Pregnancy and Baby Books

Rhubarb7216 · February 2017

What pregnancy and/or baby books have people read that they recommend or don't recommend? So far I have read Debunking the Bump and I'm making my way through Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. I recommend both of them.

BigBadWolf12 · February 2017

I was just going to say, I got the Mayo Clinic one and it is good so far. I like it

Haven't tried any others.

cmar1006 · February 2017

Dr Sears is great. I have The Baby Book and have read through Attachment Parenting.

mrs_tacos · February 2017

DH and I have been going through Pregnancy Day by Day by DK. It's just enough medical info for DH, and also includes pictures and fun facts for each day of pregnancy. (Though we tend to read through a chunk of days at a time.) I've avoided What To Expect because several friends have said it made them anxious, and that's the last thing I need!

By Myself I've been reading From the Hips, which I really enjoy. It has sections on pregnancy, birth, becoming a parent, and caring for baby. There's a ton of info, and also includes the personal experience of lots of moms ranging from scheduled c-section moms to total granola hippy moms. I'll probably read Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy, a book on either the Bradley Method or Hypnobirthing, and a breastfeeding book or two as my pregnancy progresses.

ElleKH · February 2017

I looove the Mayo Clinic guide already mentioned! I referenced it all the time in my last pregnancies and am rereading sections of it this time around. Highly recommended.

For parenting, my go-to book is the AAP's Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5.

The Wonder Weeks app is also very helpful. Some swear by the book, but the app alone worked well for us.

wyomama0427 · February 2017

I got this one from my OB and it's pretty informative. I like it. Don't mind the bent cover, my one year old is a tornado and ruins everything. He touches.

kailapop · February 2017

I used the wonder weeks app when my DS was born and it was a LIFESAVER. I didn't read many books when I was pregnant with my first. Just what to expect and this is you pregnant..... I think by dr. Oz. *i think* it was four years ago.......

wyomama0427 · February 2017

I also love the wonder weeks app.

IdleFancy · February 2017

What a great thread idea! I'm a total bibliophile and will probably have a complete baby-related library, by the time September rolls around. I've tried to hold off though, and have only purchased three so far.

Right after our BFP, I ordered Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman, then read it cover to cover. It's, essentially, a cultural study of how pregnancy/parenting differ in France and America and how one American mom navigated raising her children abroad. It's a bit hit or miss for readers, given her thoughts on some popular American parenting techniques, but I thought it was an entertaining, practical book that really helped me deal with my "Oh shit, we're actually going to be parents!" anxiety. It helps that French people apparently raise their children exactly how my parents raised me. While reading it, I kept calling my mother and accusing her of being a secret Parisian.

I also have the The New Basics by Dr. Michel Cohen (bad layout, lots of good baby health information) and What to Expect (read one fear-mongering chapter, then banished it).

Texafornian · February 2017

Which of these books are good for second time moms? I don't want a pregnancy basics...more of a refresher!

sparksfly · February 2017

Brain Rules for Baby by Dr. John Medina ... I didn't have time to read it until DD was 7 months old, but it does have a chapter on pregnancy (which I skipped, but will now go back and read!). It was about how parenting affects your child's brain development and I found it very interesting! Fairly intellectual, but I appreciated that.

ETA: @IdleFancy I bought Bringing Up Bebe and haven't found time to read it! Good to hear someone else's take on it. Hoping I can find time to read before this next one is born.

tiki8286 · February 2017

With my first I liked "Expecting 411" and "Baby 411". Both were highly informative and so helpful. My favorite mom books include: The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy (hilarious!!!!!) and The Hot Mom To Be Handbook. Light reads, funny and relatable.

LaceyC1020 · February 2017

Belly Laughs is hilarious!! Not super informative, just a good light read to keep you in good spirits!

Sprite2012 · February 2017

I didn't read any pregnancy books, but I loved Push (more about labor). Both of Ina May Gaskin's books are excellent, regardless of whether or not you're planning a natural childbirth and/or to breastfeed. Still a ton of great information. For baby, I loved The Wonder Weeks (it was actually a lifesaver for me), Simplicity Parenting, and The New Basics (I still refer to this one).

jessieR358 · February 2017

I love Happiest Baby on the Block--the 5 "S's" are life saving.
Babywise
The womanly art of Breastfeeding
I read a couple hypnobirthing books with DS
the Bradley method
I also read at least 3 books on getting babies to sleep (that were a waste of time ha)

Im reading Bringing Up Bebe now and Im really enjoying it!
Toddler books I really have liked are Toddler Discipline without Shame and No Drama Discipine

edit: added a couple

Carebella · February 2017

DH and I both really enjoyed reading The Baby Owner's Manual by Louis Borgenicht, MD. It was easy and amusing to get through and did a great job of covering the basics and some important aspects that might not be common knowledge (like no honey before they're a year old). The rest of what we learned and found the most helpful came from our Midwifery classes.

HollyGolightly09 · February 2017

@amandarene112 What to Expect is somewhere in my house... I bought it right after I found out I was pregnant in the fall. It was only 50cents and I still regret it, lol.
It has a whole huge section of "things you may be concerned about" I mean... I wasn't until you mentioned it, thanks.

HollyGolightly09 · February 2017

I've made a list and am going to pick a couple out to order! All I have is What to Expect, and like I said above, it is not a good fit for me.

jena333-2 · February 2017

I have the Mayo Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, and also The Pregnancy Countdown Book (Susan Magee). The second one is a week by week countdown with funny anecdotes and to-dos for each week - advice from "the trenches" (of motherhood). I like it. And I like reading the pair of them together, by week.

MySallyGirl · February 2017

I like pregnancy 411 and baby 411 also. I also have the typical What to Expect when Expecting.

wyomama0427 · March 2017

@missykhamvongsa

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