Raising tiny humans is a challenge that many parents gladly accept, but navigating an infant’s first year can be overwhelming. Using a variety of approaches, including illustration, science, and humor, new titles offer advice for parents in this period of great physical and emotional change.
Bite-Sized Parenting
This illustrated reference covers Parenting 101 topics—tummy time (month one), starting solids (month five), and dropping naps (month 11)—alongside less tangible markers of new parenthood, such as building confidence, dealing with unsolicited advice, and maintaining partnerships and other adult relationships. Mazel, who has 246,000 Instagram followers and who coauthored several titles in the What to Expect series, offers readers two ways to consume information: in short, infographic bursts and in “A Closer Look” sections with topical deeper dives.
Break Free from Maternal Anxiety
Three clinical psychologists draw on their expertise in perinatal mental health in this guide to cognitive behavior therapy techniques in the context of pregnancy and becoming a new parent. Maternal anxiety is far more commonplace than is realized or diagnosed, the authors write; chapters address difficulties including panic attacks, anxiety around others, and pregnancy trauma.
Enough About the Baby
Taking a lighthearted approach, influencer Vieira, who has 123,000 Instagram followers, demystifies the first year of parenting. Using the snarky, tell-it-like-it-is voice she deploys on social media and on platforms including Babycenter and Scary Mommy, she offers advice on coping with quotidian frustrations and challenges such as nosy in-laws or an anxious partner. She also shares her experience with postpartum depression and advises readers on seeking treatment for mental health issues.
A Mom Is Born
Elmore, a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor, specializes in treating postpartum depression and anxiety at her Christian counseling practice in Charlotte, N.C. Her biblically minded guide to new motherhood includes inspirational scripture excerpts and client anecdotes, as well as workbook-like tools, such as checklists to help mothers balance baby care with self-care.
