Pregnancy & Parenting Books Recommendations

[lotsofthingstolearn]

Hi very new to this, not sure if I am even posting in the right place- think I am- if not please post me to the right place.

I am 5 weeks preggers- due 20th January- am delighted (have picked myself up from the floor from shock) but also have got lots to learn-

Can anyone recommend a good book that can kind of give me all the information and also one to give advice on parenting.

Looked on amazon, WHSmith and more books that you can imagine so recommendations would be great

Thanks in advance

Gosh, this is a really personal thing, people have such different opinions on parenting books.

In terms of pregnancy ones, I just picked up a couple from a charity shop, they are slightly dated but I find I get up to date stuff on mumsnet and just use the pregnancy books for pictures of baby's growth etc and general guidelines on when to pack labour bag etc.

Parenting books I find a lot more interesting.

I was drawn to attachment parenting ideas before getting pregnant, so picked up the Sear's book on Attachment Parenting. I was actually surprised at how easy going it was, and had expected an onerous list of things that you have to do to be an attachment parent. Instead, it was a bunch of different tools or techniques to promote attachment, and it left it up to you which ones were right for your family. I was impressed by the stuff for dads in it too.

What Mothers Do (especially when it looks like nothing) - isn't a parenting manual, but is a book about becoming a mum and some of the emotional changes we go through and some of the cool but under rated skills mums of newborns learn.

Other than that, I've just gotten a couple of books on breastfeeding as its something I'm very keen to do, but a bit nervous about it because women I know haven't exclusively breastfed. I got 'The Food of Love' which is an easy read with lots of cartoons and humour as well as informative and 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding' which is really comprehensive and useful.

My DH has 'Pregnancy for Men' and its follow up 'Babies and Toddlers for Men'. He hasn't read the second one yet (I'm only 31 weeks afterall) but seems happy with the tone of the first book.

Hope that helps. :)

I have this book and find it quite interesting to read about the babies development, and you can dip in and out as you go along. It doesn't cover parenting, there's just a bit in the back that covers the first few days. I rented a few different ones from the library before buying, this was one of the ones I was going to buy but got it as a gift instead.

Seconding "Food of Love". Wish someone had bought that for me with DD1.

I think The Social Baby is great to get an idea of how a newborn interacts with the world. Not really parenting book, but my husband and I love it.

I also like the Baby Whisperer. It's all about setting a routine but at the same time listening to your baby and understanding their wants and needs.

Based on something I read on MN plus the reviews on Amazon, I got Your Pregnancy Bible by Anne Deans. I really like it so far as I think it covers all the things I'd want/need to know plus you can easily dip in and out when needed.

We have What to Expect When You're Expecting - useful for looking up specific stuff, but the favourite is Kaz Cook's Rough Guide to Pregnancy and Birth - really good read, I've just bought her baby and toddler book (DC1 due in 4 weeks!). It provides a lot of information, but is also funny, and has a good narrative story - we read it week by week. DH really liked Jon Smith's Blokes Guide to Pregnancy (and he is not "blokey" at all - hates beer and football!). Not so impressed with the follow up Blokes Guide to Babies though. HTH.

We got What to Expect When You're Expecting (very informative and user friendly), and also What to Expect the 1st Year.

They're both good for dipping in and out of.

Your Baby Week by Week. Don't recommend any other parenting book, the big problem is that the baby refuses to read to bloody things and so doesn't know what it's meant to be doing when!

A third recommendation for The Food of Love - I wish I had owned a copy of this when DS was tiny.

Also some other good recommendations from SpiritedWolf above.

However, parenting is not really something you can learn out of a book - all babies are different and your baby will not have read any of the manuals There is a lot to be said for following your instincts and doing what you believe to be right. You are clearly concerned to do the best you can for your baby and I bet you will be a great mum.

One of my personal favourites is Dream Babies - this one doesn't contain any particular parenting tips, but is a history of how fashions in parenting have changed throughout the ages. It helps to put all the current advice into historical perspective, and I find that interesting, as well as very reassuring.

We've got Sheila Kitzinger's New Pregnancy and Birth, (down to earth, practical and sensible), and husband is reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth on his Kindle. I LOVE Ina May and also have Spiritual Midwifery.

WRT parenting and baby care I have a couple of books I used with DS (7), Janet Balaskas's Natural Baby (which is a quick read, and very practical), as well as Deborah Jackson's 3 in a bed, and both Naomi Stadlen's What Mothers Do, and How Mothers Love.

I love to read about this subject, but personally I prefer books that convey an ethos or philosophy rather than provide a bossy "How To" IYSWIM. I tend to enjoy books that affirm my feelings about the way to do things, as a kind of replacement for what I wish my own mum would say! (rather than what she actually says which is "oh you're not going to let that baby in your bed again are you?!")

Forgot to add that I will be rejoining La Leche League for breast feeding camaraderie and affirmation of my parenting style. Better than any book if you ask me (although their Womanly Art book is FABULOUS!)

Also - congratulations!

Some fab suggestions on here.

Sears- baby sleep book

Sears baby book

Gill rapley baby led breastfeeding - fab fab fab.

Ina may gaskin - if you can get over the dated pics it will give you a
good outlook on the bodies abilities.

Harvey karp- google happiest baby on the block Richard and judy show- fab you tube clip.