What books should I read?

Amwatters24 · August 2013

I have heard people mention books they have read. Please give your one must read. Much thanks!!

jeremiah3019 · August 2013

Please please please don't read pregnancy books! My second pregnancy (after a miscarriage)was completely ruined by the insane fears some of these books caused me to have. A great book I can recommend which is no filled with unnecessary information is "411" ( they have an expecting version)

fireflygirl12 · August 2013

No books necessary. Get all your answers from the Bump

Cecilbear · August 2013

I actually am finding reading about all of this comforting, encouraging, and exciting. Of course, there *are* parts that I do skip over. For now? I really like the classic "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy." I think they're a nice complement to one another. "What to Expect" is very informational (without being scary!) and "The GFs Guide" is sort of sassy and lighthearted. I also like that "What to Expect" focuses on *calming* your fears. The whole front of the book is formatted as a Q&A and the answers are all very reassuring.

I whole-heartedly encourage you to find a book that makes you feel good and empowered about of all of this. It's scary, for sure, but it's nothing countless women before us didn't do. Good luck to you and congrats!

alaw28 · August 2013

I'm reading the mayo clinic guide to pregnancy but I have limited myself to just reading once a week whats happening that week with my husband. Its been a fun way for us to bond over the pregnancy and stops me from obsessively reading about all the bad stuff

DIY7 · August 2013

Buy/rent Happiest baby on the block dvd. Watch it a couple of times in the upcoming months. Best decision I ever made.

Avion22 · August 2013

I like WTEWYE and the Girlfriend's Guide, like @Cecilbear mentioned. I don't find either of them to be scary or alarmist. A lot of people have recommended Your Pregnancy Week by Week but I haven't read that one yet.

melzh · August 2013

I like the book BELLY LAUGHS

Rrrrrachel · August 2013

Penny simkins books are really good and not scary. I liked ina mays guide to child birth but its not for everybody. I liked reading birth stories. Most books have a section on complications. I would avoid that section unless something happens and you need the information.

pmattingly927 · August 2013

I just got this at the library yesterday!!

pmattingly927 · August 2013

I am reading "Your Best Birth" currently and it's a great read if you want to learn more about your birthing options.

bwelding85 · August 2013

Sheila Kitzinger - The Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Birth

sweetpeace13 · August 2013

I recommend Birthing From Within. I am very Anti "What to Expect" as I feel its not about empowering a women to know and make her own birthing decisions but about making you so afraid you become a docile and compliant patient. But, thats just my opinion.

LM3767 · August 2013

Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy!

bwelding85 · August 2013

Oh also anything by Ina May Gaskin and The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer.

@sweetpeace13 - I couldn't agree more about What to Expect.

DaisyJanie · August 2013

I liked Your Pregnancy Week by Week, but I got it from the library so I don't think I finished it. By the time I was later in the pregnancy, I was on to baby care books. Baby 411 and Baby Bargains are both great.

jarc2009 · August 2013

I have been reading 'the mother of all pregnancy books' and have found it really helpful since this is my first pregnancy

TheGirl82 · August 2013

I just started reading Pregnancy Day By Day (Canadian Edition). It's a hardcover book with lots of pictures of the day by day evolution. Very informative so far!
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/1553631188

Eahen42 · August 2013

Totally agree! They will scare the crap out of you. I quit reading them around 8 weeks. Get updates via thebump or another pregnancy app. Skip the books

twinlove314 · August 2013

I just started reading Babyproofing your Marriage

Luck Be A Lady · August 2013

Ooopsbaby14 said:

I don't have a pregnancy book rec, but I do have one for the baby. I used this so much when my girls were babies and toddlers. I've given it as a shower gift several times too.
Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, 5th Edition: Birth to Age 5 (Shelov, Caring for your Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5) Paperback
by American Academy Of Pediatrics (Author)

THIS. I spent my whole pregnancy reading pregnancy books. Then a friend of mine bought me this book shortly before delivery and it helped me SO much over the years. The info is updated, relevant, and is organized perfectly.

fiendelle · August 2013

Time to get on my soapbox...Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is the best book ever if you desire a pain free natural delivery. After baby arrives, Baby Whisperer all the way!!