Best books about babies?

carrieandr

I've been reading about pregnancy, and just started reading about birth, but it occurred to me that I should probably read about caring for an infant while I'm still pregnant. I doubt I'll have time for reading when she's born.

Any recommendations for the best book to get? Something I can look through in advance, but also a quick reference for when I have questions along the way.

Thanks!!!

Kellyj103

I was recommended by like 10 people (so far) The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp. I bought it just haven't gotten around to reading it. 

john5111

I was totally going to say Happiest baby on the block.  It was by far the best book I read.

holly142

I loved What to Expect the First Year. I read the beginning before DD was born and then read each section before she was that age. That way it was fresh in my mind what to expect and what to do for that stage of life! 

whataboutscience

This is what we were given when we chose our pediatrician. It covered guidelines about sleep, eating, etc. and also had a symptoms reference guide at the back to tell you when to go to the doctor or try different home remedies.
Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, 6th Edition: Birth to Age 5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553393820/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_Mqz8wb5APTH4N

DominiqueU

I started reading The Happiest Baby on the Block. I know people who swear by it. It tells me I can avoid colic and soothe a crying baby, so I'm all for trying it. 

PhoebeJune1984

"avoid colic"

::was the nanny of a colicky baby and we tried everything under the sun, so I am laughing hysterically:: 

quartz02

my library had a Happiest Baby on the Block DVD that I made DH watch with me (for my 1st pregnancy). I think it was important for him to see, knowing that to get him to read a childcare book would be difficult.

kellz14

quartz02 said:

my library had a Happiest Baby on the Block DVD that I made DH watch with me (for my 1st pregnancy). I think it was important for him to see, knowing that to get him to read a childcare book would be difficult.

Same here. DH wants the knowledge but doesn't want to read the book. We plan on buying the video which is also available for download from Amazon & iTunes.

oneliloaktree13

I read this "Best Books about Boobies".

ktomorrow

We've got Baby 411. My friend swore by it and my doc recommended it. It's like an encyclopedia for all the 1st year questions that come up!

Weville

I just read The Sh!t No One Tells You and got the Happiest Baby on the Block guide to sleep

whataboutscience

@DominiqueU I read and tried everything with DD. Some things worked sometimes, but most of the time, she just screamed. When people visited, I held her bouncing and walking like a maniac and she might be okay for a short while. No one else could touch her. The more knowledge, the better though, because when something did work, even temporarily, it was glorious. One of those we might not have thought of was white noise.

jen11797

"Cherish the first Six Weeks". Only book I fully recommend. We didn't read it until week six, but it changed our lives and helped us learn how to help our child sleep better and live structured to the point of freedom. I had been very against scheduling because I thought it meant I'd lose any degree of freedom, and I couldn't have been more wrong.  Six weeks of taking shifts with my husband at night and never actually sleeping together finally broke my exhausted self and I read/tried the method in this book. Life-changer. Happier baby and happier parents. We will be starting it from the beginning with baby #2.

PinkLady2015

carrieandr

LOL @oneliloaktree13 and @PinkLady2015

DominiqueU

Just want to point out that I am not under the impression that reading any book will truly help me avoid a crying baby. I will, however, hold onto hope that maybe when that time comes and my baby is screaming like a maniac, I might at least remember to try a strategy or two.

I'm living in my idealistic baby bubble until he comes out and rudely bursts it. Now is my time, baby. You get the next 18 years. 

stillcozy

May I suggest the book "go the f to sleep" 

whataboutscience

@DominiqueU I get it. Our friends all seemed to have "easy" babies, hardly cried. I had no experience with babies whatsoever and DD was just ticked off at life for the first several months. I found it super stressful and am still bitter about it. If that wasn't obvious, haha!

TennisCourt

I've read On Becoming Baby Wise and Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. Happiest Baby on the Block is next. The first two had some similarities, but overall different. I'm glad I'm reading a few, but I'm just going to go with my gut once the baby is here and hope I can decide what is best for us! I also read Bringing up Bébé! It was more about the first few years than the first months but still was a fun read. 

deuxbouledogues

@Lindsayleigh1989 I put that and "Eat your f'ing food" on my baby registry. No shame!

xc1148

Mayo Clinic: Guide to the First Year is a good "guide", it's more fact based than "do this, promise it works!" It's a great source of information. Just remember every baby is different and to trust your instincts!

holly142

@TennisCourt - I read Bringing Up Bebe when DD was almost 2 and really liked it!  However, I agree it is for older kids (toddlers-preschool) than about babies. I found it interesting all the variety of food the kids eat and try to expose DD to new foods all the time! 

stephweinstein

ktomorrow said:

We've got Baby 411. My friend swore by it and my doc recommended it. It's like an encyclopedia for all the 1st year questions that come up!

We have Baby 411.  There won't ever be a how-to-operate-child-properly manual but this glossary-style gives you a lot of great information about milestones and indicators.

oneliloaktree13

I actually really want the "To Late your Child is an Asshole" book. It speaks to me. 

TennisCourt

@holly142 that was one of my favorite things about the book! It is super important to me to expose my children to a variety of foods. I was super picky growing up and I'm still pretty picky. That has been a huge issue for me so I don't want any of my kids to have that problem. 

WVUPetunia

Another vote for The Happiest Baby on the Block.  DH and I also have the Amazon video.