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Best books to read before baby comes home

There are so many books on the market aimed for pregnancy and new motherhood.





Here are a few awesome pregnancy and motherhood books to help you through the first year with baby. 






Beyond the Bump

Written by Sally Shepherd

Beyond the BumpBeyond the Bump is a thoughtful and practical guide that aims to help new mums feel calm, confident and equipped to face the physical, emotional and mental hurdles they may encounter post birth.

Clinical psychologist Sally Shepherd understands that a healthy and happy parent is a baby's most important asset. But the first year postpartum can be very challenging. Women must grapple with a whole new existence, and going from 'me' to 'we' can be terrifying for new mums. Sally hadn't expected to struggle during this time, so it came as a big surprise when she did. As they say, you don't know what you don't know, and it turns out Sally didn't know much at all! She had more extensive training for her first job at KFC than she did for the 'job' of being a mum! 

Beyond the Bump is a book that focuses on mothers. Sally has combined her personal and professional experiences, along with clinical research, to create this much-needed resource. Covering rage, relationships, nutrition, identity and returning to work, it is a kind, considered and essential companion for any new mum.

The author Sally is an experienced clinical psychologist with a passion for and expertise in helping new mums adjust to parenthood and cope with the common challenges associated with the first year postpartum. She has done extensive research in the area, reviewed current scientific literature, interviewed dozens of mums about their experiences. She is writing from her own experience as a Mum as well as a psychologist. She has previously written about adjustment to parenting for publications such as parent.co, motherly, and Her View From Home.


Preparing for Birth: Mothers

Written by Jane Palmer and Andrea Robertson

Every pregnant woman should read this book!

With so much information out there, it can be confusing. This book has collected all the information you need as a simple, concise guide to pregnancy, birth and your new baby.

This book emphasises your involvement in birth and your active participation in labour. Many women want to be free to give birth using their ability and resources rather than being a passive recipient of maternity care.

You will only give birth to your baby once. Take your time to enjoy the discoveries of pregnancy and the richness that birth can bring to your life.

Preparing for Birth: Mothers looks at:

  • keeping healthy in pregnancy
  • preparing for birth and parenting
  • how to keep your baby safe
  • the different stages of labour and birth
  • exploring the unexpected
  • newborn care
  • feeding your baby
  • facing the challenges in the first few weeks following birth



Nurturing Your New Life

Written by Heidi Sze

Nurturing your new life

Words and recipes for the new mother.

For many first-time mothers expectations about their new life come from idealised images on TV, in magazines or online. It's a far cry from what it actually involves: lack of sleep, time and control - and total dependency on you by another. Becoming a mother brings extraordinary physical and emotional changes to a woman's life, but it also taps into deep instincts. Heidi Sze's message is to surrender to the changes, reject the guilt and accept the imperfect reality of this new life. Adjusting expectations and being true to your unique needs will bring a comfort, joy and peace that slavishly following rules, imposing unreachable standards and accumulating rooms of gadgets are unlikely to do.

As women go through this profound transition, it is crucial that they identify their support needs and trust their intuition. This book will help women do just that. Many people know Heidi from her blog Apples Under My Bed and Instagram account. Her beautiful words and special focus here on nourishment - with special new-life recipes - will help mothers - and fathers - nurture with reassurance the new life in their hands. 

The author Heidi Sze is a mother, writer and dietitian, specialising in pre- and postnatal nutrition. She lives in Australia with her husband and two children. On her blog, Apples Under My Bed, Heidi writes about everyday life, reflections on motherhood and the recipes that nourish her family.


Anxious Mums

Written by Dr Jodi Richardson

Anxious Mums

Anxious Mums cuts through the science, giving mums the support to make a positive difference not just to their own mental health but to that of their whole family. 

The challenge of anxiety never tests you more than when you become a mother. 

From conceiving, to pregnancy, to birth, and forever more, there are infinite reasons for your anxiety to be heightened. The impact on mothers isn’t just the anxiety itself, it’s the stop sign it seems to put up in front of you at almost every turn. Anxiety can stand in the way of living a rich, full and wonderful life, and from fulfilling your potential personally, professionally and as a mother. But this doesn’t have to be your reality. Dr Jodi Richardson, co-author of the bestselling Anxious Kids, knows this because she lives with anxiety and is a wellbeing expert. Now, she wants to educate and inspire mothers to: 

· recognise and understand your anxiety

· build the skills and a lifestyle to manage and minimise your symptoms

· develop thinking skills to manage unhelpful and worrying thoughts

· cultivate confidence to embrace change and uncertainty

· strengthen your ability and willingness to tolerate discomfort· know and act by your values

· enrich relationships with your partner, friends and children

· understand emotional labour and manage your ‘mental load

· strive to fulfil personal and professional goals and ambitions· raise emotionally intelligent children with skills for flourishing mental health 

Grounded in positive psychology, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Anxious Mums cuts through the science, giving mums the knowledge, tools, support and confidence to make a positive difference not just to their own mental health but to that of their whole family. 

The author Dr Jodi Richardson is an expert on anxiety having lived it and studied it. She has spent more than 25 years in the field of health, wellbeing, clinical practice, elite sport and education. She is the founder and director of Happier on Purpose, the Mental Health and Wellbeing expert for Parenting Ideas and co-creator of the Parenting Anxious Kids online course. She writes regularly on parenting, mental health and wellbeing for magazine and online publications.









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