If you’re a new mommy, enjoy thrillers, data, and your own baby (I hope this is the case) then I’ve got two great, but completely different types of recommendations for you today.
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
The May Mothers. They are your typical First Time Mom’s Group in NYC. They get together on a weekly basis to escape the isolation new motherhood brings. One evening, the group decides to meet at a bar for a Mom’s Night Out without the little ones in tow. Single mom Winnie has her concerns, but the group hires her a nanny and convinces her otherwise. That night, while the May Mothers are out and about, six week old Midas, Winnie’s son, gets abducted. Guilt and shame spark three of the other Mom’s to go to risky lengths to find baby Midas, alive or dead.
It was a well paced thriller with a few twists and turns, and an ending I definitely didn’t see coming. I very much enjoyed each and every May Mother, and appreciated reading about their particular struggle with the first few postpartum weeks. You know… the challenges and and enormous changes bringing home a new baby has to your body, your partner, your schedule, your sleep, and everything in between? As a new mom, 100% of it was relatable and I relished in it. But putting all that aside, it was still a good thriller, and I would recommend it. I listened to this book via Audible, it was narrated by Cristin Milioti, who is The Mother from HIMYM, which felt kind of perfect.
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster
The title of the book sums it up perfectly well. I very much appreciate Emily Oster’s relaxed and non-judgmental parenting approach. I take comfort in the facts, data, and information collected and combed over by Oster, giving you a neatly packaged, and easy to digest information to help you make the best decision. Her first book, Expecting Better covers everything pregnancy, her second book Cribsheet takes over from birth and beyond.
I really, really wish Cribsheet was released prior to Naomi’s birth. I strongly believe the first few chapters would have really come in handy at a time when I oh so desperately needed the data. Yes! Pacifiers are fine, data shows it will not f*ck up your chances of successful breastfeeding. Yes! You’re baby will loose a lot of weight, and no you are not in the danger zone if 8% is lost. No! Your baby will not feel abandoned if you decide not to room-in in the hospital. Yes! Co-sleeping is fine if you and your partner are non-smokers.
The first few weeks, especially as a first time parent, are insane and you are forced to make a million decisions you never thought would even be decisions. And this is while you’re terribly sleep deprived, extremely hormonal, haven’t showered in lord knows how long and yeah… can’t recommend this book enough to any parent-to-be or parent to a young child. READ IT!
Alright momma’s, happy reading!