If you are pregnant or raising a newborn baby, here are my top books for new parents that are worth buying:
What to Expect (When You’re Expecting and the First Year)
What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel was my pregnancy bible. There were so many questions about how much to eat when you’re pregnant, what not to eat, what’s normal, what are symptoms when something is wrong, what to expect during birth.
What to Expect: The First Year is also incredibly helpful with baby month to month from newborn to 12 months old. Any questions you may have about what is normal at each month of your baby’s life will be answered, as well as other questions you may have about baby’s development.
So, these are two books that pack in a lot of information and are great references!
I also highly recommend the What to Expect App for your phone if you are pregnant.
I spent a lot of time reading articles from the app on my phone while commuting to and from work on the subway. There are lots of articles with tips on pregnancy and what to expect for birth, diet, skin conditions, birth complications, best products for your registry, and more.
Precious Little Sleep
Precious Little Sleep by Alexis Dubief helps to explain the ways to help your baby fall asleep that are backed up by scientific research.
It is easy to read, funny, and thorough. It lists different strategies you can use based on what type of baby you have.
No one should have to struggle through sleep deprivation night after night when there are tools that you can use to make life so much easier. You deserve better sleep.
I really wish I had known about Precious Little Sleep when Emily was born.
There is also a free podcast online that you might enjoy listening to while you’re driving to work or the grocery store.
The Magic of Motherhood
My sister-in-law sent me a copy of this book, The Magic of Motherhood, which is a collection of short stories by mothers who want to capture the moments and of all the feelings we go through at each stage of our child’s life. It’s bits and pieces of uplifting prose about being a mom.
I encourage you to read this book just because it will put things into perspective. You may be worried about day-to day newborn survival right now, but you’ll look back and wonder where the time went.
