New Baby or Have a Toddler - Recommended Books that will be your Resources

As we know it takes a village to raise a child. And regardless of the free advice from family and friends, it is nice to get realistic, sane, and reusable advice too from "more" reliable resources. Reusable because at 2:00 in the morning, trust me, you won't always remember what your mom or the doctor told you. . . at 2 a.m. you probably won't remember much at all.

These pregnancy / baby book recommendations were my lifeline for everything from bathing and changing the baby, to fevers and rashes....all of which can be scary situations to a new mom or dad and even an experienced mom. These books are easily kept by your bedside as reference material for that 2:00 a.m. wake up call from baby.

Happy reading! Love every moment of pregnancy - and take pictures....

The Seven Book Recommendations Include Title and Authors, with links to Amazon.com (where you can see the cover page of the book, notes from other readers, etc.). Six books are great for new or expecting parents, even one book just for dad.These are still my reference books with my boys today (ages 5 and 2)!! Happy reading...

Baby Love A Tradition of Calm Parenting
- by Maud Bryt

Before you get all caught up in what to buy for baby, what to expect from your pregnancy and the other anxious feelings we get from being pregnant....this book is a realistic, fun, and WONDERFUL way to think about having your baby. Truly at the core of being a mom in the first year.

Quick read, short book. This is a great guide to getting ready for baby (practical stuff). Everything from pre-baby preparations thru the first few weeks with baby, written by a women who's mother and grandma and great grandma were midwives in Holland. Women who helped new moms in the first few weeks after birth. I LOVE this book for being a practical mom and how to care for a newborn. Love the quick chapters on creating soothing routines and having what you REALLY need for baby. Tips from clothes and baths, to naps and feeding, and handling visitors and outings (it'll give you ideas on what to return to the store after the baby shower). It may be a special order online and not available in bookstores, but worth it!!

I do want to add - that in our "Western" culture we tend to overbuy, and underuse. The Baby Love book does a truly good job explaining the practical things you need to register for/buy for baby. Even great travel advice.  

Table of Contents/Chapters: (126 pages)

Introduction, Nursery, Clothing, Food, Sleep, Crying, Bath, Diaper, Play (with sub-headings like sight, smell, taste, sound and baby-proofing advice) , Outings, Family, Illness, Visitors (sub-heading like Rules for Visitors and Keeping up with Thank You Notes and Pictures).

  

Dr. Spocks Baby and Child Care

- by Benjamin Spock and Robert Needleman, MDs - 8th Edition or Later
This thick book is my bible !!! Still with my oldest being 5!! It is quick reference 1-2 pages on what to do with a fever at 1:00 am, call the doctor or not. Everything on caring for baby in the first few weeks thru toddler years and adolescents. I still use this as a reference for diaper rash and fevers to the color of babies poop (yes a captivating topic for new or experienced parents, and grand parents alike)!! A must have! And it address topics from Pregnancy, Birth, Baby thru adolescents topics for Age 5 and up thru the teeenage years....a must have and at 1:00am it's real peace of mind!

There is wonderful advice as well about buying items that "grow with baby." And if you are considering getting one of those great "Travel System" strollers where baby sits in the carrier and is "clicked" into the car seat or into the stroller without leaving the carrier - yeah, READ SPOCK! I never thought of it as other then a convenient system, until I read Spock who wrote: "It's a great way to never have to touch your baby...." Definitely food for thought.

Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy

- by Mayo Clinic
This is for you and Daddy. It's all about what's happening to mom, and baby, during pregnancy. The book is laid out into section a few pages each for symptoms and changes in the first few, and then by month. What to expect and how you will feel from the variety of changes in your emotions, body changes and physical symptoms. It also has a list at the end of each months section of symptoms you may have, for example spotting or cramps, when to wait 24-hours to call your doctor, when to call immediatly and what can wait until the next visit! Great guide to keep your sanity during pregnancy. It also has chapters on delivery options, mom and babies after care and the continuing changes in your emotions, and some brief topics on baby care.

This book is far less "scary" then some of the other popular books about the months during pregnancy.

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby

- by Tracy Hogg

AND

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers

- by Tracy Hogg

This book series is wonderful! Another quick reference guide style book - a quick read on a multitude of topics for help and how to care for your new born baby. But the unique approach in this series of books is helping us moms understand "what type of mom" we are - so we can better cope with our baby. Daily structures and routines are not only the way to keep baby happy but help keep mom sane too. There's also the introduction to "what type of baby" you may have....I was a non-believer until I took the quick quiz. Understanding your babies tempermant will help you select the right type of care for baby.  

Amazon book review: "...whether you're a "planner" or a "winger," and what level of daily structure you are likely to find helpful. In the same chapter, she identifies five general temperaments of infants, how to get an accurate feel for yours, and what methods of care are likely to be the most effective for his temperament 

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers - by Tracy Hogg

As baby gets bigger (age 18 months and up). This is a quick read and reference guide to preventnig tantrums, eating and fussiness, potty training, outings, understanding who is your baby/toddler, parenting is about routines and of course keeping dad involved. I still reference this book for my sons (now age 5 "Angel" and a re-read for the "Spirited" 2-year old)! I love this for transitioning to when baby starts to walk and the next phase of parenting...

What I wish tho is that I read this book in the first year - BEFORE 18 months. Early on with my first son, I would get TOTALLY stressed if he was off his "routines" (I hadnt read the Baby Whisperer part I yet!). I didn't learn until after I read the "Baby Whisperer for Toddlers" when he was age 2 that it's OK if once in a while we are off routine (like taking a late nap, or missing a feeding). The book offers wonderful advice and peace of mind for us "schedule" or "routine" driven moms'. I would have Saved myself some stress (ok, a lot of stress ;-)  

Baby Signs
-  Linda acredolo and Susan Goldwyn PHDs
If you are "on the fence" about Baby-Signing (or have never heard of the subject) then this is a book worth thumbing thru! I am a huge believer in Baby Signs. It's awesome when baby is 10 or 12 months (usually only saying mama and dada) and they can SHOW you they are thirsty, hungry or want a new diaper - talk about preventing tantrums. SOme babies can sign even sooner, and some learn to sign even later. But if this blog was about keeping your sanity as a mom....then I would ONLY reference this book!!!

I have hung out at play groups and personally witnessed a difference with my kids because they can communicate with me BEFORE they could talk. I still reference this book - often actually. Like today we are going to the acquarium and needed a refresher on the sign for fish, frog and snake... :-) Also, from an educational view point the authors site studies that show babies who "sign" have a higher IQ in their later early education years. The study in the book details how the brain is making the basic building block connections for words.

Think about it - how hard it is to say CAR after only being able, as a baby, to drool, coo, and maybe say "Ah!" To have your non-verbal baby / toddler be able to show you "thirsty" instead of screaming for their cup! Comeon mom's, need I say more?

But for me it's the sanity of communicating with baby BEFORE baby can talk.



For the Dad:

The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, Second Edition 
- by Armin A. Brott

When I would lay in bed and read my once a month chapter from the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, my husband would read his version of the book - A Guys understanding of pregnancy!! "Fabulous, Awesome, and Really Helpful" says the dad to be...


Happy reading, and enjoy this special time!