“what mothers do, especially when it looks like nothing” by Naomi Stadlen.
This. Also I hear "the book you wish your parents had read" is very good.
I'm not a fan of Sarah Ockwell-Smith either even though I am fairly aligned with her views. She is just really wishy washy in writing them out and I felt frustrated!
Love Amy Brown's books, although some of them are much too wordy for the postnatal period.
But TBH I have read over 40 parenting books because I enjoy them, and you don't need any books for babies. You really don't. You learn as you go, which sounds overwhelming but it's true. They don't do very much when they are first born and they only get more challenging slowly.
Join NCT or some non-NCT alternative, so you can meet other first time parents in real life. That's invaluable.
Find your MN antenatal thread and join that so you have some other pregnancy-and-sleep-deprivation crazed people to talk to on the internet (and they won't confuse you with American advice/norms).
The only things that you need to know how to do with a newborn are dress them - and this becomes fairly obvious fairly quickly. You just take a layer off if they're too hot and put another layer on if they're too cold. Blankets count as a layer. If you fold it in half it's two. Don't overbuy clothes before birth, because you'll find what's cute before birth is impractical after birth and you'll gravitate towards whatever you find easiest and go and buy a multipack of those from the nearest supermarket. But everyone's preference is different. So it makes sense to start with basics and top up once you've worked out what you like.
Put on a nappy - this is incredibly straightforward but midwives will also be happy to show you how to do it if you feel nervous the first time. If you have a boy point the willy down. If you have a girl wipe away from the vulva to avoid getting poo in it. You can get reusable nappies and/or reusable wipes.
Feeding - probably the most complicated thing but there are so many books written about breastfeeding. It isn't a bad idea to read one. You'll generally be fine whichever one you pick, but actually, the best thing for breastfeeding is to follow a load of BF specialists on social media (this will also probably give you pointers for a book you're likely to enjoy). Be aware that you'll forget everything you've read as soon as the baby is actually here, don't panic, again, midwives and HCAs in hospital are there to help you get feeding established. The most important thing is to know where to go for help if e.g. you've got home and the support has dropped off, or if you don't find that the support you've been offered is helpful, or if your mother in law is putting worries in your head. That's why the social media experts are helpful because there is a constant drip-drip of useful, high quality, breastfeeding-supportive info. (If you want to be sure they are actually expert and not just making it up as they go along, IBCLC is a good qualification with quite rigorous standards.)
If you plan to mixed feed there is a book about that now - Mixed Up by Lucy Ruddle. If you plan to formula feed you could look at Why Formula Feeding Matters by Shel Banks - it's not actually released yet so no idea if it's any good but I would expect so. But again you will learn how to make up a bottle in hospital, or start with ready made, and the instructions are on the box, it's fine, you get there :) You will have access to a health visitor clinic to ask any questions that might come up later.
You will probably be prompted at first in hospital how often to feed/change and it's up to you whether you continue this frequency at home or not, but it's a starting point. Your baby will soon let you know if you have left it too long.
It's quite useful to have someone show you how to wind - just ask anyone you know who has had a baby. If they all have different methods, great. Not all babies need winding every feed, but it's something to try if they aren't settling.
For bathing you just put them in water and wipe them with a soft flannel or sponge, it is pretty straightforward. You can buy bath thermometers which show you the right temperature for the water. When they start to get sticky you can add soap, as they get bigger you support them less until they are sitting totally alone in the bath and then it's easy.
Your midwife or health visitor is likely to talk to you about safe sleep (avoiding cot death/accidental injury or suffocation) and safety in the home e.g. don't leave baby on a changing table/unattended in a bath etc. It is not a bad idea to do a baby first aid course.
Using your car seat/pram etc - the instruction manual will help and there are usually great demo videos on youtube as well.
And that's ALL you need to do for the first few weeks/months.
If your baby won't sleep alone it would be useful to get a book about safe co-sleeping. Sweet Sleep or Three In A Bed are two I read and enjoyed, the No-Cry Sleep Solution also has guidance in.
Later when you start to get close to weaning you can look for a book about that and/or your health visitor will probably invite you to a weaning talk. In some areas this is now online but at least you know it's NHS approved.
If you struggle with sleep and want to do something proactive you can find lots of books about that. Or struggle with sleep but just want some reassurance that the baby won't still be in your bed at 19, there are books to help with that.
What's the most useful (IMO) when your baby is about 18 months old is books about toddler behaviour management and there are some really good ones around now. How To Talk is still a classic. The Whole Brain Child/No Drama Discipline also great.
Good luck! And don't take everything you read as gospel! Many of the books contradict each other and my take on that is that there are MANY right ways to raise a baby/child. Don't stress over following something exactly if it is not working for you.