharing in my joy! I am of course delighted by what you have said in your review and pleased that you are sharing the link too Erin. The Blossom Method was written from my heart and I wish to emphasise the value of observing, mirroring and responding to your infant. As a psychotherapist I often meet people who have experienced a lack of communication and limited positive early experiences and the ‘damage’ as a result is soul-destroying. Thank you once again for this amazing review. Much appreciation Vivien
Twitter: viviensabel
You are most welcome! I loved reading the book and believe that it’s going to be HUGE. Still trying to share it with everyone
I would love to read this book!
Anne, lend me your copy, please? Haha! 
Shared the review on Twitter, FB and g+. 
Congrats to Vivien for writing her own book! It’s one of my dreams, too, to be a published author! 
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Wow!! Thank you for sharing this on the social media trifecta! And of course I’ll lend you the book. Just let me know when you want it!
So sweet. With each of my four little ones I so looked forward to the break through of language because I longed to communicate with them. This fantastic tool definitely would have enriched those early months. Thanks for sharing!
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I really wish this was around 5 years ago – I told Vivien this too – because it would have saved me all the frustration. Plus, it would have been fun to “talk back” to those tiny little angels.
Wow wisah I had seen this a year and a half ago
Leigh
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Twitter: Twinfun1n1
Yeah, especially since you have twins. Well, if ever you have another set of twins …
This looks great–I, too, wish I had had it four years ago when my first son was an infant. I will definitely recommend it to friends who are expecting. Thank you!
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I’m 100% sure your friends will benefit from this book. And yes, I wish I had read this 5 years ago as well. Thanks for sharing, by the way.
Hello all
Thank you so much for all of your positivity about The Blossom Method™.
Good wishes and appreciation Vivien
Twitter: viviensabel
This book will be big!
Where was this book 19 years ago when I had my first little crying baby????
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I never liked it when my son cried as an infant – especially when I couldn’t figure out why.
I have heard of this book and method before! I think it would make a great gift for a new mom.
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Most definitely, Susan! It’s a lifesaver.
This sounds like a very helpful book!
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It really is, Michelle!
This books sounds like something I needed when my kiddies were babies, I would have loved to know how to communicate way before they were able to. Wonderful find Anne.
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Exactly, it would have been so wonderful to have known how to read our babies back then!
Wow, sounds very interesting. Wish I had this with my now 16 month old. I will definitely share this with on fb nd twitter.
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Thank you for sharing, Michelle. This book will be huge – it’s already being called “ground breaking” by other parenting experts. Thank you so much for sharing this, really appreciate it.
When my boys were young, I was amazed how well I knew their needs by the sound of their cries. My DH didn’t hear the subtle differences the way I did — probably because he worked all day. He’s a physician and now encourages his new parents to listen for those sounds and assures them that there’s more to crying than just a cry. Looks like a great book. Vivien, if you’d like him to read and review it, please contact me. Thank you.
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Twitter: karen_dawkins
Hi Karen
Yes I agree the sounds can be distinguished. Have you heard about the Dustan method? Check her out online. I’d love for your husband to review. Send me an email including a full postal address and contact telephone number (as these details ate needed by my publicist) to viviensabel@btinternet.com Thank you for your kind offer.
Twitter: viviensabel
I could not, for the life of me, tell what my baby needed! I would try a few things before getting it right, which is why I love how Vivien’s book teaches moms to “listen” to their babies. And who knew that infants can show you what they want, right? Smart little angels! (Did you get Vivien’s reply by the way? I want to help you two connect.)
I have heard of this before with baby sign language/communication, and it has always fascinated me. This book sounds like a really good fresh take! Poor babies must get so frustrated all of the time, unable to speak.
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Courtney, it’s not so much of baby sign language here but body language. It’s a completely fresh take on how infants are “understood”, and you’re right, the little ones are probably eternally frustrated when parents can’t figure out what they need or want.
Thank you once again to ALL of you. The principles of The Blossom Method can be used with babies of all ages, toddlers, children & even teenagers. So all of you wonderful Moms & (Daddys) can use the principles of observation, mirroring and responding to your children’s non-verbal and verbal language regardless of age. Hugs to all!
Twitter: viviensabel
I think it’s easier to pick up cues from older kids, but I don’t think I’ve mirrored my 5-year old yet. Interesting concept, one which I’ll definitely try.
I wish I had this when I first had Jacob! But I stared at him all day and talked to him like a grown up person when he was little. I miss him being a newborn! Now he’s walking and babbling about.
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You can keep this in mind for the next baby – if that’s something you’re considering. Congratulations on Jacob walking, by the way! I’m sure you’re thrilled.
I just had baby #3, and every bit of new info helps! I’m quite interested in what Ms. Sabel’s method has to teach us! Will hunt for this book here in Toronto!
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Congratulations on your new baby, Jen! If you can’t find the paperback in Toronto, you may buy the ebook version and just download the free Kindle app which is available on desktops/laptops and smartphones. Sorry, can you tell I’m so excited about the book?? It’s how much I believe in it!
Cool! That’s even better! I’m going to look into downloading the Kindle app!
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Looks interesting! I think it could lessen the frustrations of mommy and baby. I wonder if this is the same as the one featured in Oprah, that newborns use words to tell if they’re hungry, if there’s gas, etc.
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Oh it would definitely lessen frustration in parents. No, this book and the Dunstan Method are different. The Blossom Method shows how to pick-up non-verbal cues from infants, while the Dunstan Method teaches how to recognize distinct verbal sounds made by infants.
With The Blossom Method, not only can parents tell what babies need, they can also “talk back” to their infants by a technique taught in the book.
It’s a good read. It will help a lot of moms most especially the first timers.
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Definitely, Rossel! That’s why I’m working at getting the books to new moms.
Thanks for dropping by!!
the real gem for me is how the author’s unique experience with her deaf mother’s technique resulted into this fascinating book. the thought of being able to communicate and understand the little ones better makes me wish I could have the chance to do so again!
Absolutely! Vivien has a unique background, TZH, which is why she has a gift for picking-up body language cues most of us can’t. I’m sure you are going to have another chance to….