As an avid reader I picked up more than a few baby related reads during my pregnancy. Being aware that some of our readers are expecting (congratulations), I wanted to share with you a shortlist of the books on pregnancy and parenting (so far) that I have personally found to be most helpful and enjoyable, just in case you are looking for a recommended read.
The Positive Birth Book by Milli Hill; Written by the founder of the global Positive Birth Movement, this book was a game changer for me. If I am honest, I didn’t really know what to expect about giving birth, I just imagined it would be painful and I was petrified! This book broke everything down just perfectly, it completely changed my outlook on birth for the better. Once I had finished reading it, I was left feeling informed, confident, empowered and even excited about giving birth as I felt I was in control and knew my options. The book also helped me to identify the type of birth I wished for and I used the downloadable visual guide to create my birth plan. For those of you who read Rupert’s Birth Story you will know his birth did not go to plan however due to reading this book I was able to understand my choices outside of my birth plan so that I was able to make well-informed decisions at the time. I can’t recommend this book highly enough for mummy’s to be (or even Daddy’s to be). It was the only book I managed to get Chris to read!
What to Expect when you’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff; Should I have read this pregnancy guide from day one, it would have answered some of my early pregnancy questions and helped to alleviate some of my worries. However, I did not buy it until towards the end of my pregnancy, therefore the first few chapters were irrelevant, as such I either skipped or skim read them. Nevertheless, the book was still useful as it covered many different topic areas week by week. A comprehensive book packed with practical advice, tips and reassurance throughout. A good book to use as a quick reference point.
The Whole Nine Months by Dr. Jennifer Lang; I am someone who takes a keen interest in the food I fuel my body with and making healthy food choices has always been important to me, even more so during pregnancy. However, I was not always sure what I should be eating to actively support Rupert’ development. I found this quick read to offer the answers I was seeking through the simple nutritional guidance it provided based on each trimester and the supporting recipes.
The Blissful Baby by Lisa Clegg; This book was recommended to me by one of the ladies from the hypnobirthing course Chris and I did; subsequently all of the group have since read the book and have been implementing all or parts of it with their own babies successfully. The book has lots of useful down to earth advice and covers many topics in detail. I’ve personally found the sleep routine the most helpful along with the breastfeeding section for which I gained a lot more from than any conversation in person with my MW or similar heath professional.
Dummy by Matt Coyne; My friend Lili sent me a copy of this book to read while I was staying in hospital with Rupert. I am so pleased Lili sent it to me as it kept me smiling and even laughing through a tough time. A quick read that is fun, light-hearted and a very honest account of parenthood from a Fathers perspective.
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Philippa Perry; Written by psychotherapist Philippa Perry this book explores and addresses how we interact with each other and subsequent outcomes in a nonjudgmental way. I found it to be a thought-provoking and interesting read; one which allowed me to reflect on my own upbringing and make sense of how I’ve turned out. There are a few exercises throughout the book too which I enjoyed doing. The book highlighted to me just how lucky I am to have parents who have always listened and taken the time to understand me allowing me to be myself.
Although I can’t yet recommend them I am currently reading two books on childhood vaccines, the first being Vaccines: Making the Right Choice for Your Child and the second The Vaccine Book. I am reading these books as I had my concerns about Rupert being a premi baby and if we should be delaying his vaccines, which in hindsight I wish we had as we ended up in hospital within 48 hours. I am also concerned over the number of vaccines we are now giving our children in relation to when I was born (in the 80s), as the numbers have doubled for 5 years and under on the NHS immunisation schedule. Rupert is now due his 12 week vaccines however upon seeking medical advice from a third party we have decided to delay and explore all the childhood immunisations in greater detail to be able to make well informed decisions before he has anymore, and when he does we will now have these done privately. If you are interested I have been using this site as a starting block to explore vaccinations for children.
Aside from books I also enjoyed reading blogs such as The Positive Birth Company for positive birth story’s, The Expert Midwife’s blog for general articles and advice and lastly the Modern Midwife for an array of topics and podcasts.
I’d love to hear your parenting book and blog recommendations, if you have any please comment below.
Love for now
Emma x