These are three books that I have read so far about babies and each has served a purpose in helping me be a better mother for my baby.
This book is a good starter for getting in the mindset of parenting and beginning to think of how you’ll raise your children. He tells stories of patients from his practice to explain things. He recommends nothing but diapers, you and baby for the first month. No screens, no clothes, no toys.
He is a baby advocate and recommends bringing the baby along, as much as you can wherever you go. He gives tips on how to travel with a baby. He talks about how to be intentional in the choices you make raising your child. It is an excellent read to get your mind thinking on how to begin taking care of your baby and everything that is involved. Also included are many fun facts about babies to help you understand them better.
The main purpose of this book is to teach how to calm babies. Every parent needs these tools. The author coined the 5 S’s: swaddle, side/stomach position, shush, swing and suck. Use as many of these together to calm a crying baby.
This book did a great job in explaining how to do each one, the purpose of them and when to do them or not do them. I highly recommend it. I have used these methods and the majority of the time, they work great. The first half of the book was specifically for colic babies, so it can be skipped if your baby is not colicky. All of his recommendations are in line with those of AAP, as far as I know.
Moms on Call Basic Baby Care: 0-6 Months
This book is controversial. They have strict eating and sleeping schedules that are earlier than recommended by the AAP. There are other things that are not recommended by the AAP, such as having a bedtime routine that includes a bath for newborns. Baths are usually not needed daily until the baby is crawling.
This book is a short and easy read. I read it in less than 2 hours, though I skipped a lot that does not apply. It is read as a handbook for caring for a baby. You can skip around to each chapter, except for the feeding and sleeping section. That section is the reason I bought the book.
My son, thankfully, has been a great night time sleeper from the beginning. Many times during the day however, I assumed my son would nap only 20 minutes and end up wasting 3 hours expecting him to wake up. These schedules allow for more predictability and planning. There are different schedules based on the age, but they are all fairly strict and early for what the AAP recommends. As long as your baby sleeps and is growing well, I recommend trying it out. The first two months, I had my baby lead the way: feeding and sleeping on demand, but now it is time for me to take over.
Have you read these books? Tell me your thoughts on them. What books have you found helpful?
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