Good Books on Pregnancy - Suggestions?

I don't know if you are involved w/ the father or not but a great book for the father to read is "My Boys Can Swim". It is only like 30 pages of very lighthearted, funny reading that will give him a very brief & informative look into what to expect of the next 9 months.

Good luck!!

Stay away from the "What to Expect..." series. What little I did read from one of these books seemed to focus on risks and complications. Know the risks, but don't focus on them. The Sears' "The Baby Book" is the best all around book to get through pregnancy, birth, and the first two years.

My favorite birthing books are "Birthing From Within" and "Spiritual Midwifery". Best of luck!

The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. It is informational and hillarious at the same time. I never read "what to expect" - I thought it too...used...?? Is that the right word? Oh well - I think you'll like the book!
Congratulations!!

K.,
I have read many and my favorite is Your Pregnancy Week by Week. It shows how your body changes every week, answers all your question, has an easy to read format, and show illustrations week by week of the size of your baby. I have bought them for many pregnant friends and they agree. Good luck and congratulations!
C. A

I liked the Baby Book by Dr Sears. I used that with What to Expected and thought it gave me a good balance of thoughts.

http://www.amazon.com/What-Doctor-About-Childrens-Vaccina...

This is something you have to prepare your self for, I wish someone had offered this info to me... because now I am mother of 2 autistic boys!!! Just like all others, they were normal till vaccines messed their immune system... Please look in to it!!! Love, G.. :0)

P.S. After the first vaccine at 2 days of age (Hepatitis B)before we left the hospital... my son was fine until they took him away to the nursery to get the shot... He came back crying nonstop!!! He would cry day and night!!! Before vaccine he would sleep all night!!! And fed normally, after that he never slept all night ever again, he would sleep 3-5 hours at a time!!!He would go to sleep crying and woke up crying (The nurses and doctors would only tell me that he was a colicky baby, that was their only explination)... And also diarrhea for 3 months, then it turned to costipation that would make him bleed and cry every time he went poty... And the more vaccines he got the worse he became!!! until MMR that was the last straw for him...That is when he went over the deep end, he stopped talking and looking at us, like a body without a soul... So that is my best suggestion for you for the health of your unborn child!!! Make sure your child has the chance to bloom in to the best person that he or she can be!!!Don't let you child turn in to an other statistic!!! http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/1...

Congratulations!! I read What to Expect while I was pregnant, I felt it had too much info that didn't pertain to me. I've been reading Your Baby's First year week by week and I love it. They have a book Your Pregnancy week by week, by Glade B. Curtis & Judith Schuler, I'm sure it's just as good. However, my favorite thing to read when I was pregnant was weekly newsletters from BabyCenter.com (my favorite) and BabyZone.com. Both are great. I loved finding out what size my peanut was and what was developing. It has great links and they are both great resources as a parent too.
Good Luck and Enjoy the pregnancy and your baby!!!

My favorites were The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy-very honest, and definitely answers all the questions that you may have and then some-especially those questions that you might be too embarrassed to ask. A very humorous and easy read. My other favorite was Baby Wise. This one is not about pregnancy, but all about your baby and how to handle things such as feedings, bedtimes, and basically everything you need to know about your baby. Good luck!

Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives by Deepak Chopra was by far my favorite of the books I got when I was pregnant. My OBGYN gave me one that was very practical and that was great to have on hand as a reference, but this was fun and relaxing and helps you appreciate all the magic of this time in your life.
StephanieAnne

On another forum that I am a part of, there is a huge list of resources. I would check out your local library for any first. I would also suggest burning What to Expect. There is a lot of misinformation in in, and it is not very thorough in the topics that it does cover. This is a pretty long list, so I put stars by some of the essential ones. All of these books are great (I have not read all of them, but they come highly recommended).

Pregnancy:
Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin
The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy by Mayo Clinic

Childbirth:
*Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation by Pam England
*Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon
*Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin
*The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
A Good Birth, A Safe Birth by Diana Korte
Childbirth without Fear by Dick Grantly (out of print)
Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper
The Birth Book By Martha Sears
Having a Baby, Naturally By Peggy O'Mara
*Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method By Marie Mongan
The Birth Partner by Penny Simpkin
A Wise Birth by Penny Armstrong

VBAC & Cesaren:
Artemis Speaks:VBAC Stories and Natural Childbirth Information By Nan Koehler
*The Silent Knife by Nancy Cohen

History of Childbirth:
BIRTH: The Surprising History of How We Are Born by Tina Cassidy

Maternity Care System:
*Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed To Put Women and Children First by Marsden Wagner (A MUST READ!)
PUSHED: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and the Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block
*Obstetric Myths Vs. Reseach Realities by Henci Goer
Birth as an American Rite of Passage by Robbie Davis Floyd
Pursuing the Birth Machine by Marsden Wagner

Midwifery:
*Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent (this is one of my favorite fun reads!)
A Midwife's Story by Penny Armstrong
Hearts and Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth by Elizabeth Davis

Breastfeeding:
*The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International
The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Huggins
The Breastfeeding Book by Martha Sears
Mothering Your Nursing Toddler by Norma Jane Bumgarner
So That’s What They’re For: The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide By Janet Tamaro
How My Breasts Saved The World: Misadventures of a Nursing Mother By Lisa Shapiro
Fresh Milk: The Secret Life of Breasts by Fiona Giles

Parenting:
The Continuum Concept: In Search of Happiness Lost By Jean Liedoff
The Natural Child: Parenting From the Heart By Jan Hunt
*The Baby Book by Dr Sears
The Attachment Parenting Book by Dr Sears
Mother Rising The Blessingway Journey Into Motherhood
Natural Family Living by Peggy O' Mara

DEFINITELY the "Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy." It's a hilarious book and a very easy read. I also signed up for www.BabyCenter.com, which gives you weekly updates on what to expect as well the progress of your fetus. I still continue to receive weekly emails now related to my 4-month old (what to expect, etc.). "What to Expect..."was a good reference book so I would still recommend having one around.

personally I thought the What to Expect books were old fashioned and boring. I enjoyed the Pregnancy week by week like many other suggested as well as websites where you get weekly updates which was fun.

For a fun read, Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy was HILARIOUS.

After the baby I highly recommend The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. The book is lengthy so I recommend the video which has actual examples. You can buy the dvd on amazon or even try your local library. I know kaiser has them to rent for free. It really is amazing how great it works!

I didn't feel it was either! I loved Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy. But I really love www.Babysource.com . It has a pregnancy growth tracker, advice for pregnancy AND stage development when the baby is born. TONS of info on there. I was addicted with my first one. Another thing? It's free and you don't have to pay $20+ for a book. :-)

Additionally, when you have the baby please consider Baby Signs (shows you how to communicate with your baby thru 'sign' language. My kids LOVED this process!) and SUPER BABY FOOD by Ruth Yaron. Incredible feeding resource for babies, including a breakdown of what-to-feed-at-what-age and easy instructions for making your own healthy baby food. It's FAST and super easy and healthier and much much cheaper.

what to except certainly is not the end-all-be-all, but it really is a great book, and one that I would strongly recommend!

Congrats to you!

My favorite book was the pregnancy week by week. I felt it was much more informative and enjoyable than the full month at at time that the other book has. I enjoyed the pictures of the growing baby and all the informative stuff they provided.

Enjoy your pregnancy! I hope it goes good for you

Hi K.,

I am a labor and delivery nurse. We never recommend what to expect when you're expecting. I am now pregnant and have found the Mayo CLinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnany book to be very good.

Good Luck :)

Hi K.,

And you are so right that book is not the best at all...the book I used are:

Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn-Penny Simkin

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth-Ina May Gaskin

Also, try Prenatal Yoga it will help your pregnancy, and birth and delivery...

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!

For laughs I recommend Jen Macarthy's Belly Laughs, it gives you a laugh along with what to expect. I did use "What to Expect" as a reference but I mostly did alot of my reading online at americanpregnancy.com and babycenter.com.

Good luck!

CHeck out The Pregnacy Book by Dr Sears.

Hi K.,
I personally wasn't a fan of the What to Expect Books. I ended up reading The Pregnancy Book and The Birth Book. Both by Dr Sears.
Another good book for once you have your baby is "On Becoming Babywise." I can't remember who the author is but it basically helps you get your baby on a schedule and sleeping through the night. I hope this helps. I used all tehse books with my first two pregnancies and am currently rereading them while pregnant with my 3rd:)
T. B

The books that helped me most for pregnancy and birth were the Dr. Sears Pregnancy Book, Birthing From Within and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. I read A LOT of books, and these I found to be the most honest, encouraging and helpful. Congrats on your pregnancy and happy reading!

Dr. William and Martha Sears books are amazing. Not prescriptive, very informative, accurate and empowering.
Re. birthing - Birthing from Within was my favorite.
and a fun anthropology type book: Our Babies Ourselves

The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy is by far the best book out there. She gives you the real scoop on being pregnant, i laughed and laughed and got some great information! What i loved about it is that she does not force opinion on you, she just simply tells it like it is.
Happy reading!

I loved the book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. He gives great advice on the 5 S's that help you calm your baby. I took that advice to heart and it worked wonders. I would highly recommend it. I am now reading his follow up book, "the Happiest Toddler on the Block" becuase my baby is now almost 18 months old. You will love it and it is an easy read! Good luck with the Pregnancy!

I agree with Jen D on every one of her suggestions. Anything by Ina May Gaskin is amazing. She has a true reverence for birth and decades of experience. Spiritual Midwifery was written in the 70s and has a very groovy 70s feel (the grooviness is not for everyone, but beneath the groove, is an phenomenal book). The first section is filled only with birth stories. The second is really a guide for midwives, but covers all of the essential birth info in an accessible way.

in my humble opinion, her latest book (Ina May's Guide to Childbirth) is the best book on childbirth out there. It is organized the same way as Spiritual MIdwifery (stories first, then the information section), but it is infused with the knowledge of 30+ years of delivering babies. It has a wisdom that transcends other books on the subject.

Others:
Anything by Henci Goer
Birthing from Within (Pam England)
Immaculate Deception (Suzanne Arms)
Immaculate Deception 2 (Suzanne Arms)

I am also an RN (was a midwifery student years ago) and had my two kids at home. One in North Carolina and one here in Santa Cruz.

Enjoy this time. It's an amazing experience, followed only by the unmatchable experience of motherhood!!!

Hi K.,
I loved the Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy and also Jenny MCarthy's Belly Laughs. Both were so accurate but also hilarious to read. I have a nine month old now and love to read the second book by Jenny MCarthy, Baby Laughs, so perhaps you could purchase them in a set?

Hi K.,

Congrats on your pregnancy! There are so many good books. Look at books by Henci Goer, Sheila Kitzinger, Ina May Gaskin, Dr. Sears, Michel Odent, Suzzane Arms, Gayle Peterson, and Pam England. I used to be a childbirth educator and I still have my RN. I worked in maternity. I'm a mom of 3 who had my babies born at home. I used to work in a large hospital though. If I knew more about you and what areas of pregnancy and childbirth you want to learn about most I can recommend books that are a good match for you.

Good Luck!

J.

K.,

I was really into reading birth stories. Ina May's books are great and Birthing From Within is a great one too. Be careful though, there is so much information out there you can get caught up. Take it all with a grain of salt and take breaks from reading too. Your body and other moms tell you more than a book can.

Good luck!

This is also my first pregnancy and the two books I found helpful were "Great Expectations: Your All-in-One Resource for Pregnancy & Childbirth" by Sandy Jones & Marcie Jones. In the front there's a week by week section and the rest of the book is broken out by subject, which I find easy to use for looking up information. The other book I have is "The Pregnancy Journal" by Christine Harris, but it's more of a daily update or journal reading about your baby which isn't so much necessary, but I find it fun.

I honestly can't remember the name of my favorite pregnancy book, my daughter is now almost 4 and all my pregnancy books have been packed up and stored away. But I remember my favorite book having pictures of every phase of pregnancy so you could see what was happening inside of you every week/month and also how you should be feeling and what was coming next, it was really great! I would highly recommend a book like that!
J.

I read My Perfectly Pampered Pregnancy and loved the whole book. The bood explained all the changes that may or may not occur and gave ways to get through. What to expect when your expecting....I read about 26 pages and then threw the book across the room. So outdated, hated it, all it seemed to do was tell me all the horrible things about pregnancy with no humor. Good luck.

Hope this helps
Mom of two great kids.

I hated What to Expect. Aside from the fact that I just didn't like the format (I'm a picture person) my background is in science and I just found it a little too simple for me. I got "The Pregnancy Bible" - Joanne Stone, MD & Keith Eddleman, MD

It's smart and has lots of pictures (including actual pictures of a growing fetus week by week.) I loved it.

And my partner got the guys guide to pregnancy. It's very funny and informative.

What to expect while you are expecting was a great book. I read it and so did several people I know. No complaints from us.

Congratulations on your first pregnancy, K.! You might be interested in positive information and some good birth stories to read. Here are a few books I recommend to my doula clients:

Hey! Who's Having this Baby Anyway? by Breck Hawk, RN & Midwife
Journey into Motherhood by Sheri Menelli
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
Birthing From Within by Pam England

Wishing you a healthy pregnancy and wonderful birth, H.

Hi K.,
Be sure to get the free Kit for New Parents anywhere in California! It has an awesome Advice book for new parents that covers a huge variety of topics. Plus it has a DVD series and other resources perfect for mom and dad.

Your doctor or your county's First 5 organization should hook you up with the Kit for New Parents. For our county, information is posted at www.first5shasta.org.

Good luck!

Hi K.,
I really liked the Dr Sears Pregnancy Book. He's also the author of The Baby Book, which is widely available and has a good mix of convential and alternative ways to take of your baby. Good luck!

anything from the Dr. Sears (his wife is a nurse). I loved the Big Baby Book. Fantastic and comprehensive. good luck!