10 Must-Reads for Newborn Parents

“Am I going to be a good parent?” All new parents ask themselves this, and every person will have a different definition of what it means to be a good parent. No matter how you look at it, every child deserves a parent who at least cares enough to try. Thankfully, there are many, many books written about parenting, from the basics of taking care of a newborn to the psychology of raising a happy child. There is no shortage of information out there if you go looking! Here is a list of great reads for parents who’ve just brought home their newborns.

“What to Expect the First Year” Heidi Murkoff
Written by the author of the so-called pregnancy bible “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” Murkoff writes this time-tested baby bible — a month-by-month guide of what parents should expect to see during their baby’s first year. Now in its third edition, “What to Expect the First Year” covers a multitude of baby care fundamentals such as sleep safety and breastfeeding while also tackling new trends like green parenting and baby-led weaning.

“The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” by La Leche League
This bible of breastfeeding is now in its 8th edition. This classic best-seller is dedicated to supporting expectant and nursing mothers. “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” includes information for working moms, moms of multiples, stay-at-home moms, pretty much any type of mom you are! There’s also information about nursing your premature or special-needs baby.

“The Happiest Baby on the Block; The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer” by Harvey Karp
Let’s face it. As a parent, you can expect plenty of sleep-deprived nights. But Dr. Karp’s methods of soothing and calming your crying baby have been described as “remarkable.” Dr. Karp’s method is based on four revolutionary concepts:

-The Fourth Trimester: Why newborn babies still prefer a womb-like atmosphere.
-The Calming Reflex: An “off switch” all babies are born with
-The 5 S’s: Five easy steps to turn on your baby’s amazing calming reflex
-The Cuddle Cure: How to combine the 5 S’s to calm even colicky babies

“Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting” by Pamela Druckerman
Pamela Druckerman is an American journalist who spent time in France and noticed that French children slept through the night by two or three months old, played by themselves while their parents sipped coffee, and yet remained boisterous, curious, and creative. She wanted to know their secret, so she spent three years investigating how French mothers raise their babies. The book was a #1 best seller in the U.K., a top-ten best-seller in the United States, and has appeared on best-seller lists in Germany, Russia, and Brazil.

“The Fourth Trimester” by Kimberly Ann Johnson
Kimberly Ann Johnson is a doula, postpartum care advocate and a mother. After sustaining an injury during childbirth, Johnson dedicated her life to studying postpartum care, thus creating “The Fourth Trimester,” which covers preparing your body and your household for motherhood, learning practices and home remedies for healing and restoring energy after birth, learning to exercise safely postpartum, and navigating the complicated emotions that can arise postpartum.

“The Wonder Weeks” by Xaviera Plas-Plooij and Frans X. Plooij
Sometimes it may seem as though your newborn is more cranky or clingy than usual. It can often be a guessing game trying to figure out why your baby is in a particular mood on a particular day. However, “The Wonder Weeks” can help you answer those questions about your baby’s behavior. According to authors Xaviera Plas-Plooij and Frans X. Plooij, babies experience “brain leaps,” or predictable periods of growth and development that can affect their moods and behaviors. In their book, which has sold over 2 million copies, you can learn to understand these “wonder weeks” and therefore better understand what’s going on in your baby’s brain.

“The Baby Owner’s Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance” by Louis Borgenicht and Joe Borgenicht 
Louis Borgenicht is a board-certified pediatrician with the American Academy of Pediatrics. He, along with his son Joe, co-wrote “The Baby Owner’s Manual,” a light-hearted, illustrated exploration of frequently asked questions about raising a newborn. From “How do I swaddle my baby?” to “When should I bring my baby to the doctor?” Dr. Borgenicht and his son answer a host of  quandaries about a baby’s proper care in the first year.

“The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby’s First Year” by Dawn Dais 
Parenting isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Dawn Dais’ series “The Sh!t No One Tells You” doesn’t shy away from the more challenging realities of parenting and pregnancy. “The Sh!t No One Tells You” shares stories and information from real parents in a hilarious and brutally honest way. This best-seller might comfort fellow parents by letting them know that others have faced the same struggles with their babies and lived to tell the tale.

“Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby’s First Year” by Ari Brown and Denise Fields
It can be tempting to pick up the phone to call your pediatrician with every little concern when it comes to your newborn. But most of the answers to those questions you might have can be found in “Baby 411.” Written by pediatrician Dr. Ari Brown with Denise Fields, “Baby 411” covers all the basics — teething, feeding, baby-proofing your home — while also taking a look at some of the harder questions of parenting and understanding baby’s brain development.

“The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior — Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood” By Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau
The late Tracy Hogg, along with Melina Blau, authored several best-selling parenting books. While the others covered the basics of raising a newborn, “The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems” uses a different approach by helping parents recognize their own behavior and learn how to become the best caregivers possible for their children through understanding “banguage,” or the baby language.