Any good books / resources for first timers?

[happyclam]

Hello! I'm newly pregnancy and very excited about it, but also feeling a bit unsure of everything in this beginning bit! Especially before I can talk to people I know about it!

Can anyone recommend a good book / website / resource for first timers? Feel like I need a crash course!

Thank you in advance

Someone on here recommended the Louenna app to me which I've found great!

What to expect when expecting book was a godsend for me as a first timer

Lucy Atkins - First Time Parent book was super helpful to dip in and out of.
Plus Emma’s Diary website for week by week pregnancy what to expect

And congrats! Hope you’re feeling good ❤️

Congratulations OP!!! Hope you have a wonderful pregnancy🌷

My friend gave me Ina May Gaskin’s guide to childbirth, which I was initially deeply suspicious of but ended up being really grateful for. And it was just plain interesting.

I second Ina May Gaskin Guide to Childbirth.

And for fun I loved 'French Children don't throw food' - in fact it shaped my parenting strategy considerably 😂

I can highly recommend Expecting Better by Emily Oster.

@oliveandwell I also loved French Children Don't Throw Food! It's good to see a perspective of parenting from a different country/culture

It's so good!

We always use 'le pause' and call it that 😂!

I also really liked the idea of a framework, with lots of flexibility and permissiveness within those boundaries. Really works.

What mothers do by Naomi Stadlen. Not a how to guide, but brilliant for building confidence in trusting yourself that you do know what to do.

This! It's the only pregnancy book I recommend.

I’m also pregnant with my first child.

Agree with previous suggestions of “Why French children don’t throw food” - an enjoyable read and feels quite empowering.

I haven’t read “Expecting better” but have started Emily Oster’s other book “Cribsheet” which is a research-based guild to parenting in the first few years.

Who knows how it will work out in practice 🤣 but I’m finding it’s building my confidence if I feel well informed!

100% this book.

I also recommend Emily Oster (and have given her books to others!).

I can’t recommend Emily Oster’s parenting book, Cribsheet as she cherry picks the research to support how she chooses to parent, then presents it as gospel. Dismissive of breastfeeding, promotes cry-it-out from
a very young age and completely minimises the benefits of reading to your child.

However, I do recommend her book Expecting Better as it does really go into food/alcohol restrictions so you don’t become the insane person on a Facebook mum’s group panicking because you ate pepperoni pizza.

The above isn’t to be dismissive, I had severe OCD during my pregnancy- but the chapters on food and drink did curb my compulsions.