I’m not really one to get down with the “self-help” type books. Give me fiction or forget about it! But I have made a few exceptions in the pregnancy and postpartum category, just because I feel like there is so much information available and so little actually spoken about. Information is power!
In the early days of my pregnancy, I was struggling so much with anxiety, I felt very disassociated from the entire experience. I feel like I wasn’t even pregnant during that first trimester because I was so worried about losing another baby and trying to protect my heart. Reading books about birth, postpartum, newborn care, and pregnancy really helped me feel like I caught up and was actually involved in my pregnancy once my anxiety eased a bit.
I don’t think there is one right way to go about pregnancy, birth, or parenting, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite books that I have read with this baby and with my oldest to get me ready to have a baby. I feel like I am completely starting over as a first-time mom on a lot of things!
I know not everyone is a fan of using an e-reader, but the Kindle is a godsend for me! So many books are hefty and weighty, and the Kindle lets me throw it in my bag and take my books anywhere. And I even have the Kindle app on my phone, which lets me sneak in a few pages anywhere, anytime. It will come in really handy during those late-night nursing sessions!
FAVORITE PREGNANCY BOOKS
- THE MAMA NATURAL WEEK-BY-WEEK GUIDE TO PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH – I really don’t consider myself a crunchy type of person, but when I became a mom for the first time, I realized that there were a few more natural/crunchy things I wanted to do. Hello, cloth diapering and babywearing! I really love this book for a week-by-week guide to pregnancy. It sets the bar realistically and gives great advice on how to embrace natural pregnancy and birth, without any shaming or guilt if things don’t go as planned or you make other choices. Skip “What to Expect” and grab this one, instead!
- INA MAY’S GUIDE TO CHILDBIRTH – This one is intense, I’m not even going to lie. There is a lot of hard statements that feel inflexible, so this is one to skip if you can’t take things with a grain of salt. HOWEVER… I think it is a fantastic resource for preparation if you are hoping to have a natural birth. There are plenty of parts that I skipped through (sorry, orgasmic birth just isn’t for me), but after my last traumatic birth experience, I am grateful for the reminders that my body is more than capable of giving birth!
- EXPECTING BETTER – I haven’t personally read this one, but it was highly recommended by you guys! I love the premise behind the book, and I am sure it would be great for first, second, and third-time moms alike. I had a midwife during my first pregnancy, and she made me really feel so much more chill about all of the “should/should not’s” that come along with pregnancy.
- THE SHIT NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT PREGNANCY – Another reader recommendation, and an immediate download for me. I am here for all of this!
- BIRTH WITHOUT FEAR – I would be lying if I didn’t say I am terrified of having another experience as I did with my first. I constantly worry that I will be helpless and without choice, and I am really trying to empower myself as much as possible before walking into that maternity ward. I am reading this for the second time now!
FAVORITE NEW MOM AND NEWBORN BOOKS
- THE FIRST 40 DAYS – When I had my oldest, I really tried to be SuperMom from the start. I didn’t share how I was feeling with my husband, still made sure that dinner was made every day, and was incredibly hard on myself about every little thing. I ended up with severe postpartum depression, and I am really worried about that this time around. So, I am taking a different approach and having low expectations of myself, of the summer, of my family, and just planning to really be kind to myself and my body. I’ve heard wonderful things about this book, and I’m hoping I can implement some of the healing practices to set me off on the right foot postpartum.
- THE FOURTH TRIMESTER – I highly recommend reading this one during your third trimester, and not actually postpartum. This is such good preparation for that time once you actually have your baby. There is always so much prep that leads up to birth, and then you are just sent on your merry way with a brand new human and a body that has been through hell and back. As I say with everything, take it with a grain of salt and don’t put pressure on yourself to do all the things in the book.
- HAPPIEST BABY ON THE BLOCK – I didn’t sleep train with my oldest, but I also didn’t want to not do anything. I love this book for the tools it gives new moms that aren’t just “let your baby cry.”
- 12 HOURS SLEEP BY 12 YEARS OLD – I’m not a mom who sleep trains, at least I didn’t with my oldest, and I don’t plan to with this baby, either. BUT I do think it is important to establish great sleeping habits from the get-go. I like this book for a solid foundation of knowledge about routines and sleep schedules. It set me up for success and made me feel capable with bedtimes.
- CRIBSHEET – I am super excited to dive into this one (once I can pull myself out of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series…). I haven’t read it yet myself, but it was the number one book you guys recommended for new moms and I love the approach it shares. I know that parenting is extremely overwhelming and everyone has an opinion on everything. It can be hard to know what the best choice is, especially when the best choice for YOU might be different than your best friend.
