While I joke that reading Calvin and Hobbes is the best way to prepare for parenthood, I consider three books must reads for all expectant moms.
(When you’re pregnant or a new mom the last thing you want to do is Google issues; there is so much crap advice online. Instead I recommend you stick with informative, non-alarmist books written by experts. These are the books for you.)
1. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
2. Having a Baby, Naturally
3. The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two
The above books are so comprehensive that I’ve tossed all our other pregnancy books and consult these regularly. (You don’t even need to read them all the way through; just read the chapters that interest you and then keep a copy handy for when problems arise.)
In fact, this week I’ve already reread parts relating to drinking alcohol while breastfeeding (one glass of wine with dinner is fine on occasion once your milk is established) and the frequency of poops in newborns (skipping a day or two or seven evidently is entirely normal in newborns older than six weeks).
Ah, parenting can be so glamorous.
Stay tuned for several AWESOME parenting books to read. I found a couple that are WAY better than all the rest. I’m excited to share them with you soon.
Whoops! Evidently I wrote this exact same post five years ago. These must really be the best books out there. HA!
That is SO HILARIOUS that you wrote the same post 5 years ago!
Tell me about it! I couldn’t believe it! So me, right?!
I read often recommend the two baby books. I didn’t read Having the Baby, Naturally, but read tons of other resources. But for me, it doesn’t really matter, because despite having a homebirth midwife, and TWO doulas, I ended up having a highly medicalized hospital and surgical birth. That’s the way it goes sometimes, and that needs to be OK, celebrated, and honored, a big sticking point for me right now with the homebirth movement. But that is for another rant.
I have one more recommendation. Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne.
http://www.amazon.com/Simplicity-Parenting-Extraordinary-Calmer-Happier/dp/0345507983/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366374074&sr=1-1&keywords=simplicity+parenting
This needs to be read while pregnant, because it influences how you want to nest for your baby, the kind of things you want to register for, and how to carefully navigate all the offers for baby, toddler, and kid toys that come your way.
I love The Baby Book. Speaking of newborn poops, my pediatrician tried to convince me that the fact that my 1st newborn only had a poop every 5 days was not okay. I had read in The Baby Book and Dr. Sears’ website that it was normal. My 2nd was exactly the same way. It is my first reference. I also still have my worn out copy of Womanly Art on the bookshelf even though I am not breastfeeding anymore!
I’d add in the Elizabeth Pantley books, especially No Cry Sleep Solution. I had two very different sleepers, and it helped me with both of them. (Now I’m nervous I recommended this book with your original post too…)
Ohh! I think I’ll need to get those! Thanks Carrie! :) (totally unrelated… I love your parents )