WHAT TO EXPECT THE FIRST YEAR by Heidi Murkoff ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I did it. I finished another parenting book! Okay, more importantly, I kept a tiny human alive for a whole year! And this book helped with that. I only give it four stars because I didn’t find it as crucial as the Expecting book, but really it’s more a 4.5. There’s just not another book this accessible.

Without spilling into all the pride and specifics of the first year of parenthood, I’ll just say it’s a wild ride, and you could do worse than having this on your bedside table to reference on sleepless nights or in a pinch. I strayed more toward the end when the pressure started to lessen and the parenting-instincts kicked in, but I still appreciate having it to check-in and make sure we are generally on track. A lot happens in a year; reading this book helped me keep it all straight.

If you are someone like me that doesn’t necessarily think they will mess things up, but likes to be prepared for anything if possible, this is a great book to have in your arsenal. If you think knowing too much will get in your way and you’d rather let nature guide you as you go, you can probably live without this one. But I guarantee there’s at least one thing in it that would help in some way. And that reason alone is why it’s worth it to me.