10 Great Resources for New Moms

Risen Motherhood exists to encourage, equip and challenge moms to apply the gospel to their everyday lives. A 15-20 minute podcast started by two young moms, Risen Motherhood is delightful and practical. I love listening to this podcast when I’m driving, nursing, or picking up around the house. Between the co-hosts, Emily and Laura, there are eight kids, lots of momma-experience, and a great love for Jesus. The best parts of the podcast are their humility (they never claim to have it all together) and practical application of the gospel to motherhood and parenting.

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Paul Tripp’s one-page daily devotional readings are full of street-level application of God’s grace. As new moms, we need the timeless realities of God’s Word to give us perspective when we’re tired, discouraged, bored, and frustrated. Tripp excels at helping his readers view all of life through the finished work of Jesus Christ: In him, we are approved by God, filled with the Spirit, freed from sin’s bondage and lies, and helped by his grace. I always come away from the day’s reading grasping more clearly how God desires to transform my heart, and this encourages me as I begin another day with my baby.

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Author Melissa Kruger clearly had moms in mind as she wrote this Bible study. Not only is the content directed and relevant to moms of any stage, the format of her book is excellent for new moms: She includes each Bible passage within the book and space for journaling, meaning no extra tools to remember! I’ve been so helped by her ability to draw out biblical truth in a fresh way, and so comforted to know many moms have walked this road before me. Most of all, I’m reminded of how near God is to me through his Son, and that I can ask him to help me glorify and enjoy him each day of motherhood.

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The description for this book reads, “A new baby is a wonderful gift from the Lord, bringing great joy but also sleepless nights, constant laundry and, sometimes, total exhaustion. It can be hard to read your Bible and pray. These bite-sized Bible readings from the book of Psalms are designed for you to dip into and be refreshed by the Lord.” The authors Cassie Martin and Sarah Smart edify through their compact study of several Psalms and entertain through real-life anecdotes (I laughed out loud multiple times). I enjoyed reading each day’s passage and praying the closing prayers with our daughter.

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“This short book by eight women explores the daily trials and worries of motherhood….The paradox of this book is the secret power of godly mothering. Becoming mom enough comes as a result of answering the question, ‘Are you mom enough?’ with a firm no.” Who knew the answer no could actually be empowering when our strength is rooted in Christ? These short readings on Christ-centered mothering are the perfect length for nursing sessions or naps and will deeply encourage your heart.

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A website and blog based on Isaiah 40:11, Gentle Leading was started by mom Abbey Wedgeworth when her son was seven weeks old as a tool to preach God’s truth to her own heart. Now God’s Word through Abbey’s writing is encouraging thousands of mothers to fix their eyes on Jesus. One of her signature pieces of content is the Advent email series, written by 25 different writers, that gets delivered each day during Advent season. I particularly appreciate Abbey’s voice on what it looks like to trust God through miscarriage, as well as her teachings on Bible study for busy moms.

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Audiobooks are an obvious, great resource for new moms because our hands are so full! Turning the pages of a physical book can feel daunting (even impossible) when you have a newborn; so I’ve found audiobooks to be a helpful tool for continuing to learn, grow, and enjoy reading. Check out Christian Audio and Audible for titles.

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Our family life is steeped in The New City Catechism right now. We’re reading through the shorter book with our church (there are two versions), and I have the mobile app downloaded to my iPhone. Both formats are excellent means to teach (yes!) your baby the fundamental truths of the Christian faith in a question-and-answer format. I especially love “Children’s Mode” on the mobile app that has songs for every Q&A!

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I started using Day One Journal before our daughter was born, so the habit of updating it daily was already instilled in me; but this accessible tool became all the more valuable with a newborn. It helps me record her milestones (more faithfully than a physical baby book, which is great if you can remember to use it consistently!). I love this app because it’s right on my iPhone and only takes a few minutes to update each day with a new photo and journal entry.

Photo credit: Day One 

Alexis Debief is the creator of Precious Little Sleep, a blog-turned-book about all-things sleep training, naps, and regressions. Of the thousands of sleep books you could read, I recommend this one to you because Alexis is hilarious (not to mention smart!)—and when you’re a sleep-deprived parent of a new baby, you need to laugh. My husband and I read her book out loud and return to it often since her humor lightens the mood and adds to our enjoyment of the particular moment God has made in our home.

Outside the Bible and the church, God has given us many good gifts to help and strengthen us for the unique calling of motherhood. So, Momma, I hope you’ll look into some of these for the good of your soul and to fill your toolbox with useful resources as you seek to raise your child in the knowledge and love of Jesus.

Photo credit: Lomhara Press