Pregnancy
Mommy IQ by Rosie Pope: If you've every seen Pregnant in Heels you'll know why I find Rosie Pope completely charming. As I read this book I heard every word in Rosie's lispy British accent. The book's tone is familiar and you feel like it's one of your girlfriends talking to you, reminding you that you can make it through these 40 weeks and that you're not alone on the journey. The content is nothing groundbreaking but it's a funny, friendly read for first-time moms.
Baby Gear
Baby Gear
Baby Bargains by Denise Fields: Recommended by my sister-in-law this book was a lifesaver as we worked on our baby registry. There are so many different options for everything from strollers to bottles to cribs and everyone you talk to will have a different favorite. This book offers objective reviews of baby products and also give recommendations for the best buys overall and at different price points. We loved this book and thought it was worth its weight in gold.
Parenting
Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman: This is my hands-down favorite. The author and her husband started their family after moving to France and she starts noticing all of the differences between how the French parent as compared to the American parents that she knows. As I read about the way that the French raise their children I kept saying to myself, "Of course that works, that makes total sense." Some of the things she points out are cultural and would be hard to replicate outside of France but many are common sense and have to do with how French parents see their children. I found myself reading passages aloud to to Todd over and over because I kept reading things that both reflected my ideas about parenting and new concepts that I hoped he could get behind. He did. Another fun, related read is Bébe Day by Day also by Druckerman. This book provides the lessons from Bringing Up Bébé in short sections, basically a quick reference guide to the rules of French parenting.
Parenting
Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman: This is my hands-down favorite. The author and her husband started their family after moving to France and she starts noticing all of the differences between how the French parent as compared to the American parents that she knows. As I read about the way that the French raise their children I kept saying to myself, "Of course that works, that makes total sense." Some of the things she points out are cultural and would be hard to replicate outside of France but many are common sense and have to do with how French parents see their children. I found myself reading passages aloud to to Todd over and over because I kept reading things that both reflected my ideas about parenting and new concepts that I hoped he could get behind. He did. Another fun, related read is Bébe Day by Day also by Druckerman. This book provides the lessons from Bringing Up Bébé in short sections, basically a quick reference guide to the rules of French parenting.
Mayo Clinic Guide to Your Baby's First Year: After bringing your baby home from the hospital you are largely on your own. Yes, you have your pediatrician, loving grandparents who successfully raised you, and tons of moms with advice to give but when you're at home alone with baby, you're on your own and bound to have questions about what is and isn't normal for a newborn. We've already looked up a myriad of things from cradle cap to how long to store breast milk at different temperatures. It's nice to have a go-to book from a trusted source to refer to instead of wading our way through the countless search results that come up online.
Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina: This was one of Todd's favorite parenting reads. The subtitle of the book is "How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child form Zero to Five". The author is a developmental molecular biologist who is also a parent and the book delves into the neuroscience behind baby's development. He focuses on how you can put practices in place now that will help develop your child's brain in a way that will lead to long-term brain development. He is actually qualified to make suggestions about what is good and what isn't for your child's development by taking the time to look at and synthesize lots of studies that either affirm or discredit common beliefs like the idea that playing Mozart to your child will make him smarter. His goal is not to tell you how to raise your child's IQ but to provide parents with proven tools for helping the child's brain development. Since he isn't the one who is conducting the studies he writes about he's able to look at them objectively. He takes hard science and presents it through interesting stories and anecdotes - a very interesting read.
Of course there are many, many parenting books out there and many I'd still like to read. On my reading list are:
The New Basics: A-to-Z Baby & Child Care for the Modern Parent by Michel Cohen
French Twist by Catherine Crawford
How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm by Mei Ling Hopgood
The Artful Parent by Jean Van't Hul
Parenting Without Borders by Christine Gross-Loh
French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon
The Idle Parent by Tom Hodgkinson
Of course there are many, many parenting books out there and many I'd still like to read. On my reading list are:
The New Basics: A-to-Z Baby & Child Care for the Modern Parent by Michel Cohen
French Twist by Catherine Crawford
How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm by Mei Ling Hopgood
The Artful Parent by Jean Van't Hul
Parenting Without Borders by Christine Gross-Loh
French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon
The Idle Parent by Tom Hodgkinson
I'd love to hear what your go-to books for new parents and parents-to-be are. What are your favorites?
When you get to the point where you are introducing solids, you might want to look at http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Led-Weaning-Essential-Introducing-Confident/dp/161519021X
ReplyDeleteMy sister used this method quite successfully on her son. I myself never tried it, but I would have if I'd known about it. Baby food is some of the most disgusting stuff on the planet.