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What to Expect the First Year: (Updated in 2026)

by Heidi Murkoff

A month-by-month guide to the first year

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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A month-by-month guide to the first year

Organized month by month, the guide breaks the first year into manageable stages and gathers practical information on sleep, feeding, breastfeeding, and everyday baby care. It also addresses choices and questions that can feel less straightforward, from sleep training and baby-led weaning to screen time, cloth diapers, and making baby food at home. The breadth of topics makes this a reference for both routine care questions and parenting approaches parents may want to weigh as their baby grows.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • New parents seeking a month-by-month reference for an infant’s first year
  • Parents looking for information on feeding, sleep, and basic baby care
  • Caregivers exploring different approaches to topics such as screen time or baby-led weaning

Themes

Infant care and developmentSleep and feedingBreastfeeding and starting solidsParenting choices and baby products

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Updated regularly, America's baby bible answers all your questions.

  • How can I get my baby to tell night from day?
  • Is my breastfed baby getting enough to eat?
  • When should I start solids? And what should I start with?
  • When will my baby sleep through the night?
  • Will my colicky baby ever stop crying?
  • What are the best toys for my baby?
  • Is it okay to let my baby play with my smartphone?
  • Should I buy organic for my baby?
With nearly 12 million copies in print, What to Expect: The First Year is the world's best-selling, best-loved guide to the instructions that babies don't come with, but should. Keeping the trademark month-by-month format that allows parents to take the potentially overwhelming first year one step at a time, First Year is easy to read, fast to flip through and packed with practical tips, realistic advice, and relatable, accessible information. Including: Baby care fundamentals like crib and sleep safety, feeding, vitamin supplements; support for breastfeeding (getting started and keeping it going). Hot-button topics and trends are tackled: attachment parenting, sleep training, early potty learning (elimination communication), baby-led weaning, and green parenting (from cloth diapers to non-toxic furniture). There are tips on preparing homemade baby food, the latest recommendations on starting solids, research on the impact of screen time (TVs, tablets, apps, computers)--and so much more.
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