Motherhood is a challenge. I would love to meet the mom who disagrees with that statement! Of all the difficult times in my life, the last 3 years have been filled with the greatest struggles. I had no idea that becoming a mom would bring to light all the personal fears and anxieties that I buried deep down in my heart and refused to acknowledge. One night sticks out in particular, when I felt like the sleep deprivation might actually kill me, and like I had completely lost the person I used to be. I remember praying “Please God, just show me how to do this. Show me how to be the woman you intended me to be.”  I believe my prayer was answered gradually, by several books being put into my path. Some were recommended by friends, some I found through random Amazon searches, and some popped up on Instagram out of the blue. Each one of them has changed my mindset drastically!

There is so much I could tell you about my first year as a parent, but that will have to wait for another post! The primary reason I want to share these books with you is because I desperately want my experiences to help someone else. If there is only 1 person who reads this, takes my recommendations, and begins the path upwards through all their own mental fog, then I will consider this post a success!

This book is for anyone struggling with feelings of being “less than”. I wish it had been available when I was in college and first beginning to live my adult life! Lysa’s writing is easy to follow, and you’ll find yourself nodding, laughing, and possibly crying through parts of it! She has several other books that I added to my must-read list!

Full of excepts from other mothers, this book is the one that helped me understand the importance of perspective. I had several light-bulb moments reading each story! Once again, have the tissues on hand for this one. I love giving this as a baby shower gift!

It’s not really possible to make a list of self-help books for women without including Rachel Hollis! This is one of the most recent books I’ve read, and to be honest I didn’t actually read it. I listened to the whole thing via audio book while breastfeeding my son! I definitely enjoyed hearing Rachel read the book in her own voice. As a Christian with differing theological beliefs, I was careful to apply my own knowledge of truth to her words, but I cannot stress enough how much this book helped me overcome crippling anxieties. It well-deserves it’s place on the Best Seller lists!

The title of this book really says it all. Mom-strength is something you have to experience to fully understand it. Heidi has an easy writing style, and have a highlighter on hand! You’ll probably mark up your copy just like I did. There is a companion bible study guide for this book that’s on my wish list!

The last book on my list is obviously more specific to boy-moms. I don’t agree with all of Dr. Dobson’s ideas, but I appreciated the wisdom he shares overall! This is another author with multiple bestsellers on parenting with purpose.

All my book recommendations can be found on Amazon, by clicking the link below each photo! This post does include affiliate links. I’d love to hear about your experience reading any of these books. Tag me on Instagram @barbigia or comment below. Happy reading!