My view on parenting infants has changed considerably since acquiring one (or four). When I was pregnant with my first child, I had an extremely easy pregnancy, so I skipped all those books about what to expect while I was expecting and read about what to do during the first year instead. A lot of the books that I liked back then are not on this list, because I obviously wasn’t writing down my thoughts on each one before I even had any children, and after reading and learning more about infants through experience, I found them a lot less useful.
Maybe one day I’ll go back and add all those books that I read during pregnancy to this list to indicate exactly how un-useful I found them. (The list of less-than-helpful books would include titles such as Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, Babywise, and What to Expect the First Year.) I know a lot of people like books like these and they made a lot of sense to me when I was pregnant with my first child, especially the Baby Whisperer book, which I ended up buying my own copy of because it seemed so sensible.
However, when I actually had my first child, I ended up preferring the books which told me to do what felt natural, instead of telling me to follow some specific schedule. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with trying to get your child on a schedule if it will make your life easier. However, what made my life easier was having a happy baby whenever possible which typically meant a lot of holding, soothing, nursing, and co-sleeping. (Thankfully, this gentle parenting technique never produced any tyrant toddlers among my four kids.)
Reviews of Parenting Books on Infants
Below you will find my recommendations for the best parenting books on caring for infants sorted by my preference. Click each title for a more detailed review.
The Best of the Best
Excellent Reads
Worth Your Time
Only If It’s At the Library
Not My Favorite
Click here for more Parenting Book reviews and book lists.
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