Baby books - any recommendations?

[ladyruskin]

So, I have the pregnancy & birth books which are currently gathering dust, but will get read before the baby arrives in the summer, but which book(s) should I buy for when the baby actually arrives?

[Ruth_Baldock]

'The rough guide to babies' was really great; the best of the lot I reckon (I had a whole library of baby books)

[Lochie]

what to expect - the first year

Good for dipping in and out of when you don't have much time to read in depth!

I saw a second hand one in good nick in the Herne Hill Oxfam bookshop for ?3 the other day so if you live near there defo worth popping in...in fact they seem to have loads of recent new mum/new baby books in there due to nappy valley factor...

[Saffron]

'The Continuum Concept' by Jean Liedloff

'The Wonder Weeks' by H. Vanderijt & F. Plooij

[MrsLL2b]

The baby whisperer by Tracey Hogg and The Perfect Start by Christine Hill which is a bit of a lighter read than alot of baby books. Good luck!

[Ko]

Lochie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> what to expect - the first year

> Good for dipping in and out of when you don't have

> much time to read in depth!

loved this book! would also recommend it.

[Beagle]

Ditto, find What to Expect the First Year great reference to dip in and out of.

I didn't buy anything else initially then when I eventually thought about routines I used the Baby Whisperer and used a few tips from that. In my first week the NHS handbook Green and Purple covers were constantly by my side for quick newborn related reference. It was the most information my poor brain could fathom.

[jollybaby]

I liked the 'your baby - week by week'. Delivers information in bite size chunks. I look forward to reading the next weekly instalment of what I can expect baby jb to be doing in terms of sleeping, feeding and development.

[Kes]

I'd second your baby - week by week. Didn't really get on with What to expect but I know others liked it

[Dudley]

Sears, Sears, Sears......

[radnrach]

I would also say 'what to expect the first year'. It's so easy to refer to, easy to read, etc.

[ladyruskin]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I shall have a browse and see which one suits me best.

[denny]

Most definitely the baby whisperer and what to expect in the first year!

[Cora]

Babycalming and anything by Penelope Leach

[Emily]

I'd recommend chucking them all in a skip and taking it as it comes

[????]

Wot Emily said

[womanofdulwich]

Some people are not as confident as others and if you have no family nearby and have never held a baby before, books can be really helpful- as long as you realise there is no ONE way- jsut what suits you-sometimes when you are jsut plain knackered you cant always assess a situation correctly and books are a big help to lots of people.

[KateW]

I second what Emily said. Burn the lot of 'em. You will find your own way and that will be what's best for you and for your baby.

[womanofdulwich]

Kate W your previous posts have displayed all the normal worries and concerns of a new mother - do you have to be quite so assertive? Being pregnant is a new place for a lot of people and whilst some are ultra confident some are not.

[snowboarder]

I think you have to go through the process of reading all the books before you decide to ditch them - by which point you have generally got to know your baby and talked to other mums etc. I still dip into my 'library' of gina ford/baby whisperer/elizabeth pantley (yup - wide ranging!!) when I'm lost and do not know quite how to deal with seemingly irrational toddler.

Often recommended is What Mothers Do - less of a guide, more of a reflection on the bewildering world of new motherhood - gentle and reassuring and helps you see that you are NOT going mad....

[vez]

'Wonder Weeks' by van de Rijt and Plooij. Lovely lovely book about baby's mental development week by week. Helps you to understand baby's behaviour and developmental leaps and gives suggestions on how to play and stimulate baby. Only bought it now at age of 37 weeks. Wish I had bought it much earlier.

[KateW]

Womanofdulwich - indeed I have shown all the normal worries and concerns of being a new mother and far from being ultra confident (which I'm not) I found that reading the books (Gina etc etc) caused me huge anxieties and instead of going with my natural instincts, I worried/worry constantly that my baby isn't doing what the books say she should be doing. I have suffered awful post natal anxiety and one of the things that helped me to get over it was putting my books away and understanding that all babies are different. I'm not quite sure why you felt the need to criticise me for expressing my opinion, but that is all it is; my opinion. I'm sure that ladyruskin is more than capable of realising that.

[womanofdulwich]

I agree Kate-I was the same, but like snowboarder says you have to look at the books first.

[buggie]

Even being a paediatric nurse, I found when it came to having my own baby some help/advice was useful/reassuring.

On recommendation of friends I used the baby whisperer which I have found v helpful and has enabled me to trust my instincts and rather than dictate a routine to me, has allowed me to help identify what would work for Bugglet and me.... and (unlike some books) reassurance/suggestions of what to do when we go 'off piste'!.

Was also v helpful for hubbie when he kept asking me "well why's this happening/what are you trying to do" and with new mum brain I couldn't answer/didn't know... he could look up bits and let me know what it said!

[dullified]

Another vote for Your Baby Week by Week - fantastic bite size weekly chunks covering the first 6 months. I preferred it to 'What to Expect' and I also tried The Baby Whisperer and Gina Ford but neither were for me - I found them both too long winded and too concerned with a selling a philosophy/promoting the authors own brand of baby care.

Only problem with Week by Week is it doesn't cover napping schedules. So maybe worth supplementing with Elizabeth Pantleys the no-cry nap solution.