Reality is setting in that I'm becoming a FTM in 9 days. I have all next week free and figure I should use the time wisely. Any must-read books about babies, sleeping, anything else, that would help prepare me (or at least make me feel prepared)? I've skimmed through Baby 411 already. Would Happiest Baby on the Block be helpful before baby gets here? Other recommendations? Thanks!
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Definitely watch the 5 S's on YouTube. The book is ok, but it's helpful to watch it in action so you can see exactly how he does it. It was suuuuper helpful the first few weeks! Baby 411 is a good resource for on-the-go (happens to be written by my pediatrician, so I'm partial!) I also read healthy sleep habits, happy child later when I was in the middle of sleep deprivation, so I wish I had read it some before.
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I did read Happiest Baby and found it helpful. I think the only other one I read before dd arrived was a book on breastfeeding.
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We read The Birth Partner. I also read Ina May's guide to Childbirth as I wanted an unmedicated vaginal delivery.
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I found watching videos more helpful than reading. If you'd like to breastfeed I would look for some videos that show proper latches. I would also watch the video on the 5 s's.
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I'm not sure it's available in the US but I really like the Penelope Leach Baby and Child book.
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I liked the birth partner. Also, for breastfeeding, @Mrs. Pickle's suggestion for videos on latching is good. Look up info on the size of a baby's stomach and how often they need to eat...might make you feel less stressed out for them crying and help you know what your babe might need or want!
Pretty much any time I had questions I googled, asked other parents among my family/friends, and referred to posts on here.
Good luck! You'll figure out so much just by being with your baby and following your instincts.
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@Kemma: I'd forgotten I had read one of hers as well. I think it was The First Six Months.
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Happiest Baby is good and I still swear by Weissbluth's book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It should also say Happy Mom! Because sleep is important
It's a big book but it's broken up into ages so you can tackle very small chunks at a time.
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If you plan on breastfeeding Dr Jack Newton's book is very good.
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Bring up Bebe is a must read.
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I read most of the books already recommended on here, plus some more, and I just wanted to chime in and say that if it makes you happy to read, go for it, but be aware that it might all go out the window when you actually have a baby and that's ok!
In terms of the books I found helpful, I think the most useful to me were Nursing's Mothers Companion in the beginning, and later, Ferber's book about baby sleep (I read at least 6 sleep books). Agree with others to just watch the Happiest Baby one instead of reading.
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Ditto what @SweetiePie said. Both of those books were life savers for me. I would read them again if I had another.
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Definitely Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I read it when dd was 2.5 months and really wish I had read it sooner!!
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I found the AAP book, Caring for Your Young Baby & Child, helpful. It reads like a text book and was just good solid here's what' going on and how you should reapond.
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@thepicklemonster: My newborn is 4 weeks old and so far, like everyone else, I have LOVED the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD (we "bought" it on Amazon for like $7 the night after we got home from the hospital; not sure if the 5 S's on youtube are sufficient though?). That has been a godsend and I recommend watching it sooner rather than later. I also was gifted the Penelope Leach book Your Baby and Child
( @Kemma: it is available here!) and love it, I've found it to be wonderfully sensible, empathetic, and thorough. The first 150 pages or so are all about newborn care and they're very useful; my husband also liked it.I haven't read any sleep books yet but think I might try the Weissbluth book
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@kayla0416: YES! I ended up reading it around 4/5 weeks PP after I was stressed to the max about my son not sleeping. He was always awake and crying like he was in pain. I went to the pediatrician multiple times swearing something was wrong and fortunately my ped finally realized that I wasn't putting him down to sleep as often as I should. I was overstimulating and keeping him awake thinking I had to entertain him. She told me to read that book and it was like "ohhhhh that's why he's crying!!!" I had no idea that the MAX time awake at that age was 1.5 hours and it turned out for my son he couldn't really go more than 45 mins!!! And I was keeping him up 2-3 hours. Man I wish I had read it BEFORE he arrived! Just the first chunk on newborn sleep. Would have saved me a lot of stress and tears.
Ever since then that book has been my baby sleep bible and I just follow it to a T. He's now 2 and since then has been a perfect sleeper (with a little help here and there...connecting sleep cycles, bottle night weaning, etc)
Oh, another book I like but I modified it - 12 Hours by 12 Weeks. We didn't start it till he was 12 weeks (because that did seem really young) but the tips on helping them night wean were helpful. I know it's a controversial book, and some stuff I did disagree with, but I found it very easy to modify the stuff I didn't feel comfortable with.
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@LCTBQE: oh congrats!!! I didn't realize you had your baby.
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@SweetiePie: oh my gosh, I could've written your post. We were totally keeping our daughter awake too long and over-stimulating her. As a ftm, I think I was just so excited to "play" with her and teach her things when really all they do at that point is eat and sleep pretty much. Healthy sleep habits, happy child is now my bible and my 5 month old daughter sleeps great.
I also read 12 hours by 12 weeks and found it a little harsh, but we tried a modified version of it, and got some helpful tips from it.
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@kayla0416: exactly! It is harsh but if you go into the book with the mindset of "I'm going to use this as a starting point and modify as I see fit" it does have some helpful ideas. Like I said, I also didn't even start implementing it till he was 12 weeks and already down to 1, maybe 2 wakings. I think implementing a lot of that before 12 weeks would be tough.
I did try to take their advice on getting to a 4 hour schedule and increasing his bottle intake during the day. Which he was already on pace to do himself anyway. And I used the tip on stretching the night feedings (like even by a minute) each night. But I wasn't going to do anything that felt like torture. They were so adamant about NEVER going back by even a minute but come on. Sometimes it made more sense to do an earlier night feeding than to let him get worked up and scream because then it's harder to get him back down. But if I was able to peacefully stretch the time between feedings with a paci, I did it.
Anywho, slightly off topic. But sounds like we are similar on our sleep experiences -
@SweetiePie: yes, he arrived a couple of days after his due date! we are so in love with him. total lump of cuteness.
@SweetiePie: @kayla0416: @mediagirl: after reading all this, I'm going to pick up the Healthy Sleep Habits book this afternoon on our walk--will let you know how I like it! -
Not a book (or actually I think there is a book version..), and not necessarily something to read ahead of time, but I found the Wonder Weeks app SUPER useful for keeping track of developmental changes during the first year. Like, I'd be wondering why all the sudden lo's routine would be thrown off and it would just make sense when I looked at the calendar and she'd be going through a big leap. Like, she's not just crazy!
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@nana87: DITTO! Good one! I never got the book, the app was sufficient. Leap alarms were helpful!
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