Expecting your first bun in the oven? Whether you’ve been around children your entire life or you feel you need an instruction manual for changing a diaper, first-time parenting comes with its challenges for all. That’s why we’ve found five of the best parenting books for new parents for you!

Moms on Call

Hailed as “the absolute best baby book ever”, this three-part series from pediatric nurses (and moms themselves!) provides new parents with the one thing they’ve never had before–detailed instructions for the care and raising of an infant.
From Amazon description:
Everything that modern parents need to know about caring for babies in the first six months, including:
• Step by step guidelines for getting babies on a routine
• Hour by hour schedules at a glance
• Feeding instructions for breast, bottle or both!
• What symptoms warrant a trip to the emergency room
• How to get your baby to sleep all night so you can, too!
Plus, much more!
Book one handles months 0-6, book two gets you from 6-15 months, and book three will carry you through toddler years.

What to Expect the First Year

Tried and true from Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazol, this comprehensive guide to your baby’s first year will replace its predecessor, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, as your nightstand staple. In its revised third-edition, with over 10.5 million copies in print, What to Expect the First Year is the world’s best-loved guide for parents, and now, it’s better than ever.
In its trademark month-by-month breakdown, the guide is easy to navigate and full of all the information you never knew you needed. Baby care reflects the most recent APA guidelines, as well as addressing hot-button topics and trends, so today’s parent is prepared to raise a baby in today’s world.

The Baby Book: Revised Edition, Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age 2

This popular book by the legendary Dr. Sears “is unrivaled in its scope and authority, and presents a practical, contemporary approach to parenting that reflects the way we live today.” Dr. Sears has been a pediatrician for over thirty years, and with his wife, Martha, a registered nurse and breastfeeding consultant, has raised eight children of his own. Understanding there is no one way to parent, the Sears books offer basic guidance and inspiration necessary to develop your own personal, parenting style.

The Happiest Baby on the Block

Baby expert, Dr. Harvey Karp, reveals his secrets for getting babies soothed and sleeping–so parents can catch some shut eye, too. His revised and updated edition relies on four major concepts:
1. The Fourth Trimester: Why babies still yearn for a womb-like atmosphere . . . even after birth
2. The Calming Reflex: An “off switch” all babies are born with
3. The 5 S’s: Five easy steps to turn on your baby’s amazing calming reflex
4. The Cuddle Cure: How to combine the 5 S’s to calm even colicky babies

Work. Pump. Repeat.

Tagged as “the New Mom’s Survival guide for Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work”, this collection of true stories from moms who have been there is a popular read for breastfeeding moms. Filled with hacks and strategies to get you through every crisis, this book “is the anti-judgment, pro-sanity antidote to the Breastfeeding Wars.” Publishers Weekly called it “A godsend to the back-to-work mom who doesn’t have time for everything to go any less than smoothly.”
Happy parenting!