Finding out you are going to be a parent for the first time can be extremely overwhelming. I’ve been there. Online resources are absolutely amazing but sometimes the amount of information can be honestly too much. That is why I have a love for books. Not only are they super helpful with their condensed amount of information, but it is something you will have forever. Let’s talk about amazing books for first time moms that will be incredibly helpful to you.
Maybe you are a first time mom and scared shitless for pregnancy and giving birth. I have a book for you! Or maybe this is your third babe but need a little refresher on the postpartum journey. Well gf I have a book for you too! From pregnancy to labor to birth to postpartum, I have books that are going to be extremely helpful.
Oh you like the thought of having a resource but not super into reading heavy material? Or simply just don’t have the time? That’s okay! I will also be talking about books that you can jump around to whatever you need help with.
Some of these listed books for first time moms are my most favorite reads. Pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is a scary, isolating time. As scary and isolating as it is, these books have a special way in giving you support and confidence you need to get through your specific mom journey.
This post is all about the best and most helpful books for first time moms.
Books for First Time Moms
best books for first-time parents
A book I just recently finished is Raising Good Humans by Hunter Clarke-Fields. If you are on the search for a book that talks all about parenting and raising your babe, then I highly suggest this book. One thing I have learned quickly ever since Owen turned one, toddlerhood is not for the weak. Obviously, I love seeing his personality shine through, and he is only one. But this new transition in our life has already been so different than anything we have experienced as parents yet. This book doesn’t tell you how to parent. I honestly wouldn’t read this book or let alone suggest it to you, if that was the style of this book.
Raising Good Humans is all about discussing real life situations that happen in the day to day with your child. It discusses how we react to these situations and why this type of “reactive parenting” doesn’t actually work. Or maybe it temporarily works, but it will only cause for greater issues in the future.
Another reason I fell in love with this book is it goes back to how we were parented as kids. I am huge into listening to podcasts that discuss healing our inner child, so I LOVE how this book touches on that.
Maybe you’re not wanting to read a “parenting” book. That’s totally fine! I do however suggest you read The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. Why? Okay hear me out and let’s discuss a similar analogy to being a first time parent.
So, you just bought your very first house and it’s summer time. Let’s say you have this beautiful, big backyard and of course you realize you need to buy a lawn mower. So you go to your local hardware store and purchase your very first lawn mower. Obviously, you have past experiences with lawn mowers because you have helped with chores in the past, but you’ve never actually had your own. You get the lawn mower home and decide to try it for the first time. You realize, oh shit the buttons are all different and wait SHIT I need gas AND oil to get this thing running? Eventually you realize you need to ask an expert or actually read the manual before you ruin this expensive piece of equipment you just purchased.
Did that make any sense? LOL. You might have experience with kids whether you have been a nanny in the past or helped take care of your younger siblings. Being a parent is NOT the same. It is nothing alike. One of my most recent pet peeves are individuals who “just know it all” because they babysit. Sweetie, getting paid to watch a 1 year old on the weekends is not parenting.
ANYWAYS, you don’t know what the hell you are doing. That is NORMAL. I still don’t know what I am doing, and I am sure once I get it figured out we will be onto the next chapter of life and start the cycle all over again of me being clueless. So back to the analogy- parenting is something that is brand new to you. How the hell are you supposed to know how to parent if you’ve never done it before?
Kid’s don’t come with an instruction manual, but this book is honestly pretty close. In order to RAISE and PARENT our kids, we must understand how they operate. If we then learn what is all going on in their little, ever so working brain- then we can better understand how to properly parent our kids. And really I hate the term “parenting” because really they also parent us. “Parenting” is really a big learning experience for both you and your kid.
best pregnancy books for first time moms
Did you just find out you’re pregnant? Are you freaking out and have a million and one questions? Or maybe is this your second pregnancy, but this one just seems so much different? Whether you have no idea what to expect in your three trimesters or just want to look up information from time to time you NEED this book. What To Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff was my GO TO during my first pregnancy. It is a book I will always have and reference back to, for my future pregnancies.
This book is incredibly supportive and informative when it comes to all things pregnancy related. There were so many times I would be going through something during my pregnancy, and I wasn’t sure if it was normal. All I would do is reference to the trimester I would be in, and I swear this book would have my answer every time.
This book is also revised every so often so it constantly stays up to date. There is also an app that goes along with this book that I still use to this day.
Nurture by Erica Chidi is another book I read and loved during my pregnancy. This book covers topics from pregnancy to labor to delivery and postpartum. I read this book near the end of my pregnancy, and I am so glad I did. I found this book to be incredibly helpful when it came to discussing labor and delivery. As a brand new mom, you have zero idea what your are in for. This book not only gives you insight to the entire journey, but also the support you are going to want and need during this time in your life!
When I was pregnant, I was so hyper focused on everything baby. I was completely clueless as to what the whole postpartum journey was even about. The Fourth Trimester by Kimberly Ann Johnson was recommended to me when I was around 30 weeks pregnant.
I cannot hype this book enough. This book truly got me through my fourth trimester. I read this book all the way through two different times. I read it during my third trimester, which gave me some insight as to what I was about to experience. Then, I read it again in my fourth trimester.
Like I said, at the end of my pregnancy I was very focused on my labor and delivery experience and making sure I had everything for baby. Yes, both of these topics are very important to think about when you are at the end of your pregnancy. But for me, I got incredibly lost in all of this and totally forgot what I myself might actually be dealing with after baby. Yes, physically I knew I would be bleeding and recovering, but I never once thought about the rollercoaster postpartum is.
You hear from other women’s’ stories and think “Oh that won’t be me! I’ll be so in love with my baby, I’ll be fine!” Yes, you can be incredibly in love with motherhood and your baby and still not be fine. In fact, it is so common and normal to not be fine those first few months.
This book truly gave me all the support, love, and knowledge I needed during my fourth trimester. I am SO thankful I had this book during one of the most challenging moments in my life.
Let me know what books have been your favorite and the. most helpful for you, during your motherhood journey! Thanks for reading! xxx