Best 10 Postpartum Books

1. The First Forty Days

By Heng Ou, Amely Greeven, Marisa Belger

The first 40 days after the birth of a child offer an essential and fleeting period of rest and recovery for the new mother. As modern mothers are pushed to prematurely “bounce back” after delivering their babies and are often left alone to face the physical and emotional challenges of this new stage of their lives, The First Forty Days provides a lifeline—a source of connection, nourishment, and guidance.

The book includes 60 simple 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. In addition to the recipes, this warm and encouraging guide offers advice on arranging a system of help during the postpartum period, navigating relationship challenges, and honoring the significance of pregnancy and birth.

2. The Fourth Trimester

By Kimberly Ann Johnson

Kimberly Ann Johnson draws from her vast professional experience as a doula, postpartum consultant, yoga teacher, body worker, and women’s health care advocate, and from the healing traditions of Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and herbalism—as well as her own personal experience—to cover

   • how you can prepare your body for birth;
   • how you can organize yourself and your household for the best possible transition to motherhood;
   • simple practices and home remedies to facilitate healing and restore energy;
   • how to strengthen relationships and aid the return to sex;
   • learning to exercise safely postpartum;
   • carrying your baby with comfort;
   • exploring the complex and often conflicting emotions that arise postpartum;
   • and much more.

3. The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook

By Pamela S. Wiegartz, Kevin L. Gyoerkoe

The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook offers powerful strategies grounded in evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you control your worry, panic, and anxiety.

Through a series of simple exercises and worksheets, you’ll learn skills for relaxing yourself when you feel the most stressed. You’ll also learn strategies that are proven-effective in reducing the frequency and intensity of anxious feelings many pregnant women and mothers of infants face. The book also includes a chapter that offers tips to help fathers understand and support their partners.

4. The Postpartum Depression Workbook

By Abigail Burd LCSW PMH-C

This depression workbook includes:

• Primer on PPD—Discover if you might have PPD, take a look at common causes and risk factors, and see how PPD can impact your partner.
• Lasting relief—The CBT-based postpartum strategies in this depression workbook will help you adopt a positive mindset, improve your mood, deepen your relationships, and find time to recharge.
• Parents like you—Find kinship in real-life scenarios from other parents, paired with practical advice, simple tips, and interactive exercises.

5. This Isn’t What I Expected

By Karen R. Kleiman, Valerie Davis Raskin MD

This proven self-help program, which can be used alone or with a support group or therapist, will help you monitor each phase of illness, recognize when you need professional help, cope with daily life, and recover with new strength and confidence. Learn how to:

• Identify the symptoms of PPD and distinguish it from “baby blues”
• Deal with panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive urges, and stress overload
• Break the cycle of shame and negative thoughts
• Mobilize support from your husband or partner, family, and friends
• Seek and evaluate treatment options
• Cope with the disappointment and loss of self-esteem

6. Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts

By Karen Kleiman

Good Mothers Have Scary Thoughts is packed with world-class guidance, simple exercises, and nearly 50 stigma-busting cartoons from the viral #speakthesecret campaign that help new moms validate their feelings, share their fears, and start feeling better. Lighthearted yet serious, warm yet not sugary, and perfectly portioned for busy moms with full plates, Good Moms Have Scary Thoughtsis the go-to resource for moms, partners, and families everywhere who need help with this difficult period.

7. Natural Health after Birth

By Aviva Jill Romm

This book provides support both for women who plan to be home full or part time during the first year and those who must return to their jobs soon after the birth. With humor and compassion, Romm offers mothers practical wisdom for attaining the delicate balance between being fully immersed in the beautiful but demanding path of motherhood and maintaining a sense of self.

8. The Postpartum Husband

By Karen R. Kleiman

This hands-on guide includes straightforward, supportive information and specific recommendations to help partners deal with the impact of depression after the birth of a baby.

9. The Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Depression Support Book

By Sandra Poulin

What kind of mother, some might wonder, could feel depressed after having been so richly blessed with a baby? The answer: every kind, women from all walks of life, from all over the world, younger and older. And here, in a unique collection, are their stories of battles with PPD, with intimate details about the symptoms, the struggles, and the strategies that helped them emerge victorious.

10. Self-Care for New Moms

By Corinne Crossley

Written from the perspectives of both therapist and busy mom, Self-Care for New Moms features several eye-opening exercises, interviews from a village of experts (who also happen to be moms), and helpful interventions to help you get through the chronic depletion common to the postpartum year.