Everything I wish someone had told me before my first baby.
One honest guide to the last weeks of pregnancy, birth and the first two weeks at home. Read it in an evening. Tick the lists on your phone. Hand the partner chapter to your partner.
Instant PDF download, UK edition. Reads on your phone. 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions.
102 pages, one evening
Sound familiar?
You are not short of information. You have forty tabs open, an app that says one thing and a mother-in-law who says another. What you are short of is one person who has done it and will tell you straight.
86%
of pregnant women say they feel overwhelmed by the amount of information out there. Tommy's survey
- How will I actually know it's labour?
- What am I forgetting for the bag?
- I don't even know what questions I'm supposed to be asking.
- My partner hasn't read a single thing.
- Is it normal to be this scared?
- Yes. And I wrote down everything I wish I'd known, so you can stop scrolling and sleep.
What's inside
Nine chapters in the order you'll meet things, then six one-page checklists for the fridge. Every list has tick boxes. Every red flag is boxed and never softened.
- 1Where you are right now
The nesting-versus-terror swing, "am I ready", not feeling a bond yet, the 3am wide-awake club, and why plans changing is fine.
- 2What to actually buy (and what to skip)
Essential, nice-to-have and skip-it for sleep, feeding, nappies, bathing, clothes, the car seat and your own recovery.
- 3Setting up the room (and the rest of the house)
The night station, the changing station, the feeding chair, your recovery station in the bathroom, the freezer, the visitor rules.
- 4The hospital bag
Packed by 36 weeks, in labelled pouches so your partner can find things. What I never used and what I wish I'd packed. UK and US differences.
- 5Questions to ask your midwife or doctor
By appointment, from 28 weeks to overdue. Pain relief trade-offs, induction, C-sections, cord clamping, group B strep, the ward rules.
- 6Is this it? Signs of labour and when to go in
Braxton Hicks versus the real thing, the 5-1-1 rule, waters, early labour at home, and the full "call now" list.
- 7What birth is actually like
Every route is a real birth. Stages, coping, gas and air to epidural, the golden hour, a C-section step by step, and if it doesn't go to plan.
- 8The partner pages: hand them this
Written to your partner, not about them. Before, during and after. What to do, what to carry, and what not to say.
- 9The first two weeks
What's normal for you and for baby, day by day. Bleeding, milk coming in, the second night, jaundice, nappy counts, and a letter for the fridge.
Finally, something you can hand your partner that they'll actually read.
Chapter 8 is written to them. It tells them what to do before, during and after, what to pack for themselves, how to be your voice in the room, and the phrases that help and the ones that really don't. You don't have to explain any of it.
Say this
- "What do you need right now?"
- "I've got the bag. Everything's in the car."
- "You can change your mind about anything."
Not that
- "You're doing amazing!" (only if she's asked for it)
- "Are you sure you need the epidural?"
- "Is it OK if my mum comes now?"
Look inside
Real pages from the guide, not mock-ups. It's a 6 by 9 inch book, so it reads comfortably on a phone.
Why I wrote this
The first time, I had forty tabs open, three apps that disagreed with each other and a drawer full of tiny clothes I didn't need. I knew the name of every pushchair on the market and had no idea what a contraction would actually feel like, what to say to the midwife, or what my partner was supposed to do while it was all happening.
The second time was different. Not because it was easier, but because I knew what was coming. I knew what to pack, what I'd want at 3am on the ward, which of the things everyone told me to buy would sit in a cupboard, and what to ask at each appointment.
This is the version of me who had done it once, sitting on the end of your bed and telling you everything. It isn't a course and it isn't a textbook. It's one honest read, with lists you can tick and a chapter you can hand straight over.
I'm a mum, not a midwife. Everything in here is what I learned, what helped, and what the NHS, Tommy's, the Lullaby Trust and ACOG say. Where they and I differ, they win.
Alex
From readers
Less than a pack of nappies.
Pick what you need. Every option is a PDF you get straight away, and you keep it forever.
The Partner Playbook
one-off
- Chapter 8 on its own, as a 13-page PDF they can read in the car park.
- The labour-day cheat sheet for their phone.
- Say this, not that.
The Birth-Ready Bundle
one-off
- The full guide, all nine chapters, 102 pages.
- The Partner Playbook as a separate file to send to them.
- The printables pack: hospital bag, what to buy, room stations, midwife questions, partner cheat sheet, first 48 hours.
- Free updates when the guide is revised.
The Guide
one-off
- All nine chapters including the partner pages, 102 pages.
- Every checklist with tick boxes, inside the book.
- Reads on your phone, tablet or printed.
If it doesn't help, email within 30 days and you'll get your money back. No questions, no forms. Prices in pounds. You'll get the UK edition: the same guide with your region's spelling, emergency numbers and helplines.
Questions
Is this medical advice?
No. Alex is a mum, not a midwife or doctor. The guide is her experience plus what the NHS, Tommy's, NCT, the Lullaby Trust, ACOG and the AAP recommend, with sources listed at the back. Red flags are always "call now". Your own care team wins on anything specific to you.
I'm not in the UK. Is there a version for me?
Yes. Choose UK, Europe, US or Australia at the top of the page. The US edition uses US spelling and words (mom, diapers, crib, labor) and Fahrenheit. Every edition has its own help page with the right emergency number and local helplines. Where hospitals differ, such as what the ward provides or how group B strep is handled, the chapters explain both. Safe sleep and car seat rules are the same everywhere that matters.
What if I'm having a planned C-section, or an induction?
It's all in there, without judgement. Chapter 7 walks through a planned C-section step by step and what an unplanned one is like, and Chapter 5 gives you the questions to ask about induction. Every route is treated as a real birth, because it is.
Is it useful for a second baby?
Alex wrote it after her second, and the "second time round" boxes are for exactly that. If it's been a few years, the safe sleep guidance, car seat rules and the partner chapter alone are worth the read.
How do I get it, and can I read it on my phone?
You pay, and the PDF is emailed to you and available to download straight away. It's a 6 by 9 inch book, so the text is comfortable on a phone. Every checklist has tick boxes you can mark up in your PDF app, or print the one-page versions and use a pen.
What if it isn't for me?
Email within 30 days and you'll get a refund. No questions asked.
