5 must-read new mum books

Many first-timers find themselves thrown into the deep end after childbirth. Perhaps you have siblings or friends full of advice, but you want to learn things your own way and decide for yourself.

These are five must-read new mum books. If you are pregnant now and reading up in advance, you are much more prepared than I was!

If you are currently in the fog of newborn life, you might wonder when you’re supposed to find the time to read? Read while the baby is on the boob or bottle. You will spend hours glued to the sofa or rocking chair, so this is the time to read.

Once they are moving around, you won’t be able to read around them for a very long time! If your baby sleeps well already, that’s also the perfect time. But maybe you need to use that time to sleep yourself!

This post contains affiliate links which I may receive a small commission from at no extra cost to you (if you choose to make a purchase). These reviews are for books I read myself and found very helpful.

1. What to expect the 1st year

You’ve probably already read the legendary What to expect when you are expecting by Heidi Murkoff. The title is so famous they even used it for a film! The ‘What to Expect’ website is great too for more helpful advice at every stage.

Well now, you are ready to graduate to What to Expect The 1st Year. This book will support you through all the adventures of the first 12 months.

These books are brick heavy but packed with so much information. They serve as a great reference on just about everything you can imagine coming up. If you are sick of googling everything, try this.

There is a 2nd year book too and many others. These are some of the best new mum books out there.

2. The positive breastfeeding book

Amy Brown has all the essentials covered in this book. I found the breastfeeding journey super hard at the beginning but it was good to have something to reference. If you are keen to breastfeed then this is a great book to start with.

It’s difficult to find good information on this topic and many new mums give up due to lack of support. This book will cover all your concerns in one place.

If you are having difficulty breastfeeding, don’t hesitate to reach out to a specialist. In the UK, your midwife or health visitor can direct you to an expert for free advice. There are also drop in centres where you can go and get advice in person.

If you are lucky, you might live close to a breastfeeding café or similar. They serve drinks and you can meet other new mums struggling with this mega task!

It can be a tough experience for many mums. So don’t suffer on your own, if you are trying to breastfeed your baby and it’s not going well.

3. The little book of self-care for new mums

A truly cute little book by Beccy Hands and Alexis Stickla. Bringing their midwife and doula experience, you know you are in safe hands.

You can read it quickly during those urgent and early first days and weeks. They will cover all your aches, pains, stresses and more. It’s both practical and comforting.

Another new mum friend recommended this to me in our early weeks as new mums. I felt I didn’t really didn’t have time for me in those early days.

I wish I’d read it earlier as it’s such a supportive little reminder to take care of yourself and grab any moment you can. This is a lovely gift for a new mum too when everyone else is buying things for the baby.

4. Trust your body, trust your baby

Trust your body, trust your baby by Rosie Newman is a book that supports an instinctual approach. If you are feeling nervous about it all, this is a great place to start.

Newman reminds you that your motherly instinct kicks in and to have confidence in yourself. It covers an array of topics and takes a different approach from many new mum books.

This book encourages new mums to let go and trust the way forward. It also takes ideas from other cultures, reminding us that there is not just one way to mother.

5. Your baby week by week

This book by Simone Cave was one of the few new mum books I managed to always stay on track reading. Each week is laid out in an easily digestible manner, so you can have a good indication of what’s coming up for baby and for you.

I was surprised by it’s accuracy the majority of the time. It takes you from week 0 to week 24 and makes for a very interesting insight into your first six months.

It’s weakness would probably be in regards to where most babies are supposed to be sleep wise each week. Most of my new mum friends and I never quite hit those milestones of X hours by X weeks. It was much much worse for us!

Of course, every baby is different but I do feel overall it was super helpful to know what to expect.

New mum books and resources

Those are my top five new mum books. I hope you find them useful when navigating those early weeks and months. When you have your first baby it can be overwhelming and lonely. It is also a very different and personal experience for us all. These books really helped me through.

If you need further advice and are in the UK, please see a few resources below. Your healthcare specialist, midwife or health visitor can point you in the right direction too:

• Breast feeding: the breastfeeding network has a helpline and supportive resources.
• Meeting new mums and taking courses and workshops: try NCT or new mum apps such as Mush.
• For mental health support: try your healthcare provider or an organisation such as Maternal Mental Health Alliance.

If you are struggling to work in your first trimester read more to get through it. Or maybe baby has arrived and you are finding the bedtime battles difficult. Also, check out your baby’s first holiday abroad.

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