Baby book for first time mum

[Misscocopops]

Afternoon all.

I will be a first time mum come September and it has recently started to become very real that I should be reading less into pregnancy and more into how to care for a newborn and baby in general.
I don't know anything, I know once she is here I will have help from family and many people tell me it comes naturally but I would like to be as prepared as possible.
Can anyone recommend a good book on the subject. There are so many online at various prices. I just don't know a thing about babies!

Thank you in advanced to anyone that answers =)

x

I didn't read books but are you going to do antenatal classes either through the NHS or NCT, or both. We did sessions on nappy changing, bathing, sleeping etc.

Your Baby Week by Week is not bad. Not too bossy or judgey.

What to Expect is quite good as a sort of encyclopedia.

Just bear in mind that many many babies do not behave the way the books say they will!

And lots of the books don't mention issues like tongue tie that affect a significant minority of babies.

So MN is your best bet if you want less "cookie cutter" information than the books.

Best of luck!

Second Baby Week by Week apart from the "wean at 4 months" advice!

I found First Time Parent really useful, as it hasn't got any 'opinions' in the way that other baby books have. It's just a very practical and basic guide to lots of different things, like what nappies to chose, different issues with different kinds of feeding etc.

I did NCT classes but we didn't actually do anything on nappies and bathing and that, so I would say you can't rely on an antenatal class to tell you everything.

If you're looking more for childcare manuals, try the library and dip into different types. I found that best - I like reading about things I am going to do and hated the thought of coming home with a newborn baby and just winging it with no guidance at all. But your baby will do whatever the hell it wants to, so just reading Gina Ford and praying you have a baby that likes routine isn't very helpful. If you want to, have a look at GF but also Baby Whisperer and the Attachment Parenting book so you get a few ideas about different baby personalities, and then have something to fall back on when your baby is here and you get an idea what they are like.

Absolutely agree, babies do not fit what the books say! No two babies are the same! Some books really promote routine too and that was the one thing I avoided with a newborn, we were very baby led and he got himself in his routine.

Also info changes, so what was done years ago has changed in regards to weaning and sleeping. I found the Lullaby trust website really useful in regards to sleeping. And I looked on baby forums a lot.

How Not To Be A Perfect Mother :)

Can I just ask you to be careful I knew very little about babies before I had dd and I read furiously I was given a book by a close friend that set out various routines and I genuinely feel that book contributed to my PND because I couldn't live up to its expectations. I have vague memories of my DM and my HV telling me to 'put the book down' but I couldn't help myself. I appreciate you are not me and I'm not saying books caused my PND (they didn't) but they didn't help. Your baby will be unique. The only book I would recommend would be ' what every parent needs to know' by margot Sunderland and I'd also recommend MN I have never been so reassured as I have been from reading threads by people with similar problems on MN and people don't tend to mind if you ask simple questions (someone asked the other day about how to put a nappy on and people gave proper answers)

The thing with using MN though - and it is amazing - is that you kind of have to know what you want to ask before you can ask it!

I wouldn't recommend any specific titles- as all have said you need to dip in and out of books and only take on board what suits you!

Try the library and take a few out. Is there anything in particular you want to know?

Friends/family advice is the best I've had! X

Yes I absolutely recommend that you do not read Gina Ford.

Responsible for a lot of misery IMO as first time parents wonder why they can't get their babies to "do what the book says"

The only book I've bought is Anne Deans pregnancy bible which has a lot of practical info in it and the NHS Ready Steady Baby book is great (but maybe just NHS Scotland get it?). A friend of mine offered Gina Ford but she seemed to really struggle with her baby (and still does) and was very down for a long time after. I put this down to Gina Ford although I'm sure she won't admit it......

Not fact/instruction based but I love Parenting for Peace by Marcy Axness, Having Faith by Sandra Steingraber and Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mothers Soul. Week by week books can be nice but fact books get boring and I really only used 'what to expect' as a reference rather than a good pregnancy read. As PPs have said some books can get a bit bossy too! My top 3 books won't be to everyones taste but I have loved them and am re-reading them throughout pregnancy.

2nd AM188 -family and friends are the best- if you have close family spend time with them and ask questions. I see my Grandma each week and she is a wealth of knowledge, I'm very lucky to have her nearby and retired though.

My best baby book buy... DD has followed this path to a tee.

www.thewonderweeks.com/