Being a parent is tough, there’s no doubt about it. Some people are lucky enough to nail it all with intuition, confidence and grit.

However, most of us need a little bit of expert advice. This can be from friends, family, the Internet and of course via books and the experts who write them.

However, too much advice can be a bad thing and you can get into a complete pickle navigating all the conflicting opinions.

To make things easier, we’ve rounded up a brilliant selection of books on parenting – from poetry about motherhood to detailed plans about strict routines in the hope that there is something for every parent.

Your Baby Week By Week by Simone Cave and Dr Caroline Fertleman

Full disclosure, this book didn’t leave our side for the first six months of motherhood. It was a constant source of comfort.

Babies change rapidly in the first six months of their life. Each week something new happens or develops – and this is the backbone of Week by Week, with each chapter focusing on seven days of your baby’s life: how much milk and sleep they need as well as milestones such as smiling and important dates like immunisations.

When you’re a new parent, your mind feels fried and slow which is why the layout of this book especially appealed to me. The chapters include handy subheadings which signpost tired minds and clearly mark specific information, such as “When To See A Doctor” and “What’s Happening To Mum”.

When the book ends, you might feel sad not to have your constant companion, but we saw it as a sign that I was over the toughest part.

£9.68 | Amazon | Buy it now

10 Things Girls Need Most by Steve Biddulph

We loved this book. Sure, there is some slightly flowery, new-age language that is probably best overlooked such as an instruction to get “into the river of love”. But psychologist Biddulph does have a strong, clear core message, and that is to slow down, connect with each other and nature in a bid to help our daughters “grow up strong and free”.

And there is plenty of thought-provoking stuff within his ‘10 Things’ that make a whole lot of sense. As a mother of a little girl, I’m often worried about the future: how to bomb-proof her against sexism and to ensure she is brave and independent.

The take home from this book is essentially that we need to allow little girls to be little girls. Biddulph warns against placing any emphasis on looks or the suggestion that girls should always be “neat” and “tidy”. He advocates that girls should be in touch with nature and connect with their wild side.

He also writes convincingly of how important fathers are – in a unique way for girls. If a father treats his daughter with respect this is what she will expect from a future partner and is less vulnerable to substandard treatment.

Biddulph also addresses boundaries, sexuality, feminism and the importance of helping your daughter find what makes her spark.

An essential handbook for parents of girls.

£8.78 | Amazon | Buy it now

The New Contented Little Baby by Gina Ford – Vermilion

She is the marmite of the parenting world – loathed by some mothers who find her rigid approach to routine hard to swallow but bowed to by others who claim that former maternity nurse Gina Ford’s methods have allowed them to regain control over their lives.

I am personally in the latter camp, hence the inclusion of this bestselling book which is, in part, how I managed to get my daughter to sleep so well. The truth is, Ford’s techniques work.

This book takes a look at more than sleeping though. Ford begins with a comprehensive chapter on pre-birth preparation and then lays out pages upon pages of detailed timetables for when babies of different ages should take milk and sleep. Ford argues that when a baby has a strict routine it is more contented and less anxious.

Ford is adamant she doesn’t encourage just leaving a baby to cry itself to sleep, instead advising controlled crying. All I can say is, it very much worked for me.

£9.35 | Amazon | Buy it now

French Parents Don’t Give In: 100 Parenting Tips From Paris by Pamela Druckerman

When Pamela Druckerman, an American journalist, lived in Paris with her young children, she was struck by the “easy, calm authority” French parents seemed to have over their children.

This book contains 100 parenting tips spread across chapters encompassing pregnancy, sleep and patience.

Some are really short, funny missives – “Papa: Don’t stand at the business end” - while others, such as “just say ‘non’” are really pertinent points about boundaries and rules.

Having devoured all 100, part of you will wish you could turn back time and live in an apartment in Montmarte surrounded by the scent of freshly baked baguette.

£6.99 | Amazon | Buy it now

The Teenage Brain by Dr Frances E. Jensen

If, like us, the idea of raising teenagers makes you want to run for the hills or the nearest pub, then The Teenage Brain is probably essential reading for you.

Written by a neurologist this book draws on extensive clinical research into brain function and turns the findings into practical advice for parents and teenagers.

This is a thick and weighty tome and is full of graphs and diagrams. It is dense with information, so you’ll need to really immerse yourself – this isn’t a dip-in-dip-out situation. However, Jensen offsets all of the science with funny anecdotes about her own experiences as a mother of two teenage boys.

With chapters including ‘Pot’ and ‘Mental Illness’ there’s a certain sense of foreboding, but as with most things being prepared is half the battle.

£11.99 | Amazon | Buy it now

Truly Happy Baby by Holly Willoughby

We’re usually really sceptical about celebs writing books but Holly Willoughby’s was recommended to me by a someone who said “it’s like being with a friend”. And it really is. Her voice is as warm and companiable as it is on TV and, having had three children of her own, she really knows her stuff.

The book is essentially a collection of all of the tips and bits of advice Willoughby has picked up along the way. From a recipe for cookies that are said to promote lactation in new mothers to how to best bath your new born, this is a great book for first-time parents.

£11.55 | Amazon | Buy it now

Keep Calm: The New Mum’s Manual by Dr Ellie Cannon – Vermilion

Another excellent, practical manual for first time parents, Keep Calm is written by a family GP and mother of two. From the very first line, you can see where Dr Ellie Cannon wants to put the emphasis: “This book is not about babies. It’s about YOU…”

We found it a really empowering read simply because it reminds readers time and time again that they are in charge, they know what’s best for their baby no matter what other people think and say. This was especially poignant in a section on feeding – notoriously fraught with worry and judgement - where Dr Cannon writes simply “your baby, your business”.

This is a no-nonsense, straight-talking manual for women who want confidence for both themselves and their babies.

£9.44 | Amazon | Buy it now

Nobody Told Me by Hollie McNish

This is less A “how to” book and much more a powerful show of solidarity and strength for anyone who has experienced the complexities of becoming a mother.

Hollie Mcnish started a diary of poems and thoughts when she found out she was pregnant - at Glastonbury Festival of all places.

Here, her words have been published - but many of the works remain incomplete and-unedited. Most were written on her baby’s bedroom floor. McNish wrote when she was dog tired, deliriously happy and gripped by anxiety.

But within her diaries she hits on important issues - the big stuff - love and sex and the little things that help new mums get by like cinema trips and the promise of work.

The poem What’s My Name Again? Where McNish rails against mothers being known as ‘So-and-so’s mum’ – struck a real chord with me. A really remarkable book.

£9 | Amazon | Buy it now

Five Deep Breaths: The Power Of Mindful Parenting by Dr Genevieve Von Lob

As parents, we’ve all felt like there’s a multitude of conflicting advice out there on how to raise children and I have certainly felt judged for some of the decisions I have made as a mother. In Five Deep Breaths, Clinical Psychologist Von Lob tackles all of those outside influences and opinions and urges parents to give themselves a break and offers simple, practical tips on how to raise confident children based on principles of mindfulness and neuroscience.

She calls for calm and shows you how to get there. Inside there are stories and testimonials from patients who have followed Von Lob’s methods with much success.

This is a must-read for any parent who feels stressed out and living in an environment often rife with tension and anxiety. She also tackles the teenage years with a particularly touching section on how to deal with rejection.

£12.18 | Amazon | Buy It Now

How To Grow A Baby: Journal – Clemmie Hooper

She’s the midwife who became an Instagram sensation following the runaway success of her parenting manual, How To Grow A Baby And Push It Out. And now Clemmie Hooper has launched a journal for expectant and new mothers to fill in on a week-by-week basis.

The blank spaces where you can fill in everything from details about where you were when you found out you were pregnant to your entire birth story, are of course interspersed with advice, tips and reassurance from Hooper.

This is a really smart, lovely thing – I wouldn’t expect any less from the ultra-stylish Hooper – ideal as a present for an expectant friend, or for yourself!

£11.99 | Amazon | Buy it now

Verdict

It has to be Your Baby Week By Week : it has a simple layout, is easy to read and offers endless reassurance for new parents in a non-patronising, gentle way. However, Nobody Told Me also provides some real talk from a brilliant writer that every mother than resonate with.

ESBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.

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