Books for New/Expecting Parents

In honor of the ongoing Mommyfest 2008, my Works for Me Wednesday (hosted by Rocks in My Dryer) is sharing the three books that I highly recommend for new/expecting parents.

The first is a staple for many, but it was so very informative that it bears mentioning. What to Expect the First Year (from the author of What to Expect When You're Expecting Arlene Eisenberg) is a month-by-month guide to your baby's development. There are a lot of very informative articles and Q&A sections to cover a LOT of topics. Also, the development of the child is tracked by what your child SHOULD be doing, what they LIKELY are doing, and what they MIGHT be able to do. Certainly no book is a replacement for a good relationship with your pediatrician, but this one answers a lot of questions. It also covers a lot of special circumstances such as special needs, illnesses, and multiples.


The second was the bible of sleep/feed schedule for us. It's On Becoming Baby Wise by Dr. Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam We had three different families recommend this one, as they had used it, followed it, and been very successful. The only people who were not fans had not followed the schedules and therefore could not endorse the method for training your child's eating and sleeping cycle. That's right...training them. You don't HAVE to follow their schedule. Sound crazy? I thought so too, but Little Nespy was sleeping 5+ hours through the night at 9 weeks and there was no looking back from there. Sleep is still a good experience for him and he rarely argues about having to go to bed. Although I cannot GUARANTEE it will work for you, I can tell you that everyone I know that has ever tried it (with a fair chance) has been very please with the results.

And lastly is a fun, yet informative look at parenting called The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance by Louis Borgenicht, Joe Borgenicht, Paul Kepple, and Jude Buffum (whew! That's a mouthful!). Nespy LOVED this one as it had some humorous schematics included with the instructions. Although all of the information is very important and often brilliant, it is presented in such a fun matter as it makes the read easy. A great book for dads who don't want all of the emotional details, but just want to cut to the chase of the how-tos. Love it!


Those are the books that really worked for us!