Book Recommendations for New Parents
As I approached my due date with my first child, I knew I wanted to accumulate as much good and helpful information as I could about newborn life. I had spent so much time researching pregnancy that I hadn’t given myself much time to learn about the fourth trimester (another post on that later) or how to best care for my newborn and our family during this huge adjustment period. I found some incredible books that eased our family’s transition into newborn life, and I wanted to take the time to share them with you. These are books that I recommend to every one of my friends and family members who are expecting. I hope you find them as helpful as I did!
On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep
This book tops the list because until you can get a handle on your baby’s sleep, you won’t be able to get a handle on anything else. Sleep deprivation is literally used as a torture technique. Humans need sleep!
On Becoming Babywise is FILLED with detailed information about establishing a feed-wake-sleep routine. The authors also take the time to outline some other feeding philosophies and to discuss ways that new parents can and should look after each other while taking care of their newborn. My husband and I both read this book with our first, and together we managed to get into a great routine that established good sleep for our family during the newborn phase. Both of my children were sleeping through the night (8 hours) by 12 weeks. My first got there by 9 weeks. Every baby is different, but this book will help you establish good routines and problem-solve sleep challenges no matter what your situation looks like.
My one caveat with this book is that it can be a bit dense. If you are quickly approaching your due date, I recommend having your partner read it for you. You have enough to worry about! Your partner can give you the cliff notes version and you can read it more in depth with time.
You can buy your copy of the book here.
2. Moms on Call: Basic Baby Care 0-6 Months
Moms On Call was gifted to me by one of my parents’ friends, and I am so glad that it was. It is a wonderful resource for new parents that covers all the basics you have and haven’t thought about when caring for a young baby. I found this book particularly helpful in my new parent moments of panic when something seemed wrong and I had no idea what to do about it. Starting to see cradle cap? Check Moms on Call. Baby spitting up and not seeming to keep milk down? Check Moms on Call.
This book helped me avoid needless calls to my pediatrician many times. There were of course still many, many times when I called our nurse hotline (thank goodness for nurses!), but sometimes what seemed like a grave concern to me as a new mom turned about to be a very normal thing and nothing to worry about at all.
I highly recommend this book for any parents feeling anxious about all the unknowns that come with caring for a newborn. I remember clearly the feeling of being told by the doctors and nurses at the hospital that we were ready to take our baby home and being like, “No we’re not! How can I possibly keep this baby alive without you all coming to check on me and her every four hours?” If you think there’s any chance you might feel that way, this book is for you.
3. We’re Parents! The First-Time Dad’s Guide to Baby’s First Year
Ok, this book is a funny one. You know who needs to laugh more? New, sleep-deprived parents. While this book was written for dads, I found myself laughing out loud reading the tips and still learning a lot as mom.
This book breaks down the first year into three month chunks and discusses the way dads can actively care for and protect their home, baby, and baby mama. It also includes suggestions on ways to help maintain a healthy relationship between parents during this chaotic time. (Are you sensing a theme here? Teamwork makes the dream work! Find your team and embrace the heck out of them!)
You can purchase the book here.
4. Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: The Complete and Authoritative Guide
I hesitate to call this one a book because it is more like an all-encompassing manual for health, basic care, and growth and development from birth to age five. It is enormous. I wouldn’t say this book is necessary for everyone, but I would recommend it for parents who have decided to be home with their kids full time. If you are taking on the sole responsibility for your child’s growth and development, wouldn’t you want as much help and advice as you can get? I certainly did.
This book is written by pediatricians and everything in it has undergone editorial review by other pediatricians. So, rest assured that any information included is science and research based.
You can purchase the book here. In the first few months and years of my children’s lives, I found it helpful to read through the milestones and expectations so that I knew what we should be working towards. This, combined with regular well-child visits to our pediatrician, helped me feel confident that I was giving my kids everything they needed to grow and thrive.
5. Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know
I bought this book for my husband when I learned we were having a girl. He quickly read it cover to cover. He re-read it of his own volition when we found out our second was a girl, as well. We now recommend this book to dads everywhere who are having girls. You can purchase it here.
This book is written by a female doctor with more than thirty years experience working with teens and their parents. She draws on the insights she has learned from years of helping young women and their families heal wounds and build stronger family relationships. This is a great book for fathers with daughters of any age, but why not get a head start on the A+ dad game?
I recommend this book for mothers, as well, because there are many ways you can support a strong relationship between your partner and your child. There are seeds of wisdom for everyone in this book.
