Whether you’re a first-timer or a parent to many, pregnancy – and navigating life with a newborn – can be exhilarating, overwhelming and daunting all at the same time.
Whether it’s sleepless nights or a lack of routine, maternity and motherhood can be a trying time, with self-care often going out of the window, too.
But worry not; handily, there’s a whole host of helpful, informative and downright entertaining books for mums-to-be and expectant parents out there, so you can gen up on everything you need to know about having a baby, and have a jolly good time while doing so.
We read an array of parenting books from across the market, from instruction manuals to tongue-in-cheek guides, as well as some more alternative and holistic approaches to labour and birth.
Overall, we were looking for a read that was instructional, but also page-turning. A book that, ultimately, would leave us feeling knowledgeable and prepared, but also excited about the adventure ahead. Happy reading!
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‘How to Grow a Baby (and Push it Out)’ by Clemmie Hooper, published by Vermilion: £9.12, Amazon
Clemmie Hooper knows a thing or two about parenting. On top of being a mum to four girls, running the successful blog Gas and Air and amassing more than 670K followers on Instagram, Hopper also happens to be a trained midwife. Her 2017 book, How to Grow a Baby (and Push it Out) is a must-read for any mum-to-be, and would make a great gift too.
It’s handily broken up into chapters which correspond with trimesters and antenatal appointments, and covers essential topics such as what to wear and eat during pregnancy, plus how to navigate labour calmly and confidently. It’s well-designed, with full-colour photos and illustrations throughout.
While it has all the information you’d expect from a parenting manual, it’s written in such a warm and convivial way that it could easily have been compiled by a friend. The real-life labour anecdotes are wonderfully uplifting, too.
‘The Freelance Mum’ by Annie Ridout, published by HarperCollins: £7.99, Waterstones
Whether you’re freelance, self-employed, looking to launch your own postpartum side hustle or simply wondering how you’re ever going to balance a career and childcare, make The Freelance Mum by freelance journalist Annie Ridout your bible. This compact yet punchy guide details everything from building your own brand to organising your finances in nine succinct and informative chapters.
‘Your Baby, Your Birth: Hypnobirthing Skills for Every Birth’ by Hollie de Cruz, published by Vermilion: £8.18, Amazon
Endorsed by the likes of Fearne Cotton and Giovanna Fletcher, Your Baby, Your Birth is a no-nonsense guide to hypnobirthing from renowned hypnobirthing coach Hollie de Cruz. While the concept may be daunting for some, as the book explains, it’s simply a case of arming yourself with tools – such as positive affirmations, breathing techniques and visualisations – in order to approach labour and parenthood calmly and confidently. On top of helpful anecdotes and exercises, the book also features a number of inspiring real-life stories of labour and birth.
‘Give Birth Like a Feminist: Your Body, Your Baby’ by Milli Hill, published by HQ: £10.49, Amazon
Part of the fear around pregnancy and labour can come from a lack of knowledge, and this empowering account of motherhood from freelance journalist and founder of the Positive Birth movement, Milli Hill, sets out the options and facts available to expectant parents with clarity and conviction. Hill also reveals how to compile a birth plan that will leave you feeling calm, confident and ready, plus how to look after yourself postnatally.
‘Happy Mum, Happy Baby: My Adventures into Motherhood’ by Giovanna Fletcher, published by Hodder & Stoughton: £10.99, Waterstones
This book from The Sunday Times number one bestselling author, presenter and actress Giovanna Fletcher has been read by mothers in their droves – and it’s easy to see why. In Happy Mum, Happy Baby, Giovanna provides a wonderfully candid insight into her own personal experiences of having a family, from labouring without fear to working with a newborn. If you love the book, be sure to tune into Giovanna’s podcast of the same name, too.
‘The Unmumsy Mum A-Z: An Inexpert Guide to Parenting’ by The Unmumsy Mum, published by Transworld: £8.99, WHSmith
Bestselling author and blogger The Unmumsy Mum, aka Sarah Turner, has amassed a loyal following on social media and beyond for her frank, funny and heartwarming tales of motherhood. In The Unmumsy Mum A-Z, honest and entertaining stories of pregnancy and parenting are presented in digestible, alphabetised chapters, providing at-a-glance information advice and light relief whenever you need it. Chapters cover themes such as baby brain, emotions, fussy eating and mental health.
‘The Little Book of Self-Care for New Mums’, by Beccy Hands and Alexis Stickland, published by Vermilion: £8.29, Amazon
So much emphasis is put on the nine months leading up to birth that navigating a new life with a baby – and looking after yourself at the same time – can feel daunting, overwhelming and sometimes impossible. Thankfully, doula Beccy Hands and midwife Alexis Stickland together have 25 years’ experience of caring for women through the postnatal period and have jotted down their advice, support and words of encouragement in this full-colour illustrated title.
‘Nobody Told Me: Poetry and Parenthood’ by Hollie McNish, published by Little, Brown: £8.99, Waterstones
For a lyrical take on pregnancy and parenthood, look no further than Nobody Told Me: Poetry and Parenthood from award-winning poet Hollie McNish. This beautifully-written book includes a series of poems and stories, lifted from Hollie’s personal diaries on becoming a parent, and documents her journey from pregnancy to taking her child to pre-school for the first time.
‘Parenting the Sh*t Out of Life: For People Who Happen to be Parents (or Might Be Soon)’ by Mother Pukka and Papa Pukka, published by Hodder & Stoughton: £18.99, Waterstones
In this highly entertaining book, journalists Anna Whitehouse and Matt Farquharson, AKA Mother Pukka and Papa Pukka, provide a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming and realistic depiction of what it really means to be a parent. With its male and female dual perspectives, it’s a great read for expectant parents, and is teeming with practical advice, from what to pack in your hospital bag to flexible working.
‘Hurrah For Gin: a Book for Perfectly Imperfect Parents’ by Kate Kirby, published by Coronet: £11.89, Amazon
You may recognise Kate Kirby’s hilarious cartoons, which depict the realities of parenting, from her highly successful Instagram account or greetings cards – and this book has plenty more of them to enjoy. Alongside these hilarious drawings, Hurrah for Gin gives a belly-tickling and honest glimpse into the realities of parenthood.
With chapters such as “growing a human” to “I don’t know what I’m doing” and “we’re all going on a summer helliday”, the message is clear: there’s no such thing as perfect parenting, and that’s absolutely fine!
The verdict: Books for expectant parents
For its warm and accessible tone, great illustrations and informative chapters, our best buy goes to How to Grow a Baby (and Push it Out) by Clemmie Hooper.
IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.
