Well this list will most likely grow as time goes on.
Here is a list of the books I read, and would recommend to other expecting, or new moms!
(I also added a short list of apps I recommend as well at the end of this post)
:)
*PREGNANCY*
Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds, by Cynthia Gabriel.
I read this book twice during my pregnancy (notice all of the little book marks in it...ha!). It was so educational and informative. Throughout my pregnancy I planned on having a natural, drug-free labor/delivery in the hospital. So reading this book was great because that's what it was all about! The author does a great job at explaining a lot of common, but completely AVOIDABLE, interventions that happen during a lot of labor & deliveries. She explains numerous possible interventions & side effects that can occur from an epidural, so going into labor being far more educated on epidurals and other interventions, I felt better prepared at what I was getting myself into! The author also explains the different stages of labor, which was really helpful to me because I chose to stay out of the hospital and labor at home for as long as possible, so I felt I had a good idea of what stage I was at throughout my labor. So that being said, I HIGHLY recommend this book to any expectant mama out there, not just if you're interested in natural birth, but even just to educate yourself on labor/delivery!
(let me also clear the air- I got the epidural at the hospital- don't regret my decision one bit!!)
*BABY*
The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems, by Tracy Hogg & Melinda Blau
If I had to choose ONE baby book to recommend, this would be it! Gavin is currently 6 months old and I still find myself going back in this book and referencing it! I feel like within this book she covers everything (probably why they chose to reference "All Your Problems" in the title)! Whether it be newborn sleep/feeding problems, fussiness, establishing a schedule/routine, even just information on breastfeeding, starting solid foods... all of that and MORE is in this book (it covers infancy through toddlerhood)! As much as I took away and used (and still use) from this book, there are still some things that we just didn't do, or didn't have the need to do with Gavin (such as the "dream feed"). Like any book, read it and decide what you want to take away from it!
Baby Wise, by Gary Ezzo & Robert Bucknam
This is a great book! Definitely took some things away from it and utilized them- but not everything. Read it and decide what you do & don't want to try!
The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet, by Karin Knight & Tina Ruggiero
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book! I try to make as much home made baby food for Gavin as possible, it's something I actually really enjoy! In this book she gives advice on how to start baby on solids, and there are TONS of different recipes. It breaks them down month by month in the beginning, and then even goes all the way into toddlerhood. An added bonus that I love about this book: she gives all the nutritional contents below each recipe!!
*PARENTING*
Boundaries With Kids, by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
This book is great- and I highly recommend it. Wow does it open your eyes to raising children, and the impacts that your parenting (or lack there of) has on your child. The easiest way to explain this book is taken right off of the back cover "Learn how to: set limits and still be a loving parent, bring control to an out-of-control family life, apply the ten laws of boundaries to parenting, and define appropriate boundaries and consequences for your kids...and much more"!!! GREAT READ!!
(P.S. the people that have recommended this book to me, have some of the most well behaved children I have ever been around!)
*APPS I RECOMMEND*
Pregnancy +
I LOVED this app! It gives you some sort of new information or pregnancy tip every day. You can track the growth of your baby. You can add pictures. It gives you weekly changes/developments for each week of your pregnancy. You can enter in your weight as it changes (maybe you'd rather skip that one...some days I didn't really care to keep track of that!). You can log all of your dr. appts/phone numbers. This app is awesome. Check it out!!!
What to Expect
This app is great! I love it because it not only gives you advice/tips/information for pregnancy, but once your baby is born, it continues to give you baby advice/tips/info!
It has new tips and additional links for you every day. It has additional weekly/monthly info for the development of your baby (both during pregnancy & after birth). It has all kinds of fun stuff for us moms :) Check it out!
Baby Nursing/Breastfeeding
This app was my life in the first couple months after I had Gavin! I wanted to be able to keep track of when he was eating, how long, and which sides I was breast feeding him from. I'm well aware a lot of other moms could care less about this- but I wanted to keep track of it. If I went on to explain everything this app offers- it would take forever, but here are some of the options it offers: nursing times/durations/which side, diaper changes, baby's measurements, bottle feeds, doctor visits, sleep times... and like I said, there's still more!! There are so many things this app allows you to do! Check it out! (I don't currently use this app- I just became more laid back as time went on, and didn't feel the need to keep track of every little thing, but I LOVED it for those first couple months with a new baby!)
Be First to Post Comment !
Post a Comment