Best Book for Expectant Mothers

My step mom gave me The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy, I loved it! It's fun to read yet still very informative.

I didn't like what to expect when you're expecting. I loved my Mayo Clinic guide to a healthy pregnancy. I loved that book.

I LOVE Baby 411 and would highly recommend that. It's super easy to navigate and find what you're looking for. We also enjoyed Baby Bargains- it's good to know what's out there and this book gives fabulous feedback and advice for shopping for baby stuff. And then there's Toddler 411, also fantastic. There is even a website that goes with this series.

I loved the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy.

I liked one called Your Pregnancy Week by Week

Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
and The Thinking Woman's Guide to a better birth by Henci Goer

I have heard this one is good too if you want aren't as naturally minded but if you really want to learn about birth those first two will teach you ALOT
http://www.amazon.com/Pregnancy-Childbirth-Newborn-4th-Co...

dr spocks baby book a must

Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth - by Ina May Gaskin

Pushed - by Jennifer Block

My personal favorite was "Pregnancy Sucks: What to Do When Your Miracle Makes You Miserable" . It fit in with my kind of humor and knowing that you don't have to be the "glowing blissful happy" pregnant person, because I really REALLY was NOT and it was nice to know that there were other people who didn't always find it to be the most joyful time in there life the whole pregnancy. The woman who wrote it, Joanne Kimes, still has all of the informative information in it. There is also a book for husbands/significant others called Pregnancy Sucks for Men: What to Do When Your Miracle Makes You BOTH Miserable , it was written by her husband, Jeff Kimes. My husband read that one, and it kind of opened his eyes to being nicer to his pregnant miserable wife. *LAUGH*

I Liked Dr. Sears book for pregnancy and that first year of parenting. Much more in line with my personal phylosophy.

Birthing from WIthin - Pam England
Natural Pregnancy - Aviva Jill Romm

My absolute fave is called Fearless Pregnancy. Here is their site http://fearlesspregnancy.net/. It is a book written by a Doctor, a midwife and a mom. So good. They bring up subjects like Can I dye my hair? Can I have some wine? etc and all three weigh in on the subject. Lots of good info and all from a mindset that pregnancy is a normal albeit extraordinary experience in the life of a woman and is not something to be anxious about. I loved it so much I read it again the second time I was pregs and will probably bust it out again when I go for round three!! Congrats and happy reading :D

your pregnancy week by week was my favorite.

This is funny that you are having your second child seven years later... it was the same for me. And again between child two and child three... another seven years for me. I understand where you're coming from, it's like starting all over again. I actually did much more research online than I did reading books. I found groups like La Leche League http://www.llli.org/ to help in preparing for the difficulties of breastfeeding. I found a wonderful option to the hospital epidural birthing that I was accustomed to, which was two lovely midwives that helped me through a great and surprisingly easy home birth. I would never do it any other way again. It was totally stress free to be at home. But, back to the question- I would recommend, "A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy- Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives" by Deepak Chopra M.D. The book focuses on the mind and body connection of the mother during pregnancy, and teaches the mother to be aware of the spiritual and emotional connection with the baby. It teaches how to stay calm and at peace throughout pregnancy and birth. It shows that a mother has all the instincts within her soul, and all it takes is internal focus to relax and trust yourself. It isn't a book that teaches the "one way is the only way" approach.

I found the Joy of Pregnancy was a great book but even better than that, I was given a CD by my OB entitled The Baby CD. It was great--full of helpful information along with unique product information. It even had easy and nutritional meal ideas and coupons. I understand from a friend whose doctor did not provide it, that it is available on their website as well but I don't know if it is an shortened version. Hope you find it helpful!

I worked in a bookstore when I was pregnant, so I looked at everything we had. I've never read "what to expect" or any of the "girlfriend" type guides. I loved The Pregnancy Bible. It's very textbook-like, but that's what I wanted. I just wanted the straightforward info minus the girlfriendy stuff. The pictures are amazing, and there is a reference guide to what you will look like each week, and what the baby will look like each week. It makes a great reference book. Warning - just in case this would bother you, there are lots of nude photos like a textbook would have.

For a more personal "guide", I read Jenny McCarthy's book. I HATED her before I read it and still enjoyed it. It was hysterial!

http://www.amazon.com/Pregnancy-Bible-Complete-Guide-Pare...

http://www.amazon.com/Belly-Laughs-Naked-Pregnancy-Childb...

I really like Dr. Laura Riley's week-by-week pregnancy book. Not all the sections are as relevant the 2nd time around, but I still find the information helpful and try to read it every couple of weeks.

I got What to Expect also and I liked it. I also got another book, can't recall the name though... sorry... it told every week what was happening... finger nails, hair, etc... if I can find the name, i will write you back.

I suggest Baby 411 by Denise Fields and Ari Brown M.D. Our pediatricians (NMPG) highly recommend this book. I am a second time around mom, too and enjoyed this reference for its doses of humor, concise and clear answes. The book is divided into sections (sleep,feeding,sickness,etc.) Rather than by the child's age. There is now a Toddler version available, too. Www.baby411.com

I liked "your pregnancy week by week"

HypnoBirthing, The Mongan Method. Hands down the best book. Really life long knowledge learned! The best book to educate yourself on all your options and to make informative decisions as well as understanding your body in relation to what it doing and about to do!

Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby's First Year

I really liked Great Expectations by Sandy Jones and Marcie Jones. I think it may only be available at Barnes & Noble. I really liked the week by week summaries even more than What To Expect When You Are Expecting. Congratulations!

Definitely the Bradley Book http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Childbirth-Bradley-Way-Revi...

Very informative, and helped me to NOT freak out at all along any stage. Seeing a pregnancy massage therapist and/or a midwife is also great for answering real questions.
To prepare my hubs, I also had him read parts of the book, and we looked at homebirths on Youtube (we had a midwife at a hospital, but the videos helped with the reality of it all--kept this all in perspective).
Good luck to you!!

I loved the Pregnancy Bible. A friend recommended it to me and I loaned my copy to two other friends. We all agreed that it was the best guide. Congratulations!