When baby gets here...

coreyandsarahsharp · March 2015

I feel like I've been so focused on all these changes my body is going through that I am forgetting all the changes that are coming in September! I read on here, I google about pregnancy, and I am reading on what to expect when your expecting... Anybody have suggestions on what to read about raising a baby?? I'm particularly worried about implementing good sleep habits from day 1. Any other Mom's have advice to us newbies?!

snikai · March 2015

There are usually plenty of parenting classes throughout communities that could offer you a wealth of information that simply cannot be supplied on this forum and would be more factual based instead of just word of mouth. I think parenting classes should be almost mandatory for parents!

kehags · March 2015

I loved Happiest Baby on the Block. Wish I'd read it sooner with my first!

mrskiss · March 2015

The best advice I got was "If it feels right to you, then it is right for your baby". Every parent is different, every child is different and you just have to feel it out. My experience...wait until day 90 to do any sleep training and let baby dictate sleep before that! IDC what people say, newborns are not to be trained! (Personal opinion) I don't read parenting books and I have a pretty happy 9 month old!

adtaylor2015 · March 2015

I didn't take any classes when I was pregnant with my son and I don't plan to this time. It's good to learn, read and be informed but I think parenting is a lot about hands on learning as you go. My husband and I are pretty laid back people so it works for us.

Just wanted to add: I never freaked out about having a baby, like omg what am I going to do? I just never had that moment. When I brought him home, it's like the instinct kicked in. I didn't feel nervous, it didn't seem like a huge adjustment. I just never experienced those feelings that are normal for new moms to feel. So my advice may not be the norm.

abs99 · March 2015

There are a million theories out there when it comes to sleep. You have to choose what works best for you. For us, we kept a sleep/eat/play schedule from birth and then at 3 months used Dr. Ferber's method (Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems). Honestly, despite a variety of other challenges/learning curves, sleep has not been one of them!!

Some other books I liked:

Healthy Child Healthy World

Unconditional Parenting

No single book is "perfect" but that is because each parent and each child is different.

My biggest piece of advice: do YOUR best... don't worry about what everyone else is doing, but determine what works for you and your family and stick with it....

Good luck!

Elizabeth043086 · March 2015

Dr. Sears is my go to source. He is an advocate of attachment parenting, not everyone's cup of tea, but it just seems like the most natural thing to do imo.

LifeofLauren2 · March 2015

My cousin and her husband read LITERALLY every baby book. Pregnancy, birth, parenting. You name it, they read it. They thought they were prepared and guess what? When baby came they still had no clue what they were doing. In fact, they spent the entire time reading books and not enjoying the pregnancy. I'm not reading anything except for the weekly updates I get on The Bump. I will learn and grow as a parent as by baby learns and grows.

coreyandsarahsharp · March 2015

Thanks everyone! I'm not super crazy freaked out. We are very fortunate because we have both sets of parents and we both have all of our grandparents too. We have wonderful help to rely on and lots of women who have raised lots of babies. My husband is an RN too and very easy going. I just know me and I don't do well with no sleep! I just want to know as much as possible about starting a good routine.

lhoward77 · March 2015

Happiest Baby on the Block is an awesome book. Also, 90 Minute Baby Sleep Program.

Jenten810 · March 2015

In the past I haven't seen a warm welcome for this book, but BabyWise worked great for our family. We started from day one and as a new mom I really appreciated the perfect amount of structure and flexibility it provided in our new world of chaos and the unknown. It made our days predictable, which made me feel more confident (I didn't have any help after we got home from the hospital). It also made planning visits or outings much easier. An added bonus, it made the transition back to work easier, since his sleep/eat routine was predictable, I was better able to plan my morning routine.

J0C0TX · March 2015

Happiest baby on the block
Your baby's first year week by week.

Read and put away. If you focus too much on the books you'll drive yourself crackers. If you read too many they get confusing as they'll have contradictory information.

I liked baby's first year week by week as it explained what baby was going through in bite size pieces

kimberlykh · March 2015

My friend swears by the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" I bought it when dd was an infant but never really needed it bc she was just a really sleepy baby and slept a lot from day 1 (she was 3 weeks early so that probably had something to do with it). One thing I would suggest from talking to lots of friends is to try to implement a little structure, even from the beginning. Starting from day 1, we bathed her and read to her every night before bed. Now at 2 she has a very structured bedtime routine. I can't say for sure, but I think it has helped her especially as she gets older.

megs1409 · March 2015

I really liked reading Happiest Baby on the Block and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

I also agree with PP that you need to do what is best for you and YOUR family!

meggipi5 · March 2015

Happiest Baby on the Block

I also read Babywise late and wished I had read it sooner.

savwhit · March 2015

I haven't read any books and I'm a FTM, but my dad said that tip toeing around a baby is the worse thing ever because the slightest little sound you make can wake the baby. The more used to noise the baby is, the better. And also don't let your baby sleep in the bed with you, (for obvious reasons) but also because they become very co dependant and it's not a healty habit. Good luck to you and happy pregnancy!

MarSamWhitney · March 2015

I also loved the Baby Whisperer for my first.

coreyandsarahsharp · March 2015

Thanks everyone!!! Writing all of these down. Keep the advice coming

monicaP · March 2015

I didn't read much, but I have a background in Early Childhood so I was comfortable from the start. It is so important to remember that while there are some wrongs (like putting baby in the front seat lol) there is no one right. My first struggled with breastfeeding and the lactation consultant really stressed me out. It was my doctor that suggested following breast milk with formula to make sure she got what she needed. I was able to relax about not starving my baby and after a few weeks we got it and didn't need to supplement any more. She grew like a weed! Happy mommy, happy baby.

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