Motherhood advice is everywhere and a lot of it is… well, noise.


When I was pregnant in early 2020, I was bombarded with information by male perspectives. These are the resources I actually recommend. They’re smart, grounded, and honor the AFAB perspectives.


The books listed below are my tried and true books that I've kept beyond the stages I 'needed' them. They have been such a great resource for me that I've lent it to friends and family. If you're in Winnipeg, I am more than happy to lend them to you! 

1. Like a Mother — Angela Garbes


Soulful. Honest. Grounded in the lived experience of a Filipino American mother.


Garbes weaves science, history, and her own story in a way that feels intuitive and deeply human. It’s the kind of book you highlight, dog-ear, and carry into conversations with your friends.

2. Cribsheet — Emily Oster


Data. Actual data.


I was so happy to pick this book up prior to the birth of my child. I was so riddled with anxiety that I needed factual evidence.


Oster is an economist who decided to take the anxiety out of parenting decisions by breaking them down into evidence-based facts. Clear, calm, and no scare tactics. Because those 3am overthinking times will come up again and again. This book gently guided me to calm.

3. The Montessori Baby — Simone Davies & Junnifa Uzodike


Practical and easy to digest, this one breaks down Montessori parenting for the baby stage. If you’ve ever wondered how to create an environment that fosters independence and curiosity without buying 200 wooden toys, start here.


Montessori to me is gentle parenting. Not permissive parenting. It's all about respecting the child as an individual human.


They also have 2 more books for toddlers, older children and beyond.

Honorable Mentions

AFAB Perspectives on Life & Love

AFAB stands for Assigned Female at Birth. It is an acronym used to describe someone whose sex was designated as female at birth.

all about love — bell hooks


This one is a reminder that life and parenting is ultimately about love.


Bell Hook's words bring me back to the truth that raising a child isn’t about ego or control. It’s about seeing them, accepting them, and loving them for exactly who they are. For me, this is going to be a yearly read.

Burnout — Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski


Not technically a parenting book, but essential for mothers.


It put into perspective what it means to be AFAB (assigned female at birth) and a parent the default “giver” in society. How that leads to burnout, especially after becoming a mother. I used to think everyone else was surviving motherhood better than I was… turns out, I wasn’t alone.

The Self-Driven Child — William Stixrud & Ned Johnson (currently reading)


This one speaks to parents raising deeply sensitive children. Science-backed and practical, it’s about helping kids navigate the world on their own terms, while respecting their emotional depth.

Conclusion


Parenting isn’t one-size-fits-all, and the best books don’t tell you what to do. Instead, they help you trust yourself. These ones did that for me.


Parenting is hard, and it’s true when they say “it takes a village” but in our society, that village has been ... changed. If you’re in Winnipeg, please feel free to reach out if you want to borrow any of these books or just talk about parenting. I am all about community, sharing, and working together.


In Filipino, we call this Kapwa. The deep interconnectedness that sees others not as “them,” but as part of “us.” And that’s how I believe parenting should feel.


Ingat, xoxo Emm