Diaper Bag, Coffee, Let's Go! 237 Tips for First-Time Moms

A resourceful handbook *and* trusted friend, "Diaper Bag, Coffee, Let’s Go!" offers 237 tips for new moms. Author Melissa Leddy is a new mom herself, and she shares her lessons learned from her first year of motherhood in a friendly, empathetic, easygoing tone. No judgment here. You’ll read this nonfiction guidebook feeling as though you are chatting over a cup of coffee with a good friend who’s been there, done that in the first year of motherhood. Leddy, a business communications professional, also supports her tips with objective research and thoughtful observations.

The nine chapters of "Diaper Bag, Coffee, Let’s Go! 237 Tips for First-Time Moms" include "Chapter 1: Pregnancy (Also Known As, 'Before')"; "Chapter 2: Baby Products Galore"; "Chapter 3: Good Eats: The 411 on Food"; "Chapter 4: Work and Life (Balance Not Promised)"; "Chapter 5: Social Butterflies: Activities for Your Growing Kiddo"; "Chapter 6: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Travel"; "Chapter 7: All in the Family: Relationships"; "Chapter 8: You and Your Partner: Lovers + Parents"; and "Chapter 9: Family Traditions".

You’ll discover “11 Baby Products a First-Time Mom Can’t Live Without” and “9 Toddler Items for Your Baby Registry.” You’ll learn the “10 Best Brands for Your Family’s Kitchen Staples.” Not to mention “11 Tips for Finding the Right Babysitter,” “11 Free and Low-Cost Kids’ Activities,” “9 Tips for Your Little Love’s First Birthday Party,” “14 Babyproof Air Travel Tips,” “9 Tips for Family Photo Sessions” ... plus hundreds of more helpful hints and inspirations.

Leddy also shares some personal reflections, including “If I Could Do It Again: 11 Would-Haves,” “Getting Into the Parenting Groove,” and “The Importance of Date Night, or Simply Time Together.”

This book contains 237 tips, so there are bound to be some insights that will help you in your first year as “Mom.”

“In the months leading up to my daughter Grace’s birth, I daydreamed about the post-delivery experience,” Leddy writes in the Introduction: Making a Connection. “I imagined tired but blissed-out smiles, instinctive breastfeeding, and a pair of earrings my own mother had given to me. For some reason, I really wanted to be wearing those small, elegant, diamond-stud earrings when I gave birth. Of course, real life didn’t unfold *quite* like that, as any experienced mama knows …”

Leddy knows how hard first-time motherhood can be, and she put a lot of time, care, and thoughtfulness into this book of tried-and-true advice and heartfelt encouragement. You can tell through her informative yet sensitive writing that she really cares about helping first-time moms. You really will close this book feeling as though you just shared some conversation and coffee with a good friend who’s been there, done that in the first year of motherhood.