Children's Book: What's Inside Your Tummy, Mommy?

The other day, Sarah Nuxoll and I were at the library together with our children and Sarah happened upon this book: What's Inside your Tummy, Mommy? by Abby Cocovini. We ended up bringing it home and have been enjoying it. This book has brought up several new discussions about their lives in-utero. It would have been helpful to have for my son when I was pregnant with my daughter, and is another good "prepare the siblings book" for our list. It is written in kid-friendly language and the drawings are quite helpful. The pictures of the baby in-utero are suppose to be drawn to scale...I am not so sure about a couple of them, but maybe I have just forgotten how big my children's heads were when they were born. Also of note, my son loves all of the food references for the baby's size (why is it always food?), "Which food am I the size of now, Mama?"...golly...

Welcome with Love and Another Book Recommendation

Here is a follow-up on the previous post about book recommendations: My friends Kimberly and Jessi noted, on Facebook, that Welcome With Love is out of print and can be pricey on Amazon, but can be found in other countries with a different title: "Hello Baby". I have also found it with the Welcome With Love title used on Amazon, and new at Childrensneeds.com and Bestwebbuys.com.


Jennifer Fuentes from Milagros also recommended another lovely homebirth, co-sleeping, cloth diaper book called My Brother Jimi Jazz. Read her post about this book on the Milagros blog.

Children's Books: For Preparing Siblings

When families grow, many parents ask me about ways to prepare their children for the birth of and the adjustment to their new sibling. I have a few favorite books that I recommend to parents for these very reasons.

Baby on the Way

by Martha Sears, William Sears, and Christie Watts Kelly

illustrated by Renee Andriani

This book discusses pregnancy, changes in the house when a new baby is expected, a bit about labor, parents going off to "the place where the baby will be born", nursing, and sibling emotions.

What Baby Needs

also by Martha Sears, William Sears, and Christie Watts Kelly
illustrated by Renee Andriani

This book discusses the changes that occur in families when a new baby is born, skin-to-skin time, nursing, bottle feeding by other parent, co-sleeping, babywearing, welcoming the new baby into the family circle, making friends with the new baby, well baby checks, and a general baby's development in relation to interaction with siblings.

Waiting for Baby

by Anne Kubler

This book is a sweet illustrated book (no words) about pregnancy for a future sibling.

My New Baby

also by Anne Kubler

This is another sweet, illustrated book (no words) about a new sibling.

Welcome with Love

by Jenni Overend

illustrated by Julie Vivas

This book is a lovely homebirth book from a child's perspective.