Becoming a Mom can feel totally whelming, especially when it’s your firstborn. Seems that everyone has an opinion on what is the right thing to do. You might find yourself feeling utterly unprepared. Well, let me first tell you, you are not. You will be just fine. Secondly, let me tell you that listening to audio books put me at ease while pregnant and are can be so reassuring once the baby arrives. I wanted to share some of the best must-read parenting books for new moms with you.
I recommend listening to them while walking or driving or even while cleaning. Of course, you can also read them the old fashion way also. I just found that I love listening more, I can multitask which is nice. I listen to books while driving, it passes the time better than music. However, you read them is up to you but I definitely recommend these!
Where to Get these Books for New Moms
I use Audible for my audiobooks. The membership is a decent price. I get a credit for one book per month and they recently added a bunch of books that are part of the “plus” plans that don’t cost one of your credits to listen to. Actually one of the books on this list is one of these plus books. I find it totally worth it. If you haven’t tried you can sign up for a free trial and see what you think!
When you sign up for the membership you will get 2 free credits so you can start checking out any of the books on this list! Unless you want to use them on Harry Potter, I totally understand, but still add them to your list. They are all worth a listen. I have linked them all to amazon so you can find the audio or paper copy, just click the book image. Note that these are affiliate links, if you buy a book through my link I will get a small commission at no cost to you. I only recommend books I have read (some twice) and these are all my honest opinions.
Let’s get to the list of must-read books for new moms.
Expecting Better
This one is for expecting mommies. I LOVED this book and the author. The Author, Emily Oster, is an economist and so am I so this really aligned with me well. I love that she takes the emotions out of situations and just looks at the data. Be warned this book isn’t going to tell you the right or wrong, it is only going to show you the data and let you make an educated decision. Whether you are concerned about having a cup of joe or if you should eat the sandwich to other things like prenatal testing. This book looks at a lot of what comes up and offers clarity. This book helped make my pregnancy so much less stressful and I hope it helps you too.
Cribsheet
This is the second book by Emily Oster. It starts from the hospital and takes you to toddlerhood. Just as the first book this book does a great job of just giving you the data to make the right choice for you and your family. Breastfeeding? Preschool? TV? Whatever your concern it is likely addressed here and will give you some peace of mind to have all the facts. Both of her books for new moms are really great. Again, I am by trade an economist so I may have a bias here but it was so great to just have data and be able to make a choice I was ok with. Hopefully, it can do the same for you.
Strong as a Mother
This book was the second parenting book I read, well, listened to. Definitely a must-read book for new moms. This one is also great to listen to before the baby comes. It really helped me just feel better about the whole thing. This book focuses on the normal things we all go through on our road to parenthood and then into parenthood. Kate makes sure you know that you are not alone and gives you a great idea of what to expect along the way. It empowers you to be you and to take care of yourself. It made me feel like it was all going to work out and I want that for you too!
Bringing Up Bébé
This book was given to me in paperback form and at first, I was like, ” Ya, whatever not reading that.” Then opened it and read a page or two and became intrigued. A couple of friends actually said it was one of the better books for new moms they had read. I decided to give it a go on audible. I was pleasantly surprised, I really enjoyed every minute. In fact, I listened to this book before my baby was born and then again around her first birthday. This book explores the difference between the typical way Americans seem to parent and how it differs from the french. I will say that I did not really alight with the author much, more what she said about the french and how they parent. It was a great reminder for me that I was not crazy in wanting to do things how I do. Whether you align with the author or the french you will find this book worth a listen. You will likely hear me reference it throughout this blog also.
The Danish Way of Parenting
I came across this book more recently and really enjoyed it. David and I have spent some time in Scandinavia and we love it (if you haven’t read my travel blog, here is a shameless plug, you can read it here). We have always noticed the carefree and laid-back nature of these places and we always talk about how these countries always rank high in happiness. When I saw this book it piqued my interest. How are these people so dang happy?? I always say things like this start with the kids so I took a listen.
There isn’t anything in here you probably don’t know, especially if you listened to Bring Up Bébé already but it does offer a lot of perspective and insight to those things. Play is a huge chapter in this book and I love that. I also learned the proper way to say “hygge” (hint it’s NOT HI-gee) and what that means. It’s a great book that will help you have a more peaceful time parenting and have happier kids. Totally worth a listen.
Take back the House
I almost put this book first but decided to save the best for last. a list of books for new moms wouldn’t be complete without it. I mean they are all so good but this one is short and sweet. The author is amazing she narrates this book so well that it is really a joy to listen to and the content is solid. She uses building a house as an analogy for parenting and really illustrates things well. She is very no-bullshit and straightforward. The author does a great job helping you see your children as people and how to make your child see you as a person too. It isn’t all “do this” “do that” it’s more here is how this works and why you should try it. It is amazing. I have listened to it twice already and I am sure I will run through it again as my baby reaches different life stages. It is such a great reminder of how a home and mom can still have peace even with kids. If you listen to only one book on my list, make this one.
Wrap Up
There is a ton of parenting books out there, I am not going to pretend I have read many of them. In fact, I have read just the ones on this list. I stopped looking for parenting books and just started to trust my one instincts, a common thread in all of these books. However, if there is a book you like and recommend please leave it in the comments!
I also need to take a second to fit in one more shameless plug. I will soon have another book for this list, MINE! Ya! I have decided that I have a lot to say on the matter and I have chosen to write a book, likely a series of books. The first book is called “Your Baby is a Person Too” and should be coming in the next few months. I hope to make some more of these lists of books for new moms soon. If you are interested be sure to join the interest list!