Shaping Up Mother, Baby

Marie Osmond’s Exercises for Mothers and Babies by Elizabeth Noble (New American Library: $12.95).

In this obvious sequel to “Marie Osmond’s Exercises for Mothers-to-Be,” we find Osmond and her baby, who is now a child, playing together in exercise routines that look more like fun.

Osmond also appears to have spent a great deal of time doing the exercises--unlike some of the other women who join her in demonstrating them. But no matter. The exercises themselves were designed by an expert in the field (Noble) and are clearly described and pictured so that knowing what to do and how to do it should not be a problem.

There is also a variety of situations presented for exercises with babies: using mirrors, playing in water, moving with toy balls and more.

The book closes with a thorough section on baby massage, with specific guidelines on massaging an infant from birth to 4 months.