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The New Baby Blueprint: Caring for You and Your Little One
Pediatrician and mother of two young daughters, Dr. Whitney Casares, delivers a modern, empathetic guide to preparing for a baby and those first few days, weeks, and months of being a parent. From basic newborn care to breastfeeding success and from childcare choices to the emotional ups and downs of new motherhood, Dr. Casares’s advice combines important health and safety information from the American Academy of Pediatrics with honest insights from her own parenting experiences. A dual approach to baby and self-care supports new and expecting moms through the challenges of meeting their own needs while getting ready for and caring for a new baby and includes important information on baby blues and postpartum depression. Dr. Casares’s message is especially relatable for fellow working moms, struggling to win at parenting without losing themselves.
- GenresParentingNonfictionAdult
144 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2020
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575 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 29, 2024
I'd set it aside for a good while, but the last couple of chapters were the most helpful for me - nitty gritty of what to expect in the hospital, things to look for and expect in the first few weeks.
I do wish that baby books were written to both parents. As in any other baby book I've looked at so far, this one was full of advice specifically to new mothers with little to nothing written for new fathers. We can do better.
I do wish that baby books were written to both parents. As in any other baby book I've looked at so far, this one was full of advice specifically to new mothers with little to nothing written for new fathers. We can do better.
July 30, 2020
Going to buy this book to add to my personal library!
May 8, 2020
Honestly, I wish I had this book prior to my now 3 year old being born! Such great information, broken down step by step for any parents-to-be; or parents with young kids or even newborns! Would make a great gift at a shower!
October 10, 2023
Loved this honest, real take on what motherhood is and how hard the transition can be.
My favorite bits / what resonated most / things I’ll try to remember:
“Felt blindsided.” SAME.
Enough BS about how glorious this is (it is, sometimes!)… you might want to know it’s also excruciatingly hard, even in the best of circumstances.
Vitamin D drops
No running w baby until 6 months
Pumping setup in advance
Divide and conquer with your partner according to the things you’re naturally good at
You can’t have it all as a new mom… you have time for the top 3 priorities
Self care plan, getting out alone early on
Work is like a pasture. It will leach out of you as much as you will give it.
Don’t let those things suck the life out of you
“Mental engagement that is not stressful and not baby related is so important for newbie moms, especially if they are used to being at work 40 hours per week.”
Save milk early on: feed baby, pump a little bit, do this 2x/day
“The most successful moms I meet have a very simple birth plan of “keeping mom and baby healthy and safe”, by the way”
“Remember, you are not a nuisance to your pediatrician” (cf - if you feel that way, like we did, it’s time to change pediatricians)
Pg 116 on early evening sleep for mom - revisit at delivery :)
Pg 119 humility “even though I was already an expert in baby health and care when my first child was born, I lost sight sometimes in the early days that sometimes you can’t fix it. You just have to let it ride out, for a little while.”
“Soothing your baby falls into 2 categories: getting ahold of yourself and then attending to your baby’s needs.”
Worksheets at the end! Some I’ll actually do on paper :)
Chapters 6 (in the hospital) and 9 (first few weeks) are the PERFECT little guides
My favorite bits / what resonated most / things I’ll try to remember:
“Felt blindsided.” SAME.
Enough BS about how glorious this is (it is, sometimes!)… you might want to know it’s also excruciatingly hard, even in the best of circumstances.
Vitamin D drops
No running w baby until 6 months
Pumping setup in advance
Divide and conquer with your partner according to the things you’re naturally good at
You can’t have it all as a new mom… you have time for the top 3 priorities
Self care plan, getting out alone early on
Work is like a pasture. It will leach out of you as much as you will give it.
Don’t let those things suck the life out of you
“Mental engagement that is not stressful and not baby related is so important for newbie moms, especially if they are used to being at work 40 hours per week.”
Save milk early on: feed baby, pump a little bit, do this 2x/day
“The most successful moms I meet have a very simple birth plan of “keeping mom and baby healthy and safe”, by the way”
“Remember, you are not a nuisance to your pediatrician” (cf - if you feel that way, like we did, it’s time to change pediatricians)
Pg 116 on early evening sleep for mom - revisit at delivery :)
Pg 119 humility “even though I was already an expert in baby health and care when my first child was born, I lost sight sometimes in the early days that sometimes you can’t fix it. You just have to let it ride out, for a little while.”
“Soothing your baby falls into 2 categories: getting ahold of yourself and then attending to your baby’s needs.”
Worksheets at the end! Some I’ll actually do on paper :)
Chapters 6 (in the hospital) and 9 (first few weeks) are the PERFECT little guides
February 11, 2024
Pretty quick read with nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout. In some ways it felt like more of a passive-income endeavor on the author’s part than a book written to actually provide a depth of knowledge for new moms. Like I said, there were tidbits I found helpful (and will likely pass it along to my husband to read for this reason), but in general I feel like it merely scratched the surface of things to know when expecting a new baby.
Not a great solo read if you’re looking for an all-encompassing book to help you prepare for life after your baby arrives, but it is worth reading for supplemental information and a different perspective. Also probably one of the better books for a partner to read since it’s fairly simple and straightforward.
Not a great solo read if you’re looking for an all-encompassing book to help you prepare for life after your baby arrives, but it is worth reading for supplemental information and a different perspective. Also probably one of the better books for a partner to read since it’s fairly simple and straightforward.
December 30, 2020
The advice in this book was very practical and it wasn’t all about baby either. It was refreshing to hear about taking care of you and your partner too. I skipped the sections on breastfeeding as my husband and I are hopeful adoptive parents so that information doesn’t apply. However, I took some notes on tips for those first few weeks home with baby and I know I’ll refer back to them when that time comes!
January 24, 2021
This book has a ton of tips about those first few weeks with a new baby. It's a practical guide written by a pediatrician who has two kids of her own. I'm excited to have this resource to refer back to when my little one arrives!
December 30, 2022
Had a general overview of popular topics like self care, picking a pediatrician, child care options, and breastfeeding. Most useful part was about health issues/concerns with newborns and whether it's something you should call the doctor about or not worry about.
December 13, 2023
I was a very anxious new mom and this book probably would have just scared me. Reading it as a somewhat more experienced mom it provided some validation and some good advice, but it didn't go into much depth on anything
October 5, 2022
Really helpful, down-to-earth advice from a pediatrician
July 15, 2024
Read this as a brush up on babies for work! Whitney does a fabulous job making this engaging, informative and easy to read! Will definitely recommend for new mamas!
March 26, 2023
A little too much for a brand new mom - it talked a lot about prioritizing self care in the context of day to day life, but at 2 weeks postpartum we are in survival modem I know I'll have to get back to more mindfulness but we aren't there yet. The new baby info was helpful but not abundant.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews