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First-time Mum: Surviving and Enjoying your baby's first year

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Why won’t my baby stop crying? Will I ever lose this baby weight? How can I get a decent night’s sleep? 



Who am I - Help?! 




A new baby doesn’t come with an instruction manual but it feels like it should! It can be utterly terrifying when you bring your baby home for the first time, and nothing quite prepares you for the joys (and sometimes, horrors!) yet to come. First-time Mum addresses all your worries and gives you the practical advice you need to start coping wonderfully with a new bundle of life at home, including advice on how




• Bond and play with your baby (the fun bits)

• Cope with tiredness and feeling like the living dead 

• Identify your baby’s cries and stop tears 

• Feed your baby and make sure he/she is happy and healthy

• Adapt and cope with life at home and the (sometimes) dreaded return to work! 

• Understand your emotions and the change in mum/dad relationships

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

12 people want to read

About the author

Hollie Smith

27 books1 follower

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5 stars
9 (18%)
4 stars
24 (48%)
3 stars
14 (28%)
2 stars
3 (6%)
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0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for Char.
49 reviews2 followers
April 7, 2020
I know babies don't come with a manual 🤣 but as i have a lot of time on my hands now #selfisolation and i enjoy reading i have been swatting up!
This book was easy to read and had some useful information but i found a lot of it to be waffle (hate criticising books 👎) I did enjoy the different accounts from different Mum's though because as we know babies are all different little people with different little personalities! Overall i would rate the book 2.5 ⭐
Profile Image for Becky.
24 reviews
January 3, 2026
I found this informative and helpful. I won’t know if it’s useful until I put any of it into practice but it was certainly what I was looking for in terms of practical, realistic advice that covers most of the basics. I also enjoyed the testimonials from other mums. Its help me feel a bit more prepared than before and gain a bit more knowledge about subjects such as sleeping and feeding. I also like that they discuss the benefits of both breast feeding and bottle feeding.
Profile Image for Clare Dowling.
1 review
February 7, 2018
I wish I had read this book when I was pregnant as this would have helped me to prepare for the emotional rollercoaster of being a first time Mum. This book does not impose the writers beliefs / opinions and looks at topics such as breast feeding and bottle feeding without leaving you feeling your doing everything wrong. Non judgement which is rather refreshing.
Profile Image for Alisha.
121 reviews
January 10, 2023
As an expectant first-time mum I found this book reassuring and informative however, every baby is different and there is no manual for them! I’ll be taking each day as it comes.
Profile Image for Ara Monica.
24 reviews1 follower
March 23, 2024
This is for British mothers. Otherwise, some of the tips in the book can be used by moms from other countries, too.
Profile Image for Lexi.
50 reviews
October 5, 2012
This isn't a comprehensive 'reference book' - it's a readable, practical, non-judgemental guide to the essential topics you will need to cover in the first year. It manages to present topics like feeding and sleep routines in a balanced way, and as an expecting mum I found it reassuring and informative. A definite recommendation.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews

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