Pregnancy is a time when your body is changing very quickly — you’re growing a baby, after all. From feeling the first tiny movements to preparing for their arrival, pregnancy is a time full of questions and learning. If you’re looking for some escape during lockdown and want to educate yourself further on your pregnancy, what to expect during and after, take a look at this post of podcast and book recommendations from the Pepa & Co team.

OUR BOOK FAVOURITES

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THE WHOLE-BRAIN CHILD: 12 REVOLUTIONARY STRATEGIES TO NUTURE YOUR CHILDS DEVELOPING MIND by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

The perfect book for before and after your pregnancy. In this pioneering, practical book for parents, neuroscientist Daniel J. Siegel and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson explain the new science of how a child's brain is wired and how it matures. Different parts of a child's brain develop at different speeds and understanding these differences can help you turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child's brain and raise calmer, happier children.

Featuring clear explanations and age-appropriate strategies, this engaging read features fun illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child will help your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives using twelve key strategies, including: Name It to Tame It, Engage, Don't Enrage and Move It or Lose It. You can buy this book here.

You can find this book here

WHAT NO ONE TELLS YOU: A GUIDE TO YOUR EMOTIONS FROM PREGNANCY TO MOTHERHOOD by Dr. Alexandra Sacks and Dr. Catherine Birndorf

Written by two top reproductive psychiatrists, this book is a must for new mothers. When you are pregnant, the focus is always so much on your developing baby, and your body reaching each milestone on the way. But there are deep mental changes that go on when you become a mother and no longer responsible just for your individual self. The book explains how it is normal to experience feelings that may feel unnerving, like panic when finding out you are pregnant after months of trying, or not feeling love at first sight for your baby. You can find this book here.

You can find this book here

THE FOURTH TRIMESTER: A POSTPARTUM GUIDE TO HEALING YOUR BODY, BALANCING YOUR EMOTIONS AND RESTORING YOUR VITALITY by Kimberly Ann Johnson

We hear a lot about the three trimesters of pregnancy. But many women know little about a newly described and critical time period in women’s lives that desperately needs our attention: the fourth trimester (time between birth and 12 weeks postpartum). This book gets you to focus on the time after you have had your baby and how you can look after yourself in those early months.

Drawing from her vast professional experience, as well as her own personal experience, in this book Kimberly explores the complex and often conflicting emotions that arise post-partum and explores the profound nature of childbirth and new motherhood. She helps women contextualize their experience and tap into the spiritual opportunities it can provide. This book explores a lot of what you can do ahead of time to prepare, and ways to take care of your baby to reduce stress on your body. You can find this book here.

You can find this book here

WAITING FOR BIRDY: A YEAR OF FRANTIC TEDIUM, IMPROBABLE GRACE AND THE WILD MAGIC OF GROWING A FAMILY by Catherine Newman

If you’re expecting baby number two, this book is for you. Newman writes about her initial ambivalence at becoming pregnant again, worrying that it will change her relationship with her partner and first child. This book isn’t exactly a ‘how to prep for your second child’ but gives parents the sense of having their very own support group nestled between the pages. This memoir by Catherine Newman is about being pregnant while chasing after a toddler and then transitioning into being an exhausted, new mom-of-two. It’s honest, heart-warming and very, very funny. Through toddler wrangling and gestating, Newman explores many common worries, anxieties and hopes brought on by this stage of life and raising a family. You can find this book here.

You can find this book here

THE POSITIVE BIRTH BOOK: A NEW APPROACH TO PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND THE EARLY WEEKS by Milli Hill

This book will help you work out what kind of birth you really want and learn how to maximise your chances of getting it, in this refreshing, warm and witty guide to pregnancy, birth and the early weeks. Packed with vital and cutting-edge information on everything from building the ultimate birth plan, to your choices and rights in the birth room; from optimal cord clamping, to seeding the microbiome; from the inside track on breastfeeding, to woman-centred caesarean, The Positive Birth Book shows you how to have the best possible birth, regardless of whether you plan to have your baby in hospital, in the birth centre, at home or by elective caesarean – the choice is yours. You can find this book here.

You can find this book here

KISS ME: HOW TO RAISE YOUR CHILDREN WITH LOVE by Carlos Gonzalez

How we parent our children is at the heart of our relationships with them and Dr Carlos Gonzalez, who is a renowned Spanish paediatrician and father, believes that our children deserve all the love we can give them. This book will teach you how to reject the routines and excessive discipline promoted by self-styled childcare experts, and instead parent with love, respect and freedom, so we can allow our children to grow and thrive both physically and emotionally.

This book encourages parents to see the good in their children and nurture it carefully, forging warm and rewarding family relationships. With discussions of how to handle common parenting issues including sleep, rewards and punishment and carving out quality time with our children, this warm and reassuring book is hugely valuable for parents in today's world. You can find this book here.

OUR PODCAST FAVOURITES

THE PARENTHOOD by Marina Fogle and Dr Chiara Hunt

Ever felt like you don’t have all the answers to parenting? From the founders of The Bump Class, Marina Fogle and Dr Chiara Hunt, The Parent Hood gives expert answers to the things parents really want to know about, bringing their unique blend of advice and pragmatic parenting to a podcast. And it’s not just any information - it’s impartial, engaging and professional advice delivered by experts - a world away from Google. So whether your child has reflux, nits or you’re worried about going back to work, this podcast will have it covered. You can listen to this podcast here.

MOTHERHOOD SESSIONS by Dr Alexandra Sacks

Motherhood Sessions is hosted by renowned reproductive psychiatrist Alexandra Sacks M.D, who has written for the New York Times, presented a TED Talk, and our recommended book on the way ‘What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood.’

In each episode, Alexandra sits down with mothers and lets us listen in on conversations that are hard to have outside of a therapist’s office. Each episode features a woman struggling with some problem or question—from career uncertainty to sex to ambivalence about even being a mother—and she and Dr. Sacks work it through together allowing a candid look at all sides of the parenting spectrum. You can listen to this podcast here.

HAPPY PLACE by Fearne Cotton

Fearne Cotton's latest venture, happy place is a podcast based on finding mindfulness in order to be happy. Whilst this podcast isn’t strictly parenting based it does give a good message to both mums and dads everywhere. Within each episode she talks with high profile guests about what makes them happy in life. This podcast will help parents take the time they need to find the positives in daily life.

With various titles (among them, Happy: Finding Joy in Every Day and Letting Go of Perfect; and Calm: Working Through Life’s Daily Stresses to Find a Peaceful Centre). This pod extends the theme, as she interviews other famous faces about the challenges they have overcome. You can listen to this podcast here.

BUMP CLUB by BBC Radio 5 live

The Bump Club is a 22 episode series created by the BBC’s Five Live. The podcast, presented by Tony Livesey, Edith Bowman and Colin Murray, follows a group of expecting mum through their pregnancies. Within each episode they openly discuss a wide range of topics from stay–at–home dads and the cost of having a child to discussions on IVF treatment, there’s an episode for everyone. You can listen to this podcast here.

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