N-methyladenosine (mA) modification has been shown to regulate RNA metabolism. Here, we investigate mA dynamics during maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) in mice through multi-omic analysis. Our results show that mA can be maternally inherited or de novo gained after fertilization. Interestingly, mA modification on maternal mRNAs not only correlates with mRNA degradation, but also maintains the stability of a small group of mRNAs thereby promoting their translation after fertilization. We identify Ythdc1 and Ythdf2 as key mA readers for mouse preimplantation development. Our study reveals a key role of mA mediated RNA metabolism during MZT in mammals.