Top 3 Must-Read Books for New Mothers

Being a first time mother can be such an exciting time! It's full of new things to see, learn, and experience. It can also be stressful at times, though. There are things that are new and downright scary and it's unclear how to handle these situations.

I'm thankful for my support tribe of friends and family members who gave me helpful advice and experience the first few months, including connecting me to books which I treasure now. I only wish that I had read them before I was sleep-deprived and wishing I had the information magically and instantly digested from them.

So, I am recommending them to you now: before you're potentially sleep deprived and lacking the time and energy to read. However, don't worry if you've missed the boat already! Even if you've already had your first child and are looking for some smart books to sharpen your parenting game, I find these are complete gems. I realize every baby and child is different, but I believe these have some helpful information for anyone - no matter the stage of life they're in.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. "The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer" by Harvey Kemp
2. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" by Heidi Murkoff
3. "Precious Little Sleep: The Complete Baby Sleep Guide for Modern Parents" by Alexis Dubief

See below for further info...

"The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer" by Harvey Karp

This book I found incredibly helpful for learning how to soothe babies and increase their sleep! If I'm honest, I was skeptical of it at first, particularly because of the name. However, it has all kinds of nuggets inside. The premise of the book is based on 4 key concepts:

1. The Fourth Trimester: Why babies still yearn for a womblike atmosphere . . . even after birth
2. The Calming Reflex: An “off switch” all babies are born with
3. The 5 S’s: Five easy steps to turn on your baby’s amazing calming reflex
4. The Cuddle Cure: How to combine the 5 S’s to calm even colicky babies

NOTE: There is also a video summary of this book if you're short on time or need a quick refresher on it while you're out and about or doing things around the house.
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"What to Expect When You're Expecting" by Heidi Murkoff

This is a classic that I bet most of you have heard of already, but I found the new and revised edition had all kinds of updates that are particularly relevant in this day and age.

There is advice for moms and dads throughout the book, plus updated medical coverage on the latest on the Zika virus, prenatal screening, medications during pregnancy, and even postpartum birth control.

I liked that each section included what to expect with your body, your baby and some snippets of things you may be wondering about. It also had FAQ from other mothers in each section and updated lifestyle trends like juice bars, push presents, raw diets, baby bump posting and more.


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"Precious Little Sleep: The Complete Baby Sleep Guide for Modern Parents" by Alexis Dubief

A friend recommended this book to me when my 6 month old had suddenly stopped napping and sleeping through the night well. WHAT A LIFESAVER this book was!

Its chapter on "Sleep Power Tools" perfectly complements the material found in the book, "Happiest Baby on the Block" which I referenced above. However, it goes beyond that book and is able to provide resources for parents of toddlers and preschool children.

I won't spoil the book for you by telling you too much about it, but one of the premises of it is teaching your child to sleep independently so they sleep better and when they wake up they are able to put themselves back to sleep. Truly amazing!

Alexis also tries to empower you to come up with a successful sleep plan for your child that incorporates your child's age, temperament, your parenting philosophy and your sleep history (what you've tried already, what worked, what didn't, etc).

NOTE: If you're short on time, the "How to Read This Book" section has recommendations for which chapters to read. They're based on your child's age and stage in life.

Lastly, they also have a "Precious Little Sleep" Facebook Group you can join online if you have questions, want to connect with other mothers, or see tips on what's working/not working for members in the community and their kiddos. The group is open to Facebook users with the book, and I've personally found the group helpful, particularly in times of crisis.
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What about you? Are there any other books you'd like to recommend?

This parenting thing is all about community and supporting each other. I'd love to hear of any other books you thought valuable.

Love,
Ellen