When I first created this blog / newsletter / space to share my thoughts and whatnot, the thing I had in mind was to share resources that helped me along the way. I know there’s so much information out there and it can be hard to know which and what to use / follow, especially as a new mum, so I thought that maybe I could condense some of what I found the most useful and share it with those around me.
Now, here’s the thing: parenting can be wildly different experiences for different people. Babies are their own individuals and come with their own quirks and personalities, not to mention the different circumstances in which they come into our worlds. So read and watch what you can, take what you need, and run with what you can.
I’ve split this into two sections: pregnancy and postpartum / parenting. Within these sections, I’ll share books, youtube channels, podcasts, and apps that I used.
pregnancy
books
Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols
On top of nausea and food aversions, I know too well what it's like to be thrown advice from every single angle about what to do / not do / eat / not eat, so this book was pretty helpful for me in providing rough guidance on food that was research-based. I nevertheless always still checked in with my OBGYN if I had any doubts or questions.
The Headspace Guide to a Mindful Pregnancy by Andy Puddicombe
I would not put this at the very top of the reading list, but it was a nice, soothing read.
youtube channels
Her channel has been ridiculously helpful for labour and early days of postpartum - would highly recommend.
She calls herself a “granola mum1" so her methods may not suit everyone, but I tend to lean towards the granola spectrum and have enjoyed her tips on motherhood.
podcasts
apps (for iPhones)
LittleBean: Pregnancy Health
This app was really helpful as a quick reference on whether particular ingredients in topical products (skincare, makeup, etc.) were pregnancy / breastfeeding friendly.
Pregnancy + tracker app
I believe most people use some sort of pregnancy tracker app these days… These was just the one I downloaded - nothing particularly fancy, helped me track my weeks, had an extensive list of food (and whether they was safe to eat), and had the estimated size of baby plus little tips on what was going on inside week-by-week.
Think Dirty
I stumbled upon this and it's suppose to be an easy reference on whether the products we use (from body creams to household sprays) were “natural" or had many hidden toxic ingredients, but maybe I don't live in the US / Europe and so the list wasn't very helpful in the end. But it might help you if you do, so I've included it here.
postpartum / parenting
books
Non-fiction
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect and Communicate with your Baby by Tracy Hogg
I discovered this book when my baby was 8 months old and I wish I'd found it earlier. It was very helpful in terms of sleep and understanding babies in general, and I liked her approach to breastfeeding.
May not be for everyone though, as I skimmed through the reviews on goodreads and apparently some people thought it placed unnecessary pressure on parents. But you could read it and take what works, discard what doesn't, I suppose.
The Whole Brain Child: Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
I read this while pregnant and would highly recommend it. This book helped me understand a lot more about babies and children, which is vital that you have expectations that meet the actual development of young humans in order to be able to support them.
The Montessori Baby: A Parent’s Guide to Nurturing Your Baby with Love, Respect, and Understanding by Junnifa Uzodike & Simone Davies
I went to a Montessori kindergarten and when I read this book, it was like so many things suddenly made sense. Why I think the way I do… which I think was at least partially shape by those early days.
The main concept of Montessori is “help me to do it myself", which I agree wholeheartedly, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but I think that we should definitely respect babies as their own individuals even at that young age and this is what the book talks about.
Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith
Maybe you've heard me rant about my biggest pet peeve while pregnant or maybe you've read my post about it. I've just started reading this book but I think it's definitely something we should be more conscious of.
Memoirs
The Breaks by Julietta Singh
Ugh, I loved this book so much as I agree with so many of her views and she put it into words way better than I ever could. Personal preference though, but could open up your mind towards different perspectives of motherhood.
A Life’s Work by Rachel Cusk
I didn't necessarily agree with everything she talked about her but it was overall very relatable and I enjoyed reading about her experiences.
Poetry
From One Mom to a Mother by Jessica Urlichs
Jess's work is so touching especially in the early throes of motherhood where everything is hard. Reminds you that you're not alone.
What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer
Kate Baer is brilliant and I absolutely love her work and how she encourages mums to take back our power. Must read.
youtube channels
podcasts
This podcast was everything I didn't know I need, especially when I had my boundaries violated during the early days of motherhood. I still struggle a lot with the ways most people treat babies and young children, and I wish more people could listen to this.
This is not specifically a parenting podcast but becoming a parent meant re-examining many things in my life including my emotional life and how the generations before have impacted or shaped me in certain ways, and Dr Nicole LePera has been sharing amazing resources on emotional health and healing traumas.
apps (for iPhones)
Sprout Baby
I paid for this app, because it has been ridiculously helpful to be able to track feeds, sleep, and diaper changes without having to try and guess and remember with the brain fog that comes with postpartum. Still using it. Would definitely recommend.
Solid Starts
There is a paid version of this but I mainly use it as a reference as it includes an extensive list of food for babies when starting solids around 6 months.
It even includes guides on how to prepare and nutritional value of each food which really helped reduce my anxiety around choking.
That's all for now. I will update this if anything else comes to mind!
Granola moms, also known as crunchy moms, practice natural parenting- this starts with natural birth, but also includes other parenting practices such as breastfeeding, cosleeping and using cloth diapers. The term “granola mom” is a reference to granola; slang for neo hippie.
Silky moms are at the opposite end of the spectrum- birthing in hospital, using disposable diapers, having baby sleep in their own bed etc.
— via https://babame.com/granola-mom/#google_vignette