Best books for first time mum?

[IamJob]

Hi all, not too far into pregnancy but realised I know nothing - like literally nothing - how to clothe baby (layers?), temperature, winding baby, how often babies feed, how to bathe a baby and how often and so on!!

Is there a book that covers this or how do you find out!!??

Ask here! Or Google stuff.

I’d prefer a book - so much misinformation on the internet and don’t want to be stressed trying to figure out what is the correct info or at least gone through a fact check prior to publishing.

The Positive Birth Book - Milli Hill

If you’re even considering breastfeeding,
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/

www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/after-the-birth/

Yeah but be aware parenting books tend to align to parenting perspectives, not hard facts.

I didnt use a book, just sort of muddled along.

www.nhs.uk/start4life

What0-18 is a good website for fact based stuff, rather than parenting books based on perspectives.

Antenatal classes are great, esp if led by midwives. I'm doing these letstalkbirthandbaby.co.uk/online-antenatal-classes/ and you can pick and choose which sessions you want. Really reasonable price and the midwife who hosts them is great. Down to earth, honest funny and engaging!

Also the 'what to expect when expecting' is great. Always in charity shops too so easy to find cheap. Scientific encyclopedia of baby and birth. More aimed at pregnancy than the child itself though

There is also a what to expect: the first year which I found useful.
Honestly though I found most books frustrating in that they would talk about routines etc that I just couldn’t follow.
The only book I really found helpful in the first year was “what mothers do, especially when it looks like nothing” by Naomi Stadlen. An excellent and life affirming read.

The thing about caring for a baby, is it’s an art not a science. There are a few hard ‘facts’, but the vast majority of it is through learning and experience and figuring it out as you go along. As @LetsallscreamatthesisteneI alluded to, parenting books are highly biased depending on the authors view of what constitutes ‘good parenting’ - hence I could recommend books I thought were good, but others might think were absolutely useless. Your probably best asking a friend you feel your values are most like. The sort of practical things you list (how to clothe baby, winding baby, how often babies feed etc) would be best researched on the NHS website @000YourMum000 listed.

@PrettyPlatapus

Also the 'what to expect when expecting' is great. Always in charity shops too so easy to find cheap. Scientific encyclopedia of baby and birth. More aimed at pregnancy than the child itself though

This book is great as is the follow up, what to expect the first year and what did expect the toddler years. My sister used what to expect when she was expecting over 15 years ago.

Anything by Sarah ockwell smith

@bambi1132

Anything by Sarah ockwell smith

Oooh, disagree.

www.amazon.co.uk/Parent-Taming-Several-Habits-Successful/dp/1908211156?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

This cracked me up. Bit of humour around all the seriousness of having a tiny human

Not a book but antenatal classes are great if you have access to free classes that your council should provide

Unmumsy mum 😂. Not a parenting book but super funny and relatable

I guess a good way to get recommendations would be think about whether you know anyone who has a parenting style you can see yourself following, and ask them.

Baby Detective by Sarah Norris is really good. It doesn't tell you what you should do, just helps you figure out what works for your baby.

I was also clueless. I'd never even held a baby until I was about 35 weeks pregnant and my friend shoved her newborn at me.

Anyway, the only books I took to were Bringing up Bebe and Emily Oster's Expecting Better. I like @biglittlefeelings on Instagram for toddler wrangling.

I HATED the Positive Birth Book for many reasons and have no time for Sarah Ockwell-Smith and her C-section shaming.

I must admit I’m another who isn’t really a fan of Ockwell Smith. I’ve never really found the book I’m looking for, which is common sense, kind and practical advice so I’ve just learned on the job.

The NCT course is good and it’s nice to meet other new parents to be.

Oh God yes about the C section shaming - it actually had me in tears in a post natal haze.

Dr Miriam Stoppard
Complete Baby and Childcare was a Bible for me as I was utterly clueless as well as Jools Oliver’s book Jools Oliver
Minus Nine to One: The Diary of an Honest Mum as she was learning it all as she went along too x

The Science of Parenting

Pinter & Martin 'Why It Matters' series (Why Your Baby's Sleep Matters, Why Breastfeeding matters etc)

Some of the purportedly more practically oriented books like Emily Oster for example or Your Baby week by week I found to implicitly perpetuate a particular parenting philosophy after all... Eg the Week by Week book suggesting very early on (can't remember what exact week but definitely unrealistically early) that 'baby is able to sleep through the night now' which might pressure some parents to sleep train when they might not otherwise have. Emily Oster portrays herself as objective etc but for example makes it sound as if anyone would objectively opt for an epidural, when from a different perspective this can really get in the way of the birth someone envisioned etc.

The books listed above I've found to be more actually scientifically based.