Book recommendations for first-time mum (and dad)

[sophied1983]

Would love to hear what ones you found most useful. I find the science very interesting and like knowing what's going on in there.

Have a couple of apps on my phone but would like some reading material too.

Hi Sophie

My first recommendation would be to NOT get any of the those baby books "for dads", unless your DP is a total idiot. My DH read 3 and STILL has no idea about doulas, what happens during labour, what's involved in breastfeeding - these books just don't cover it. It's all "I know you'd rather be down the pub, but buy your DW some flowers and tell her she's glowing". It's rubbish!

Now I've got that off my chest! I'd recommend:

Pregnancy for Modern Girls
The Pregnancy and Baby Book
The Babycare Bible - v. good, idiots guide!
First Time Parent - v. good
Blooming Birth - v. good
The Good Birth Companion - v.good
If you're in the UK, Gurgle.com's Pregnancy Book had a few useful bits about what happens once you enter the UK's "you're pregnant" NHS machinery.

HTH!

I'm a first time mum to be and just finished Expecting Better by Emily Oster and loved it. Completely up to date science, written with a no nonsense attitude. I can't stand all this unjustified scare mongering!
www.amazon.co.uk/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wisdom-Really/dp/1409142310

These were two I found really useful

This during pregnancy
www.amazon.co.uk/Keep-Calm-Manual-Trust-Yourself/dp/0091954886

This when we had baby
www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Baby-Week-ultimate-caring/dp/0091910552/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451933739&sr=1-1&keywords=my+baby+week+by+week
Had a guide to what baby should be doing at certain points, advised looking at week either side as well, but did seem to answer lots of questions I had so often I would think - why is this happening and would get an explanation.
Also found it was good as it was short sharp sections to read not loads and loads - split into feeding, sleeping, bathing etc.

I actually disagree about the dad books. I found The Expectant Dad's Handbook great for DP and I enjoyed it as well.
www.amazon.co.uk/The-Expectant-Dads-Handbook-pregnancy/dp/0091948045
It explained a lot about how DP could support me in labour and why it was important that he did. There were basic explanations of the process but it was sufficient. Short, direct and helpful. Not too airy fairy Mother Earth but also not a jokey lad take on birth and caring for a newborn.

Both DH and I love the Commando Dad book. He was consulting it at 1 this morning when I was unwell.

It is not incrediablly detailed but it is concise.

Totally agree about the expectant dads handbook. Emily oster also excellent

My DH has found commando dad good.

Second recommendations for First Time Parent and The Good Birth Companion - these are the one's I'd buy for a friend. I had lots of others (you find loads in charity shops) but these were my favourites.

I'm finding the Wonder Weeks by Hetty van de Rijt invaluable. It isn't a pregnancy book, it's all about the developmental changes and regression periods that babies go through during the first 20 months of their lives and tells you what to look out for and what you can do to help them through it.

I hear a lot of people talking about the wonder weeks is it an app?

My DH is loving 'Pregnancy for men - the whole 9 months' by Mark Woods. It's informative and funny - you wouldn't catch him reading one of 'my' books but this one has been helpful for us both to be honest. Oh and DH is most definitely not a 'total idiot'.

I like 'The rough guide to pregnancy and birth' - more down to earth and 'normal' than others with fun bits too.

Definitely "What to expect when you're expecting" by Heidi Murkoff. It covers everything.

There is a wonder weeks app and book - I have the book and the free app (which is very limited) I personally don't see the amazingness off it but a lot of my mum friends with babies the same age all rave about it. I found it really hard to dip in and out of.

You can take a look at some useful Tips for first Time Mums here: lifewiththemorganfamily.com/2015/12/17/tips-for-first-time-mums/

Not really pregnancy related, but Child rearing related but it has a lot of details on what to do during pregnancy to help your baby's development.

Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina

If you enjoy science then I recommend Bumpology. It's written by a science journalist and goes through lots of typical beliefs about pregnancy and babies and compares them to research to judge whether they're accurate or not.

You are all amazing :)

www.goodreads.com/book/show/1354491.Jo_Frost_s_Confident_Baby_Care

As a soon to be first time dad I have found that many of the 'for dads' books assume: a) I'm an idiot and b) I need to be communicated with in a weird blokey way which feels like a bad parody of how men are imagined chat with each other.

I have found Lucy Atkins' First Time Parent really good.