Becoming a parent was, without question, the biggest thing that ever happened to me.

Two years earlier, I had thrown myself into planning my wedding — researching, organizing, and perfecting every detail. But when I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I found a new kind of obsession: preparing for motherhood. I wanted to read, plan, and buy everything, yet quickly realized how overwhelming that world of information could be. Where do you even start when you want to feel calm, ready, and confident?

My children - a girl and a boy - are now eight and five, and the questions and feelings I had back then still stay with me. Over time, I realized that the kind of practical, reassuring resources I was searching for weren’t always easy to find. Books were either too detailed, aimed at covering every single aspect of pregnancy and parenthood, or mostly focused on the physical aspects of pregnancy - which is great, too, but I was craving something more practical. That’s where the idea for Calm and Confident Parenthood was born.

Having had a career in academic publishing as and editor and typesetter, I found myself being drawn back toward creating — this time, writing and designing books that support parents through every stage of the journey. I wanted to bring together the clarity and structure of my professional background with the warmth and empathy that come from lived experience.

The idea for my first book, Preparing for Baby, grew out of that wish: to make the journey to parenthood feel a little less daunting and a lot more organized. It’s a month-by-month guide filled with simple, practical steps, and plenty of gentle reassurance that you’re doing just fine.

This book is the start of a larger vision: to build a series of calm, confidence-building guides and resources that walk alongside parents from pregnancy through the early years and beyond. Whether you’re expecting your first baby or navigating toddlerhood, I hope you’ll find something here that makes your days a little easier and your heart a little lighter.

Thank you for being here, and welcome to Calm and Confident Parenthood. If you’d like to follow along as new books and resources are released, you can join my email list here.

— Elizabeth

P.S. We had a wonderful family photoshoot when my children were 1 and 4 (see the blog image) - I love the photos and the light in them, so will keep using them on the website for a more personal touch!