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Recommend a book for first time mum?

33 replies

Fozziebearmum2b · 07/04/2013 07:43

I'm pregnant with my first baby who is due in Sept and wondered if anyone could recommend a book to read about caring for a newborn and baby.

Totally accept I'll probably learn a lot 'on the job' so to speak, but would be useful to have a recommend so I have some idea beforehand!

Seen Jo Frosts book on amazon and wondered if it would be any use?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
lagoonhaze · 07/04/2013 07:45

Baby calm sarah orkerall smith (check spelling)

anything by william sears the baby book is good.

HPsauceonbaconbuttiesmmm · 07/04/2013 09:28

There are 2 I would recommend, having bought a lot!

First time parent is excellent, particularly for before baby arrives. It's pragmatic and doesn't dictate.

Week by week is excellent for giving you an idea of what to expect after baby arrives and is in bite sized chunks which is ideal for when you are exhausted!

They complement each other, so I'd get both.

cupcake78 · 07/04/2013 09:44

Stay away from the contented baby books! It drove me round the bend and ended up in the bin within 2 weeks of baby being hereWink.

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Plentyoffish · 07/04/2013 09:56

Im the opposite and highly recommend the contented little baby book.

I wish I had purchased it prior to my ds arriving,

I am a very organised person who needs a schedule to keep on track if this is you you will love this book.

Remember you don't have to religiously stick to the routine but adapt then to what suits you.

Good Luck!

Gooseysgirl · 07/04/2013 10:04

I used Your Baby Week by Week and found it great. I also used Contented Baby as a rough guide NOT to be stuck to rigidly... despite the bad press it gets, most of my friends used it too to some degree or another. I always let DD nap when she felt like it during the day - she settled into her own routine really, but we stuck to bedtime routine. I went to our local second hand shops and got a selection. It will come down to personal choice and your own patenting style. I'm a great believer in routine with a little bit of daytime flexibility thrown in!

Gooseysgirl · 07/04/2013 10:05

Sorry that should say 'parenting' style

blondieminx · 07/04/2013 10:07

the baby whisperer worked really well for us Smile

lagoonhaze · 07/04/2013 10:19

Wonderweeks is good too.

Rule of thumb- never but a baby book from someone who hadn't had babies. that included gina ford and jo frost!

I think you are best investing some talking about parenting styles with partner if you have one and look at books that match your wishes

Nicolaeus · 07/04/2013 10:27

The best one I read was What Mothers Do. Not a how-to parenting book but very interesting and reassuring that you are doing lots for your baby even when you dont realise it.

elQuintoConyo · 07/04/2013 10:33

I had What to Expect The First Year, read the first 7 months then put it down. Also have Birth and Beyond which we skim read for a couple of months, it was a bit disorganised for us and slightly hippy-woo.
Both were lended.
Stayed away from GF, haven't heard of the other books.

Mostly sought out advice on MN and it's kept us really sane. Hth and congratulations Thanks

DrSeuss · 07/04/2013 10:37

Baby Whisperer.

willow322 · 07/04/2013 10:49

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lagoonhaze · 07/04/2013 11:37

I've reported your post willow as its not helpful to the ops original queston.

willow322 · 07/04/2013 11:46

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lagoonhaze · 07/04/2013 11:48

Then start a thread (oh wait there are already several) about it and don't be so rude as to derail someone elses

Gurke · 07/04/2013 11:50

I second The Wonder Weeks (the 2012 updated edition) - It's not really a 'parenting book', but useful for explaining some of the things that are going on in your LO's brain (and, let's face it, they are little alien creatures when they first arrive, so any glimpse into their heads is a bonus), and how you can stimulate him/her at key developmental points. Everyone I know started madly googling 'milestones' when they first had their babies, and this goes a bit beyond by not talking about the obvious physical milestones so much as the cognitive development that makes those possible.

I also found Carlos Gonzalez' My Child Won't Eat very helpful. Admittedly I bought it when my DS went on his first nursing strike (the first of many), but I reckon you'd find this useful even if you end up having a great eater - it has useful stuff about breastfeeding, about those growth curves your LO will be measured against, about weaning, etc etc. Gonzalez is a Spanish pediatrician and I quite liked his tone: knowledgeable, common-sense and very reassuring. I just saw that his guide to breastfeeding is about to appear in English for the first time - so if you're planning to bf that might also be handy.

Gina Ford was not great for a breastfed baby, and totally useless as soon as your baby has any kind of problem - reflux, colds, problems with vaccinations, etc. I love the idea of schedules and routines, so was very disappointed that this just didn't work.

The Baby Whisperer is more useful and the kind of thing you can read while pregnant, but as someone already said it's probably best read for general advice rather than a strict repitition of her schedules - again, just didn't work with bf for us.

JassyRadlett · 07/04/2013 11:53

And if you'd read the thread, willow, you'd notice that some people recommended GF, others didn't. No one got torn to shreds. Kind of makes a dent in your argument, doesn't it?

JassyRadlett · 07/04/2013 11:54

Oops, and back on track: I found the Wonder Weeks, Penelope Leach and the No Cry Sleep Solution good, and also liked Week by Week.

Fozziebearmum2b · 07/04/2013 20:25

Thanks so much everyone will check these out! Grin

OP posts:
breatheslowly · 07/04/2013 20:42

I liked The Baby Book by Sears & Sears. I read about 7 baby books while pregnant, mostly from the library, though I bought the Sears and Sears book. I have barely looked at it (or any parenting book) since DD arrived as I tend to use the internet, paricularly MN and the NHS website.

blondieminx · 07/04/2013 22:41

what mothers do is brilliant, yes. I read it at about 4m in, then told DH to read it! Grin

I did read the contented baby book while pg, looked at the routines section "baby must be awake and feeding by 6am" and rapidly took it back to the library. Thankfully DD agreed with me that 6am is far to early to start the day Grin

clabsyqueen · 07/04/2013 23:24

Penelope Leach is brilliant. Very relaxed and full of good advice but not too prescriptive "you and your baby" would be my tip.

babySophieRose · 08/04/2013 09:05

I found this book very useful and covering all situations:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1847379745/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1365408191&sr=1-1Ï€=SL75

Snowyelephantshavewrinkles · 09/04/2013 10:30

French children don't throw food is worth a read.
Oh and detoxing childhood by sue palmer.

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