10 Best Parenting Audiobooks about Newborn Care for New Parents

1. Newborn 101: Secrets from Expert Nurses on Preparing and Caring for Your Baby at Home by Carol Kramer Arsenault RN IBCLC (2017)

This is a great general guidebook for new parents. It covers the basics from labor and delivery to the first three months at home with baby.

Many readers appreciate the Q & A style format and straightforward answers. The sections on labor and delivery were especially helpful to readers.

A couple readers remarked that the author comes across as a bit condescending, but the majority of readers praised her for her calm, straight-to-the-point tone.

2. What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff (2019)

Ah, the “Baby Bible” as many call it. Your mom probably read it, and now it’s your turn to find the wisdom of its recent editions.

There are mixed reviews for this series, but it is, and always has been, wildly popular. Many readers suggest using this book as a reference rather than reading/listening from cover-to-cover and I wholeheartedly agree (having read it myself).

It is PACKED with information, and it’s just too much to read straight through. But, this is also what makes this an amazing resource full of tons of useful information.

Plus, it’s regularly updated to reflect current research and medical practice. It often references recommendations by Academic Pediatric Association (APA).

3. Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina (2014)

Let me preface this by stating that this book was last updated in 2014. Because it is based on neuroscience, a field constantly evolving with research advancements, it is time for an update.

I also want to note that many women mentioned that the author is very one-sided when it comes to breastfeeding, and he doesn’t take into account the situations that put nursing beyond a mother’s control (which I’ve experienced myself).

However, I’m including this book because there are a wealth of positive reviews that state how helpful this book is, and how much they appreciated learning about the science behind baby’s development.

4. Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster (2019)

For having just been published in 2019, this book has become somewhat of a viral sensation. It currently has almost 20,000 ratings with an average of 4.3/5 stars on Goodreads.

The point of this book is to take an objective look at different parenting techniques, the data backing them, and to help the reader make an informed decision based on their own family’s needs.

A lot of readers mention that their main takeaway is that this book made them feel better about their own parenting decisions, and that they’re not screwing their kids up as much as they thought.

5. The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp (2015)

The audio version of this book was released in 2019, but it was last edited in 2015. So, it’s probably due for an update.

However, there are some timeless pieces of wisdom that can be gained here, especially in terms of the 5 “S’s” of calming a baby (swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging and sucking).

If you have an especially fussy or colicky baby (I feel you–been there, done that) this book is definitely for you.

A lot of readers complain that the book is a bit too lengthy, so you might skip ahead to relevant parts of the book to your situation rather than listening to the entire book.

7. Precious Little Sleep: The Complete Baby Sleep Guide for Modern Parents by Alexis Dubief (2020)

This book offers practical advice and trouble-shooting when it comes to sleep snags, from the newborn phase through toddlerhood.

Readers praise this book for being funny, easy to read, and well-researched.

It is written by a sleep expert blogger, who also runs a Facebook group where members can reach out and ask for advice. One reader mentioned that the author herself is active on the Facebook page.

The only real complaint some readers have is that the book could be better organized. Still, the majority of readers gave it high reviews (4.23/5 on Goodreads) and raved about how helpful it was.

8. The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby’s First Year by Dawn Dais (2021)

Let’s face it–in those early days, when you’re sleep deprived, full of hormones, and your emotions are everywhere–we could all use a few laughs.

Feeling like parenting is a bit more than you bargained for? Feeling stressed out, overwhelmed, and like you’ve been falsely led to believe this would be MUCH easier? If so, look to this book for some hilariously relatable insights to let you know that you are definitely not alone.

HOWEVER–there’s a chapter on vaccines that contains false information. So, skip the chapter on vaccines, and just look to this book strictly for some comic relief–-not actual parenting advice.

10. The New Father: A Dad’s Guide to the First Year by Armin Brott (2018)

Most parenting books are aimed at mothers, but this one’s for Dad. It offers a fantastic month-by-month guide of the developmental changes baby experiences in that first year, and also how a father himself changes.

Brott offers insights into how his partner is changing, how he can be helpful as a partner and father, and the ways a father impacts his child’s life.

Brott backs his advice with research-based facts, while also sprinkling bits of humor along with his pieces of wisdom.

One of the biggest complaints in the reviews is that it’s very US-centric. So, if you live outside of the US, some of the information may not be as relevant.