This is my first pregnancy and is also happens to take place during the Covid 19 breakout!
Our state went into lockdown during my 10th week of pregnancy and we are now in my 20th!! By the time we re-open, which is looking like June 20th, I will be 6 months pregnant (24 weeks.) As a result, I have had plenty of time to read.
My first book suggestion was from my Ob-Gyn and based on that read, I was given suggestions from Amazon and other friends who have done some reading. Some books were helpful and straight to the point. Others, although helpful and very educational, did not need to be 600+ pages in my opinion, so I’ve broken down some of my favorites of this huge stack of books. All of the books have been educational, but depending on your love of reading and time—i’ve given you the guide on what may work best for you and your baby journey.
During my first Doctor’s Visit around 8 week pregnant, I showed up asking lots of questions:
Can I still run? People are telling me I can’t workout, is this true?
Is it true I can’t eat tuna, or how bad can it actually be?
When do I need to stop sleeping on my stomach?
Do I need to be concerned i’m not gaining a lot weight right now?
When will I feel the baby kick, everyone tells me different things?
As a result, my doctor laughed and said, “my best advice for you, is to stop listening to other people.” (generally this is my way of life anyways, but pregnancy is another level of uncertainty). Instead of listening to other people, he suggested I read: Expecting Better, by Emily Oster
“This book will give you peace of mind and breakdown what is important and what is completely exaggerated in our society.” I rushed home and purchased it on Amazon, and sure enough a day later it arrived and I finished it that afternoon. It DID give me peace of mind. Newly pregnant and unsure of so many things, this book broke down things I should actually be concerned with and other myths that really shouldn’t be of concern. Emily Oster looks at common myths told to soon-to-be-mommys and actually finds data to back it up. As far as i’m concerned, this is a must read. It’s a quick read, written in normal human jargon, and reaches a broad spectrum of FAQs.
*My biggest take-away to date is to realize everyone seems to want to give you unsolicited advice. My first reaction is to chew out some comment that their concerns are unwarranted…but generally the advice is from a loving place…so better to bite my tongue. What has worked better for me is the nod and smile tactic followed by, “thank you so much.” Then I go back to my books that are actually researched. But everyone needs to figure out what is going to work for their own pregnancy and motherhood journey.
After reading, Expecting Better, I bought her second book Cribsheet, which was also a good read, but if you don’t have a ton of time, I would suggest holding off a bit. Its a data driven guide for mom’s to give her peace of mind and a more relaxed parenting approach based on her research. This book follows the baby from Crib-Preschool, also outlining some major milestones and when the average toddler may reach them.
Happiest Baby on the Block, by Harvey Karp may have been my favorite. The best part of the book might be, that other mom’s have actually read the book and told me his system for calming a crying baby actually does work! I’ve heard what he recommends works. He breaks down the 5 ways to settle a crying baby! The 5s’s Swaddling, Side/Stomach, Shushing, Swinging, Sucking. The book also helps moms with a timeline if they have a colic baby, or when a somewhat fussy baby may start to settle.
(I bought his second book happiest toddler on the block but have not read)
Babywise, by Bucknam and Ezzo
This book was extremely helpful to me bc I’m really overwhelmed when knowing when to feed, sleep etc. the doctors take the approach of a parent-led baby, opposed to a baby directing your moves. This book was helpful in breaking down when to feed, sleep by weeks and what is “normal” and whatnot. I ended up liking this book so much that I read Babywise 2 and Pretoddlerwise. Even though I am not going by a strict schedule, I would like some sort of structure to get my baby sleeping and napping as much as she needs, so having a guideline was extremely helpful to me. If you are the type of person that like to write down your goals and form charts: this is the perfect book for you.
If you are interested in a sleep schedule or atleast trying, I read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth. This book is incredibly helpful in the sense that it outlines the importance of sleep in a baby and newborn and the impact of a sleep deficit; however it’s 600 pages!!!!! It could’ve been summarized in half of that. It’s written by a doctor and it shows, it’s not very human. But informative. I really did find the information provided in this book helpful, but he bottom line is: Babies need much more sleep than I ever knew, and it is critical not to allow your child to become fatigued because it impacts development and behavior.
After reading about sleep schedules and the importance, I knew I was fascinated on the topic and to me it really is important. A friend recommended that I read Get Your Sleep On, by Christine Lawler. You can also follow her on Instagram : the peaceful sleeper. This is also about sleeping however it’s only 97 pages. It’s written by a mom of 3, expecting her 4th. This was an incredibly quick read and still suggests the importance of sleep. She also breaks down what a “normal” sleep, feed, wake schedule may look like and how early you can actually start working on a sleep schedule. Like most books, she provides different ways of how to start getting your little one to start sleeping. So, if you don’t believe in the cry out method, there are different versions of this, as well as the no-cry method. There is a method for every mother determined on helping her baby sleep at night with naps during the day.
I just finished reading: the whole brain child, by Daniel Siegel and Tina Bryson. It’s about nurturing the brain development. The book outlines the human brain: Left & Right sided thinking- Logic & Emotion, Bottom & Top development- instinct vs. wisdom/experience, and how you can handle a toddler/child when they are not being reasonable. Relate with emotion, then finish with logic once the child is calm. Basically, it is an understanding of how the brain works and by understanding this basic concept you are able to talk to your child and become a better parent by developing her growing brain. You are trying to teach your child to use both logic and empathy when making decisions, and as a parent you are giving her the tools to do so. This was a quick read, and by no means a Need-to-read when pregnant book; however, I’ve been in lockdown for 10+ weeks with lots of time to read. Knowledge is Power.
At home I also have : I will spending the next few weeks getting through a few more books before I enjoy some light reading by the beach. If you have read a book, I NEED to get my hands on, please please reach out to me: you can aways find me on instagram: @travali_lux, @lillyloren85, and @aliandcoco
Brain rules for baby, John Medina
Oh crap! Potty training, Jamie Clowacki
123 Magic, Thomas Phelan
What to expect, the first year, Heidi Murkoff
I hope everyone is staying safe during this unprecedented time, I will posting a lot more in the next months. I apologize my writing will not focus as much on traveling, since we cannot at the moment. But I will keep you updated on my pregnancy journey as well as some helpful fitness and nutrition tips!
until next time, xoxo Ali
