Knowledge is Power!

During my pregnancy, I really only read books about pregnancy. I was not worried about taking care of a newborn (what was I thinking?!), but right at the end of the pregnancy, I ordered a couple of books about newborn care. For Andrew, since he was concerned about it. Well, when we got home from the hospital with Gerrit, I had a million questions about every topic possible! I was very unsure of myself and had no idea what was “normal” or how to do things the “right” way. I ended up poring through the books I had gotten for my husband anytime I had my hands free! Both books that I got ended up being very helpful, and I’m so glad I got them.

1. Heading Home with Your Newborn

This one was probably the one I went to with questions and concerns the most in that first month. It’s written by two pediatricians who are also parents, and this one just seemed to reassure me more for some reason. I think part of it is just because it’s more conversational than the other book I got. It really covers all of the basics in a way that is concise, but also extensive enough to alleviate all your worries.

2. What to Expect the First Year

I like this one because it covers everything regarding the newborn phase, but it also goes month by month through the first 12 months. I also like that there are questions by parents throughout the book, because I often have the same questions! This one really covers everything you might have concerns about, but I feel like it reads a little more “seriously” if that’s a good way to put it. I always have Gerrit’s current month bookmarked so that I can look to see how much he should be sleeping, how often he should be eating, and milestones he may be hitting.

Once we got the hang of caring for a newborn (for the most part), then we started thinking about parenting philosophies and schedules for babies. I didn’t really buy any books about this while I was pregnant, because I really wasn’t sure what kind of parent I would want to be! And I’m glad I didn’t, because I’ve surprised myself with my approach to parenthood. No matter what kind of parent you want to be, I think the following two books are very good:

3. The Happiest Baby on the Block

I started reading this before I really started implementing the techniques that are discussed. I’m reading and re-reading parts of it again now (Gerrit is 10 weeks old), but I wish I had picked it back up several weeks ago! But honestly, when Gerrit was being particularly fussy, I didn’t have much time for reading. This book is helpful for calming any baby, but especially good for a baby suffering from colic. Gerrit seems to display symptoms of mild colic, so the techniques described by Dr. Karp work well for us.

4. The Wonder Weeks

This is another book that any parent can use and find helpful. Physical growth spurts are frequently discussed by doctors, parents, and websites, but cognitive growth spurts really aren’t. This book describes these mental “leaps” in detail, and it also offers ways to help your baby through them. It includes a chart to visually show when and how often you can expect the fussy, clingy days and weeks to happen during a child’s first 2 years. These leaps are based on your baby’s due date vs his/her birthday, so I’ve had to keep that in mind for Gerrit, who was born nearly 3 weeks early. It still is helpful to have a rough idea of when to expect his “stormy” weeks and see the checklist with new skills to look for.

These are just a few books that I read. I know people say that you should rely on your mommy instincts when dealing with your child, and I do. These instincts are what I follow when I look for books to help me. For instance, I skipped buying On Becoming Babywise, which encourages a parent-led schedule, because I lean more toward a baby-led schedule. Instead I found books that promote a combination schedule where I can follow Gerrit’s lead a bit more. Unfortunately, I didn’t think I would have enough time to get these books in the mail before we travel back to the States, so I’ll give opinions on those when we get to my sister’s house. 🙂