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Truly Happy Baby ... It Worked for Me: A practical parenting guide from a mum you can trust
**AWARDED A MUMSNET BEST BADGE 2016** Whether you’ve just had a baby or you’re about to welcome your new little bundle into the world, you probably have a LOT of questions … I know I did! And I also know from first-hand experience with my three babies that one-size-fits all parenting doesn’t work. So this book is to help you find out what will work for you and your baby. I’ve included all the information and friendly advice I wish I’d been given before I became a mum for the first time, alongside the routines, shortcuts and tips that worked for me. I hope this book will empower you during your first twelve months of parenthood to trust your own mummy intuition, and to care for your children in your own way – confidently and happily. We all have that intuition, we just need to learn to tune into it! With chapters on feeding, sleeping, wellbeing and lifestyle – as well as how to look after yourself – this book will equip you with all the know-how you need to get you through the sleepless nights and concerns, to all the magical first moments. It’s a collection of everything that worked for me as a new mum – and I hope it works for you, too. Love, Holly xxx
- GenresParentingNonfiction
288 pages, Paperback
Published August 2, 2016
50 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 15, 2021
This is a practical and useful book all about what to expect and how to cope with a newborn. With tips on feeding, sleeping and how a woman’s body changes after giving birth, it’s a great starting point for new or expectant mums to pick up succinct information on this crucial time in their and their babies lives.
Although Holly Willoughby isn’t a medical professional, her steady approach and experience of being a mother of three is reassuring and trustworthy.
It would have been better for me to have read this before I gave birth to my daughter as I felt like I knew a lot of the stuff from being entrenched in the practicalities of parenthood, and from other things I’ve read and courses I’ve been on, so I would definitely recommend reading this before your baby comes along. Although it was still useful reading it once my daughter was born.
Like any other parenting advice, you have to listen to what works for you and not worry that your baby isn’t, for example, sleeping through the night at three memory’s old. Whilst there’s some great universal advice in here, of course Holly’s own experiences mean she gives you advice on what she has done and it won’t necessarily work for every baby and parent.
Although Holly Willoughby isn’t a medical professional, her steady approach and experience of being a mother of three is reassuring and trustworthy.
It would have been better for me to have read this before I gave birth to my daughter as I felt like I knew a lot of the stuff from being entrenched in the practicalities of parenthood, and from other things I’ve read and courses I’ve been on, so I would definitely recommend reading this before your baby comes along. Although it was still useful reading it once my daughter was born.
Like any other parenting advice, you have to listen to what works for you and not worry that your baby isn’t, for example, sleeping through the night at three memory’s old. Whilst there’s some great universal advice in here, of course Holly’s own experiences mean she gives you advice on what she has done and it won’t necessarily work for every baby and parent.
July 21, 2016
A must read for all new parents. It was like having a chat with a friend. It was informative, including a variety of suggestions, giving advice without pushing a particular idea
June 14, 2019
Easy to read and follow - although written for new mums I recommend this for new dads too!
August 5, 2019
Being a first time mum, it is daunting. I bought this book when I found out I was pregnant. I found this to be very informative, Holly although a celebrity, is one who is down to earth and I felt I could trust what she was saying after all, she has gone through it!
This is a book that I haven't read cover to cover but more of one that I can dip into when I feel the need. So far I have used it a lot and I feel I will continue to dip in and out of it. I love the layout of the book and also the images throughout.
I am tempted to purchase Holly's book on weaning so when the time comes I can be clued up with it.
I would recommend this to other first time mums.
This is a book that I haven't read cover to cover but more of one that I can dip into when I feel the need. So far I have used it a lot and I feel I will continue to dip in and out of it. I love the layout of the book and also the images throughout.
I am tempted to purchase Holly's book on weaning so when the time comes I can be clued up with it.
I would recommend this to other first time mums.
September 23, 2019
4.5 stars
If you are a first time mum or a parent to be I'd highly recommend this book. Like you I was sceptical of reading a celeb parenting book but Holly is non judgemental and offers a lot of practical advice even from her own experience, I feel like I picked up loads of handy little tips I wouldn't even have thought about in this book.
If you are a first time mum or a parent to be I'd highly recommend this book. Like you I was sceptical of reading a celeb parenting book but Holly is non judgemental and offers a lot of practical advice even from her own experience, I feel like I picked up loads of handy little tips I wouldn't even have thought about in this book.
May 26, 2019
Useful and informative.
The one book that has held my attention over the past few weeks.
💛
The one book that has held my attention over the past few weeks.
💛
February 19, 2023
A book which is easy to pick up and read at any time with helpful advice for both pre and post natal. Not at all preachy and speaking from first hand experience with honesty. Great book which we will continue to reference throughout our baby’s first year
May 15, 2017
I was abit dubious about reading this - a celebrities "how to" on parenting. I needed not to worry, it was real, honest and really useful. It was full of great tips and different ways to think about your journey into parenthood.
This book took me ages to read as I kept picking it up and then putting it down again. It contains a lot of information and is more of a guidebook rather than something you read in one sitting from cover to cover. I will without a doubt be going back over this book once the baby has arrived and using Holly's helpful tips and suggestions to get me through tricky times.
It was also really reassuring to read about Holly's third child and just how different he was to the previous two - really reiterated just how different each baby is and how one thing that works for one really might not for another one.
If you are expecting, I would highly recommend this book!
This book took me ages to read as I kept picking it up and then putting it down again. It contains a lot of information and is more of a guidebook rather than something you read in one sitting from cover to cover. I will without a doubt be going back over this book once the baby has arrived and using Holly's helpful tips and suggestions to get me through tricky times.
It was also really reassuring to read about Holly's third child and just how different he was to the previous two - really reiterated just how different each baby is and how one thing that works for one really might not for another one.
If you are expecting, I would highly recommend this book!
March 13, 2023
I started this at the beginning of our journey 10 months ago now and found myself finishing it during one of many late night sleepy feeds.
Its a great book full of brilliant advice and helpful tips and knowledge that I definitley needed as a first time mum.
The photography and pages are beautiful with a layout that is made perfectly for you to just grab and read little snippets inbetween a quite 5 minutes that you may find somewhere in a day (if your lucky!) ... Even if, like now, it's the dead of night and you have a little time after you've lay your precious bundle down to sleep from his 1.30am feed and you find yourself waiting until he sleeps soundly before turning the lamp back down...
Ssshhhh
Its a great book full of brilliant advice and helpful tips and knowledge that I definitley needed as a first time mum.
The photography and pages are beautiful with a layout that is made perfectly for you to just grab and read little snippets inbetween a quite 5 minutes that you may find somewhere in a day (if your lucky!) ... Even if, like now, it's the dead of night and you have a little time after you've lay your precious bundle down to sleep from his 1.30am feed and you find yourself waiting until he sleeps soundly before turning the lamp back down...
Ssshhhh
August 9, 2019
Happened to find this book on the bazaar. I have to be honest that I bought this because I'm very fond of Holly, and the way she presented herself to the media.
However, upon reading this book further I am amazed and going to keep this close to me as it is filled with meaningful insight as a first time Mum. Several tips that I can practice at home with my neighbour's baby. It felt like you have someone telling you all the tricks she did and worked on her children, and might work on yours too.
However, upon reading this book further I am amazed and going to keep this close to me as it is filled with meaningful insight as a first time Mum. Several tips that I can practice at home with my neighbour's baby. It felt like you have someone telling you all the tricks she did and worked on her children, and might work on yours too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2017
I was a little dubious about this book thinking it may just be a money spinner, but I absolutely loved it. As some of the other reviewers have said, it was like having a chat with a friend. I wish I had read this while pregnant. Holly is quite good at suggesting various options and making you feel you're doing a good job whichever you choose. You feel her views are valid as she has had three babies. I would recommend this book.
February 25, 2019
A simple introduction to being a mummy
Being almost clueless about being a mum, this was a light and interesting introduction to it that has helped ease my anxiety prior to giving birth. I was initially sceptical about reading a 'celebrity ' take on the matter but Holly is very down to earth and realistic in her advice and when recounting her experience. Her chapters on sleep cycles and breastfeeding are particularly useful.
Being almost clueless about being a mum, this was a light and interesting introduction to it that has helped ease my anxiety prior to giving birth. I was initially sceptical about reading a 'celebrity ' take on the matter but Holly is very down to earth and realistic in her advice and when recounting her experience. Her chapters on sleep cycles and breastfeeding are particularly useful.
November 4, 2018
Good book and very interesting. Although as a Dad to be I found that the book really missed a trick with my role bringing up the child. It's almost as if the spouses role was limited to a paragraph in the back of the book. That said the book was not aimed at me and a single parent would also benefit from this book.
I read this book as a guide to how I could better support my partner.
I read this book as a guide to how I could better support my partner.
April 25, 2019
I enjoyed Holly's down-to-earth, chatty style and found this a really helpful intro to the (what feels like millions of!) things we have to think about as new parents. It's not preachy at all, but full of info and tips about what's worked for her, and lists different factors to consider as we try to make the best choices for our babies.
January 15, 2018
Excellent, honest and non judgemental x
Loved the honest writing style and non judgemental coverage in this book. Holly shows us all babies and mums are different but we can still all help each other.
Loved the honest writing style and non judgemental coverage in this book. Holly shows us all babies and mums are different but we can still all help each other.
July 23, 2019
Great read, friendly like you're taking advice from a friend.
Enjoyed the book and found it very helpful. Felt like you were listening to a friend whilst reading and taking their advice.
Enjoyed the book and found it very helpful. Felt like you were listening to a friend whilst reading and taking their advice.
May 24, 2022
Really liked this, full of practical advice! My only gripe is that it feels very old fashioned in that the assumption is the reader is a biological mother and the baby has a father. Some of us are in same sex relationships...!
May 12, 2017
Definitely a book I will keep referring to when Baby G is here, really helpful and informative guide from an actual mum. Really impressed.
January 3, 2020
Such an easy read, so informative on all aspects of new borns and those first few months without being directive. Helpful tips without overwhelming you.
April 20, 2020
Some very practical and useful tips included in this book which saved us more than once as first time parents. Really pleased I got it in time for the birth of my son.
July 24, 2020
A great book with lots of helpful advice!
September 20, 2021
A good informative book. Obviously the more baby books you read the more the information overlaps but this is a good nonjudgmental one to read.
August 25, 2022
Some good advice, will need to come back to it to look at the advice for older babies. Some bits not relevant about formula fed etc.
October 7, 2024
Really good book considering it's a celebs point of view. Some great advice in here and things I hadn't thought of. Really easy read also.
December 30, 2020
Simple, useful advice for new mums.
January 9, 2019
This was a Christmas gift from Ben that I’d been debating over buying, and I’m really glad he did buy it for me! I’ve always loved Holly Willoughby’s charisma and personality since my days of watching This Morning as a student, so having her words to guide me into a new stage of life was excellent. What’s so wonderful about this book is that it’s down to earth (which seems to be my phrase for pregnancy and parenting!), with her own first hand experience, but also the confidence to tell you to trust your intuition too. Holly doesn’t lecture on what you should and shouldn’t do, instead she offers practical advice alongside what worked for her and others. Her voice really shone through in this and I’ve found myself saying multiple times lately: “Holly says…” I’m excited to put more of the book into practice!
March 13, 2019
A positive outlook on parenting, a lot of the information was very simply and straightforward, rather than nitty-gritty stuff that I like. A lot was based around very individual experience, rather than studies/evidence to back up points. But it was still a nice quick read.
February 17, 2017
Mostly common sense and a lot of handy information if I ever had to look after her babies. Not so handy for my baby though!
October 12, 2023
Very useful read. However, I've given it 3 stars as I am disappointed in the way she promotes disposable nappies and pretty much glosses over resusables, saying 'the thought of waiting for a bucket of dirty nappies to be full enough sealed the deal'.
She belittles how much money reusables save (around £1600 in total!) and makes it sound as though chucking few thousand disposable nappies into a landfill that won't decompose for 500 years is comparable to how much your washing machine will be on with reusables.
I'm not having a go at anyone who uses disposable nappies, but I feel like it's really irresponsible of Holly Willoughby when, in writing this book, she is putting herself forward as a role model to other mums. The idea of a landfill site with our babies' name on them means the extra work of reusables is at least worth promoting in her book, even if she couldn't get along with them herself. All recycling is extra work and less convenient but there's a reason why people do it.
She also could have promoted the schemes like Real Nappies for London which give you over £50 off your order of reusables - a scheme that councils across the country run which she didn't even mention.
She belittles how much money reusables save (around £1600 in total!) and makes it sound as though chucking few thousand disposable nappies into a landfill that won't decompose for 500 years is comparable to how much your washing machine will be on with reusables.
I'm not having a go at anyone who uses disposable nappies, but I feel like it's really irresponsible of Holly Willoughby when, in writing this book, she is putting herself forward as a role model to other mums. The idea of a landfill site with our babies' name on them means the extra work of reusables is at least worth promoting in her book, even if she couldn't get along with them herself. All recycling is extra work and less convenient but there's a reason why people do it.
She also could have promoted the schemes like Real Nappies for London which give you over £50 off your order of reusables - a scheme that councils across the country run which she didn't even mention.
October 10, 2016
Useful book giving an overview of the early days caring for a newborn. Very easy to read and pick up to read a few pages at a time. It doesn't go into massive amounts of detail and is really just a mum speaking about her 3 kids and what she tried so I'm sure there are more credible authors in this field but it did include some good advice.
The book seems to assume that its readers are stable, married, working mums that will co-parent which I doubt is helpful for younger mums, single mums or those in more difficult situations that can't share the night feeds etc. I also find it hard to believe that Holly really buys second hand baby toys etc to save money!
The book seems to assume that its readers are stable, married, working mums that will co-parent which I doubt is helpful for younger mums, single mums or those in more difficult situations that can't share the night feeds etc. I also find it hard to believe that Holly really buys second hand baby toys etc to save money!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews