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Being a parent is hard, and doing it on your own with no guidance or past experience is 10X harder. To assist you with that, I`ve compiled a list of seven books that have the highest reviews and are a must-read for every new dad.
1. The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be by Jennifer Ash and Armin A. Brott
This book provides scientific and emotional guidance for new fathers from the first to the ninth month of pregnancy. Ash and Brott will walk you through everything related to pregnancy from the moment you find out you`re having a baby, to all the rational and irrational fears that you and your partner will share in a 40-week period.
You won`t find a more detailed book on pregnancy sex and how to satisfy your basic needs for 40 difficult weeks. Sex during pregnancy can be exciting but it’s also very delicate because many men fear that they may harm the fetus or affect the mother`s health.
There`s a false assumption that pregnancy sex causes uterine contractions which results in premature labor. This myth and others are debunked by Cavallucci & Fulbright who will show each of you how to enjoy sex both during, and after, pregnancy.
3. Fit Pregnancy For Dummies by Catherine Cram, MS & Tere Stouffer Drenth
Even if you`ve never exercised before, this book will show you the ins and outs of exercising during pregnancy. It`s a complete guide that will show you what activities to opt in for, and what to avoid, during each stage of pregnancy.
There are also some indoor tricks that you can use to stay fit at home without the need to walk to the gym. And a plan to quickly recover from the labor marathon and stay fit after giving birth.
This book is less about exercising and more about encountering the nutrition problems that usually come with pregnancy with chapters designed specifically to help pregnant women deal with nausea, prevent heartburn, ease water retention, relieve constipation, as well as manage cravings.
When talking about health and fitness, everyone knows that Jillian Michaels is the go-to girl. This book has two sides, the first one will tell you exactly what to do to make a healthy baby and help your partner stay hot. And the second will help you get a better understanding of what experience you and your partner are about to get yourselves into and what decision you two will have to make. These are the same decisions Michaels and her partner, Heidi Rhoades, had to make while expecting her first inborn.
6. Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads by Gary Greenberg & Jeannie Hayden
If you can only afford the time to read one book, then let this be it. Though it`s quite short, this book is by far the most famous, and the most recommended book for expectant fathers because it handles every single detail regards being a new dad. In this book you`ll find out:
- How to hold a baby
- The difference between a tickle and a stroke
- Scrubbing and diaper changing
- Dealing with sleep deprivation
- How to get him his first haircut
- How to keep your sanity and cope with their nonstop crying and,
- How to cope with the pre- and postpartum mood swings that your partner will definitely have from time to time
7. The Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth by Penny Simkin
This book is the most scientific book on this list. It has all the details you need about:
- Different labor stages and how to move through them
- The things you should take to the hospital on labor day and how to prepare for a home birth
- How to respond if your partner`s bag of waters breaks before labor begins
- How to deal with the last weeks of pregnancy and what to do the first few days postpartum
- The difference between cesarean and vaginal birth, and how to deal with each of them
- And more…
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