Preparing for a baby can be a magical and exciting time! All the anticipation and celebration of a new beautiful soul being added to your heart and family forever.  With such a life-changing event, it can also be a time of preparation–mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Fortunately, you are joining a band of motherhood with wise and wonderful mamas who have shared their knowledge.  While there are so many great books, here is a list of my personal favorite books for pregnancy and newborn motherhood.  I hope you are able to find insight, encouragement, and knowledge from these pages as I have.

1. Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth

At first, this book was difficult for me to read.  The stories about the birth experiences of other women seemed daunting and I thought, “I don’t know if I can do that.”  But after getting through morning sickness (*all day sickness, for me) I found them to be intoxicating.  I devoured the stories for fuel for my heart.  I found something wonderfully in common with each beautiful story….there was always a baby at the end.  I read this book every night and found it oh so helpful.

 

2. Natural Birth the Bradley Way

My husband and I studied the Bradley Method of birthing. So much of giving birth is instinctual in the moment.  Plans can be formed but may need to be thrown out the window if the unexpected occurs.  The Bradley Method focuses on breathing, relaxation, and visualization for a drug-free, surgery-free vaginal birth–so no matter what get’s thrown your way you have some tools and methods to use.  I wish I could give every new mother this book.

3. Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering

Most new parents think of birth as a lady on her back screaming her off! This book will completely change the way you think birth goes.  The author is a doctor who has delivered her own 4 children herself at home.  She has a respectful balance of modern medicine and the natural human potential.  Also addressed is how to move from a gentle birth into a gentle postpartum parenting style dealing with breastfeeding and sleep.  A must read!

4. The Baby Book

After my son was born, this book was a godsend.  Its title really says it all: Everything you need to know about your baby from birth to age two.  I referenced it constantly.  It provides insights into baby’s development for every stage, what to expect, how to help them reach their milestones, and overall guidance for those first two years.  I may really nerdy for this but I loved it for its charts and graphs! Everything was laid out clearly and you will grow to love the Sears’ family! If you are interested reading more from the Sears family and attachment parenting, I also recommend reading their book: The Attachment Parenting Book

 

 

5. The Happiest Baby On The Block

No one can prepare you for the heart wrenching cry of your newborn.  I learned that parents are actually programed to be distressed by the cry of THEIR baby more than any other baby.  Other people will not be as distressed by their cries…but you will feel it.  It’s amazing to me how we were made with this need to help them in their distress.  When you feel like you’ve done everything possible to help them stop crying and they just won’t stop, this book may be just what you need.  They have also made a DVD that we also got and really appreciated.  Learn how to soothe your sweet babe when nothing else seems to work.

 

6. The Magic of Motherhood

By far one of the most encouraging and enjoyable reads.  This book is a collection of letters from mama’s about their reflections on motherhood.  Beautifully written and nurturing to the mama’s soul.  In the darkest hours of sleep deprivation, sitting in the same shirt for days on end, sore everything, and hungry as a hippo this book was like a good friend. It reminded me of the hope and joy I have even if the current moment was not perfect.  While learning about developmental stages and techniques are super important, so is caring for your own mental and spiritual health.

 

Of course, many other books are wonderful for birthing and newborn parenting as well. These were my favorite.  I hope you will find peace and wisdom and truly can enjoy such a short and special time with your babe.  All the best to you and congratulations!

Do you have any other favorites? Drop a comment about them below!