Essential Books for Postpartum Mental Health, Pregnancy Loss, and New Moms
If you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, trying to conceive, or grieving a pregnancy or baby, you’ve likely searched:
Feeling guilty for not enjoying early motherhood
Grieving repeated pregnancy loss or failed IVF cycles
Postpartum rage - is this normal?
Books about surviving infant loss
Coping with anxiety and scary thoughts after childbirth
The isolating NICU experience
As a perinatal mental health clinician, these are the books I often recommend to those who want trusted, compassionate support between sessions. Books don’t replace therapy, but the right one can reduce shame, normalize your experience, and help you feel less alone.
Here are three I return to again and again.
Rattled by Christine Coppa
Parenthood doesn’t always unfold the way we imagine; for many, it brings emotional highs and lows, anxiety, and a shifting sense of self. Rattled is for moms surprised by how hard the transition to parenthood can feel.
Why I recommend it:
Normalizes ambivalence and overwhelming feelings
Gives language to complex emotions
Validates that love and struggle can coexist
Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts by Karen Kleiman
Having scary or unwanted thoughts after your baby is very common, especially if you’re experiencing postpartum anxiety or OCD. These thoughts can feel shocking or confusing, but they don’t mean you’ll act on them. I recommend this book to almost every new mom who feels afraid of her own mind as it helps understand what’s happening and brings comfort and clarity.
Why I recommend it:
Explains intrusive thoughts clearly and non-judgmentally
Separates thoughts from intent
Reduces shame quickly
Easy to read while sleep deprived
Unexpecting by Rachel Lewis
Becoming a parent doesn’t always follow the story we imagine. Many families face challenges such as infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, medically necessary pregnancy loss, or losing a baby. The grief and sadness that follow are valid, profound, and often unseen. Unexpecting gently validates reproductive and perinatal loss in all its forms.
Why I recommend it:
Honors pregnancy and infant loss without minimizing grief
Validates trauma and emotional pain
Makes space for anger, hope, and longing
Reminds readers their baby, and their grief, matter
Reach Out for More Support
These stages of parenthood are not just physical - they are emotional, hormonal, relational, and identity-changing. For anyone navigating the challenges these books highlight, I specialize in perinatal mental health and would be honored to support you through this journey.
You don’t have to carry this alone. Support and understanding are available to you.