Whew! What a stack of reading material. I think it’s time to let them go. All the obligatory reading that might give us a happier, sweeter, quieter, smarter baby. All the well intentioned well-wishers best sellers best references, crucial advice critical information. Try to cram it all in and become an expert on baby hatching and baby raising after work, before bed, on a rainy day. It’s time to say goodbye. 

To be honest, most are, at best, a few chapters read. Many had me outright in tears and left me feeling depressed. A few tables were helpful here and there. The cliff note version of most would suffice: shushing, sucking, swaddling, swinging. Be in the moment. Experience the sensations. Let go of fear of the future. Take your folic acid. Exercise. Speak to your child like a sage being at all ages. Pause before acting. 

I liked to follow along with the size of the fetus in the Mayo Guide. My husband read two chapters of Simkin’s The Birth Partner and said he would have been really lost without having done that. He was amazing, so must be two great chapters. Nana read the cliff note version of my personal favorite, Bringing up Bébé by Druckerman and wholeheartedly endorsed it, so it’s nice to know we have a common reference. Now I think I’ll stick to Goodnight Moon and continue doing yoga. 

Meanwhile, Michael took a different route and after he read his two chapters of birth partnering basics, he took the time to catch up on classics. Smart move!