There are a huge amount of books available on having a baby, becoming a parent as well as books on newborn babies, sleep routines, feeding and how to teach your child to play, read, talk, walk etc etc.
Most bookshops these days devote an entire section to parenting books and baby books. So where do you start? Here are some suggestions from parents who have been through pregnancy, first weeks with new baby and beyond. Hopefully one of these guides will be the right one for you – and if the book you choose doesn’t answer all your questions, worry not – there are plenty of more titles out there to choose from!
My advice is to read as much as you can – each book will share some wisdom and ideas that you identify with. It’s unlikely you’ll find a book that completely agrees with how you want to care for your baby, but the more books you read the more tips you can pick up.
The Baby Book – written by Dr. Martha and William Sears, this book is a multi-bestseller and packed with advice on your baby and being a parent, covering topics as wide ranging as eating, sleeping, toilet training and even toddler tantrums. Many like the relaxed approach of this book, focussing on the welfare of the child rather than enforcing a strict discipline on a young baby as some other books do.
What to Expect – this book is less about a particular technique on taking care of your baby. Instead it’s written as a chronological guide – a chapter for every month, covering the items that might come up during that period. For example, baby has started teething, what do to? Or how to recognise and deal with colic. Although some topics may, of course, appear at different stages for your baby, the book is written in such a way that important development stages are well covered before they start. For example, weaning is covered in the chapters leading up to the six months stage, when weaning begins for most babies, so you will be well versed in, well, what to expect, when the time comes to introduce your child to solids. Recommended.
The New Contented Little Baby Book (Gina Ford) – this is a famous and infamous book. Parents the world over are divided into two camps – those who love the Gina Ford technique and those who abhor it. I’ve included the book here for completion – whatever your opinion on this book, no baby book list would be complete without mentioning it. The best way to decide what you think is to to read Gina’s advice for yourself – and take it or leave it.
Whether you are worried about how to change a nappy, how to deal with a crying baby, or simply how to get baby to sleep – these books cover all these topics and more in great detail, and offer different approaches to understanding and solving the challenges and new learning you will face as a parent. At the end of the day, it’s your intuition that will kick in as a parent (and don’t worry, it will!). A book is always merely a backup or a support, for the times something new comes up, or you are unsure. They will never replace good parenting!
