This is the book I wish I had when my first baby was born. “How to Have Your Second Child First: 100 Things That Are Good to Know… the First Time Around,” by Kerry Colburn and Rob Sorensen, is packed with nuggets of real-world wisdom and quotes, as well as helpful “Second-Timer Tips” from parents who have been there, done that, and worn the spit-up covered T-shirt to work by accident. Even though I had three stepkids by the time my first baby came along and wasn’t a totally new parent, much of what’s in the book would have been really helpful to know. Like tip number 11 (”Don’t fear the nighttime noises. New babies are the noisiest sleepers you can imagine.”), number 24 (”Put ‘Me Time’ into maternity leave”), and number 61 (”It’s okay for you and your baby to ‘do nothing’ all day”). Though the information is written in light-hearted, accessible language and presented in an easy-to-browse bullet-point format, it touches on some heavier stuff (how new fathers can bond, for example, and guilt about leaving your baby with a sitter) and offers suggestions on how to cope. New parents may not feel comfortable putting all of the advice into practice, but “How to Have Your Second Child First” has plenty of ideas that are worth considering.

$18.95 at Amazon.

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