“This warm and encouraging guide offers advice on securing help during the postpartum period, navigating inevitable relationship challenges, and honoring the rite of passage that is pregnancy and birth.”

“The book includes 50+ simple and delicious recipes for healing soups; replenishing meals and snacks; and calming and lactation-boosting teas, all formulated to support the unique needs of the new mother (and to feed hungry partners, too).” Heng Ou

Dr. Oscar Serrallach educates us on the huge hole in our thinking and treatment of new mothers. PSA: postnatal depletion (a fairly new term to most of us) doesn’t just affect new mothers—it can have an impact for years after giving birth. He argues there is not even healthy dialogue around this concept let alone healthy societal awareness and information.

Dr. Serrallach breaks down what ‘postnatal depletion’ really means. He also shares many stories of mothers who have come to see him, and treatment plans to help them recover from pregnancy and birth (even years after their kids were born). He really gets into the details here - educating us on what micronutrients we might be lacking (and the symptoms that come along with that) so we can open up that dialogue with our doctors.

If you read one book in anticipation of the months post birth, we’d be inclined to say that this would be it. We read it during our fourth trimester, but we recommend starting towards the end of your pregnancy if possible.

It’s a holistic guide for the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual changes that a woman goes through from birth into motherhood. It’s almost like having your very own postpartum doula in your pocket.

This one’s a repeat from the pregnancy section, because if you didn’t read it then, you should definitely read it now. Alexandra Sacks, MD and Catherine Bindorf, MD, two of the top reproductive psychiatrists in the US have written the first comprehensive guide to help new moms understand the emotional changes that happen through matrescence - the transformation from woman into mother.

We love how it’s so accessible, and how we can really relate. It also covers important insights into being on psychiatric medications while pregnant and breastfeeding, an area where it’s challenging to find evidence based information.

If you liked Expecting Better, Emily Oster’s back! In her second book - she has the same data-driven approach, helping parents feel more at ease with the choices they make - from breastfeeding to sleep training.