Helpful Books Every New and Expecting Parent Should Read
Helpful Books Every New and Expecting Parent Should Read
If there’s one thing everyone can agree on it's that, when it comes to raising a baby, you can always use a little extra help. Whether you’re pregnant or dealing with a tantrum-throwing toddler (and another on the way), these books are essential resources to have around the house.
Parenting is hard, but picking the best baby books doesn’t have to be, thanks to this list:
Calm The F*ck Down: The Only Parenting Technique You'll Ever Need
Knock Knock
amazon.com
$12.68
A father of twin boys, parenting blogger David Vienna is a self proclaimed non-expert who recognizes that, sometimes, the best advice for new parents is to calm the f*ck down and rely on some good ole fashioned common sense. His wildly popular CTFD method will help ease your mind from pregnancy to early childhood. Plus, it'll remind you that parenthood is way more enjoyable when you approach it with a sense of humor.
50 Things To Do Before You Deliver: The First Time Mom's Pregnancy Guide
amazon.com
$12.74
50 Things To Do Before You Deliver details exactly what expecting moms should do to get ready for the big day. Jill Krause has been there,done that-and her straight to the point, no BS approach to pregnancy will resonate with many moms-to-be.
The Hot Mom To Be Handbook: Look And Feel Great From Bump To Baby
amazon.com
$14.99
Don't judge a book by its cover-this one isn’t all about vanity. It's actually chock-full of witty and unconventional tips every expecting gal can use, from how to deal with unsolicited advice to how to make a virgin martini. You'll want to bookmark chapter 8, Milking It, which talks about working the perks of pregnancy (e.g. playing the "I’ve gotta pee" card to your advantage).
Great With Child: Letters To A Young Mother
amazon.com
$14.00
In Great With Child, Beth Ann Fennelly shares her maternal wisdom through letters addressed to her former student who is expecting. Despite their intimate nature, the letters touch on universal changes women face when they become mothers. Fennelly’s writing is honest, reassuring, and a great read for moms-regardless of where they’re are in their motherhood journey.
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, 4th Edition: A Step-By-Step Program For A Good Night's Sleep
Marc Weissbluth
amazon.com
$10.58
Pregnancy is the ideal time to start learning about healthy sleep habits in infancy, since, let’s face it, you won’t have much time to read during those sleep-deprived first weeks. Dr. Marc Weissbluth, MD, is a former pediatrician and has been one of the country’s leading childhood sleep experts for more than 30 years. His research-backed book offers parents plenty of sleep training methods to choose from, as well as problem solving techniques for many sleep issues.
What To Expect When You're Expecting
Workman Publishing
amazon.com
$11.97
Virtually everything you could possibly want to know about being pregnant is explained week-by-week in this holy grail of maternity books. Currently in its fifth edition, What to Expect is the best-selling pregnancy book for good reason.
Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers The Wisdom of French Parenting
Penguin Books
amazon.com
$14.57
Apparently French babies don’t throw food and don’t have temper tantrums. Intrigued? Same. In Bringing Up Bébé, Pamela Druckerman proves there’s plenty Americans can learn about parenting from their friends across the pond. Pregnant women and new moms will devour this lighthearted and entertaining book.
Expecting Better: Why The Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong-And What You Really Need To Know
Emily Oster
amazon.com
$12.03
Pregnancy is hard enough before you read the complete list of do's and don'ts. But is that soft cheese and occasional glass of wine really off-limits? Not according to award-winning economist Emily Oster. In Expecting Better, Oster uses evidence-based research to challenge long-standing pregnancy rules so women can make informed decisions. Amen to that.
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide To Better, More Relaxed Parenting, From Birth To Preschool
amazon.com
$18.30
In her newest book, Cribsheet, Emily Oster is back with even more facts and data to dispel popular parenting "wisdom." Parents often find themselves overwhelmed with advice (solicited and unsolicited), so much so that making decisions can feel impossible. Oster aims to arm her readers with actual facts so they can better navigate questions surrounding breastfeeding, sleep training, potty training, language acquisition etc. After all, knowledge is power.
The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide To Getting Your Child To Sleep From Birth To Age 5
Waldburger, Jennifer/ Spivak, Jill
amazon.com
$10.99
Tired of being tired? If you want to get your child to sleep through the night and take lengthy naps, but don’t have the time or energy to read much, The Sleepeasy Solution is for you. It cuts straight to the point so everyone in your house can start getting some shuteye-fast. It doesn’t take an expert to know a well-rested mom is a happy mom.
Nurture: A Modern Guide To Pregnancy, Birth, And Early Motherhood
amazon.com
$15.60
Erica Chidi Cohen’s work as a doula has informed Nurture, a beautiful pregnancy and birthing book for moms-to-be seeking a more holistic approach. This judgment-free pregnancy guide covers everything from trimester specific holistic remedies to fetal development to deciding whether to give birth at a hospital, home, or birthing center.
The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide To Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, And Restoring Your Vitality
amazon.com
$12.76
Pregnancy is no walk in the park, but often, the hardest trimester is the one few discuss: the fourth one, aka the first three months of your child’s life. During this challenging period, moms need just as much-if not more-care than their newborns. In The Fourth Trimester, Kimberly Ann Johnson offers women a holistic road map for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing postpartum.
The Whole 9 Months: A Week-By-Week Pregnancy Nutrition Guide with Recipes For A Healthy Start
Sonoma Press
amazon.com
$10.87
There’s no time like pregnancy to start eating well because you’re, ya know, eating for two and all. Start playing around with the healthy recipes in this book when you first learn you’re expecting, and then have your non-pregnant partner make 'em for you both once you're sick of takeout.
The Mama Natural Week-By-Week Guide to Pregnancy And Childbirth
AMERICAN WEST BOOKS
amazon.com
$12.91
Genevieve Howland, aka Mama Natural, has made a name for herself through her funny, yet informative YouTube videos detailing natural pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. If you’re a mama who wants to go the natural route, this detailed week-by-week guide has got you covered.
We're Pregnant! The First Time Dad's Pregnancy Handbook
amazon.com
$11.81
Dads-to-be don’t have to feel clueless or left out thanks to books like We’re Pregnant!, which are geared specifically towards them. Author of the "Dad or Alive" blog and father of three, Adrian Kulp has been in the trenches himself, so he can give dads real-world advice on how to handle all four trimesters. Your partner may be reluctant to read it initially, but Kulp’s humorous tone will surely win them over.
Ina May's Guide To Childbirth
RANDOM HOUSE
amazon.com
$13.29
As one of the leading midwives in the nation, Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth features everything you could possibly want to know about delivering with a midwife, or without an epidural. Gaskin’s guide empowers women to connect with their minds and bodies in order to have the best possible labor experience.
The First Forty Days: The Essential Art Of Nourishing The New Mother
Abrams
amazon.com
$16.96
Heng Ou believes new moms need ample time (40 days to be exact) to recover after giving birth. So don't feel pressured to bounce back immediately. Instead, take your time perusing her book of 60 easy-to-follow recipes specially created to address your unique health needs during this time.
What To Expect The First Year
Workman
amazon.com
$12.23
Much like What to Expect When You’re Expecting, this book by the same authors is a complete resource for all of your baby-related questions during the first 12 months of their little lives. Unsure exactly how much solid food you should be feeding your seven-month-old? It’s in there. Wondering about the best activities for your 10-month-old? Yup, it’s in there, too.
Experimenting With Babies: 50 Amazing Science Projects You Can Perform On Your Kid
Shaun Gallagher
amazon.com
$7.68
Because parents need to have some fun, too, why not perform a few scientific experiments on your little one? Each experiment demonstrates how your baby is constantly learning new cognitive, motor, language, and behavioral skills. Turns out your most fascinating research subject has been right in front of you this entire time.
The Happiest Baby On The Block, Second Edition: The New Way To Calm Crying And Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer
Harvey Karp, M.D.
amazon.com
$10.87
A calm baby who sleeps well is every parent’s dream, but unfortunately, it’s not always a reality (yawn). In his best-selling book, pediatrician and sleep expert, Dr. Harvey Karp, MD, has cracked the crying code and shares his proven secrets for getting your baby to sleep soundly.
The Wonder Weeks
Frans Plooij Hetty van de Rijt
amazon.com
$37.78
Children are mysterious creatures, leaving first-time parents confused... a lot. The Wonder Weeks helps eliminate a lot of the guesswork by providing a week-by-week account of the developmental changes all babies undergo during their first 20 months of life. Baby’s brain is constantly developing, so their extra fussy behavior may, in fact, be because they're acquiring a new skill and not just because, you know, babies.
Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had To Learn As A New Mom
amazon.com
$5.09
Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay is the equivalent of talking about motherhood over drinks with your BFF. Wilder-Taylor’s tell-it-like-it-is collection of short essays are wickedly funny and ideal for those nights when you really just need a laugh.
The New Basics: A-To-Z Baby & Child Care For The Modern Parent
Cohen, Michel
amazon.com
$14.44
The New York Post dubbed Michel Cohen, MD, the cool "must-have" pediatrician largely because his number one message for parents is: don’t worry so much. Cohen’s book explains how to treat asthma, head injuries, fevers, stomach bugs, colic, earaches, etc., and is an excellent all-around resource on how to raise happy and healthy kids-without losing your sanity in the process. Like Dr. Benjamin Spock’s classic, Baby and Child Care, but for a younger audience-you’ll want to keep Cohen’s book handy at all times.
The Belly Book: A Nine-Month Journal For You And Your Growing Belly
Random House
amazon.com
$13.49
For the mama-to-be who wants to remember her pregnancy journey, this journal allows you to document your growing belly every step of the way. Organized according to trimester, The Belly Book has a dedicated place for belly photos and ultrasound images, as well as plenty of space to write about memorable milestones.
Permission to Parent: How To Raise Your Child With Love And Limits
Harper Wave
amazon.com
$11.01
As a child psychiatrist, Dr. Robin Berman, MD, has devoted her career to helping children and their parents resolve their problems. Accordingly, her book addresses issues virtually all kids face, including technology addiction and bullying, in a manner that’s easy to digest.
Worth. Every. Penny.