When I became pregnant with my second child, I believed that I had everything under control. I already had the experience, so I assumed nothing would be a surprise… How naïve of me. It’s an undeniable reality that every pregnancy and every child is completely different, and I had to accept that a time lapse of eight years between each pregnancy was also a major factor in making me feel like a first-time mom all over again. This is why I felt so thankful for the opportunity to review this book, especially because it was from Audible – with a new baby and an eight-year-old, there is no room to sit down with an actual book in my hands!
What to Expect the First Year, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel, covers everything before delivery: the stress of deciding on a name, the hunt for health-care providers, and even advice on how not to get carried away with pre-baby shopping and instead get only the actual essentials. The book offers advice on all relevant information you will need once you have your little bundle of joy in your arms: breastfeeding or formula (or a combo), the baby’s development, what to expect at medical check-ups, and even advice for introducing the baby to pets. Something that I really liked, and even impressed me, was the special mentions and advice for parents expecting the arrival of an adoptive child.
The narration of the audio is magnificent and keeps you fully engaged. Even though I have to recognize it is a very long book, there is not one chapter that I would take out. Also, you have the option to listen to it in stages, according to the development of your child.
The experience of using Audible instead of reading the book in its traditional printed version was incredibly satisfying. I never had taken into consideration how practical it could be for me to use this option to keep enjoying reading, even when having less time available. I just installed the app on my smartphone and could play the book whenever I wanted, especially while driving or while making dinner.
This book has proven to be a “must” on the list of essentials, and I highly recommend it as a gift option for any soon-to-be parents.
A copy of this book was provided by Audible for review.
