Product Spotlight: Pregnancy Books

fitzfizz · February 2020

Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product. Feel free to comment on threads like these throughout your time at the board, not just when they're in their week in the spotlight, if you discover something new OR are new to the board. This week it's.... Pregnancy Books!

FTMs are encouraged to ask questions & STM/+s encouraged to share their knowledge based on experience. You can use any or all the prompts relevant to you below to share info in an easy-to-read format. Pictures/screen grabs, if put in spoilers, are welcome!

For all....

What pregnancy books do you recommend or not recommend?

Next up: Vitamins/Supplements

fitzfizz · February 2020

I am an over-preparer, so I read "Expecting Better" and part of "What to Expect" already.

I loved Expecting Better so much, in particular loved that she presents data and lets you draw your own conclusions rather than just telling you what to do or not do.

What to Expect definitely has it's good points and is more thorough that Expecting Better on some of the smaller points. Also has a lot more nutrition information. I do think some of the advice is not evidence based which is off putting to me, but I see why they do it.

Any other recommendations of evidence based or data driven pregnancy, childbirth, or nursing books?

Kurtni · February 2020

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding has a lot of great nursing tips and helped me prepare for my first. But it is very shaming of combo or formula feeding and maybe a little over the top in some claims. I always hesitate to recommend it because it makes me eye roll but if you can just ignore the sanctimonious stuff it’s helpful.

morethanamama · February 2020

I think What To Expect is a good base to start with.

I loved The Birth Partner and The First Forty Days although they are more about labor and postpartum. I also had the Mama Natural pregnancy book (pretty crunchy, but still enjoyable)

carrotsandpeas3 · February 2020

Not a book so hope it's okay that I share anyway. https://kellymom.com/ is a great resource for breastfeeding information and troubleshooting that is evidence based. I think they have parenting and pregnancy stuff on the site too, but I didn't use much of that and can't say how good it is. The nursing info was very helpful to me!

mkp0903 · February 2020

I bought WTE and a few other serious books the first time around. The only one I actually read all the way through was The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy. I also bought The Expectant Father for my husband and he really enjoyed it.

coldbrew · February 2020

I definitely need to re-read a bunch. I’m good with pregnancy but the newborn phase feels far removed. DD1 was 6 years ago and DD2 spent her first 6 months in NICU/CICU so very different experiences.

deaddahliah · February 2020

Another vote for WTE, you might be able to download it free on Kindle if you have prime or some other service. I remember downloading WTE and several other pregnancy books for free. Also, ask your OB if they have copies they can give out. I managed to get WTE and WTE the first year from my OB and mini’s Pediatrician.

I totally forgot about kellymom, but that is a great resource on breastfeeding. I remember reading it a bunch.

westslopemama · February 2020

Books on labor: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Mind over Labor (pub in 1988 so this book is old, but it has some good ideas for mental imagery to use during childbirth), Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care.

Breastfeeding: I agree with @Kurtni that The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is a little over the top and only believes in strict breastfeeding, but it did help me prepare for my first and was a good reference for questions I had along the way.

Books on baby: Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, Happiest Baby on the Block

For fun: Bringing up Bebe

I’d like to read Expecting Better, Babies Are Not Pizzas and some books on hypnobirthing.

NME44 · February 2020

I enjoyed Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. It’s been 5 years since I read it but I seem to recall there was info on both pregnancy and also raising kids. It’s by and American woman who lived in France when she had her kids.

aztecash · February 2020

I borrowed a few books from the library to see which one(s) I would actually want to purchase. All I remember is that I DO NOT recommend A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. I returned it right after reading a passage about how a girlfriend always gets a pedicure before going into labor, or if you don't have time, at least paint your toe nails before going to the hospital so that the doctor doesn't have to look at your ugly, unpainted toe nails. The person delivering my baby better have more important things to worry about than the state of my feet. And let's be honest, I'm about to poop on this person, so I don't think my unpainted toe nails are going to be the grossest part of the experience. Or maybe I'm just not enough of a "girlfriend" for that book.

kboydbowman · February 2020

I like the Girlfriend's Guide series just because it's funny and doesn't take itself too seriously.

kalesix3 · February 2020

I absolutely wouldn't recommend any Ina May books, not if you have any sort of progressive views on feminism and birth in general. The woman is a total lunatic. Frankly, rushing a mother to a doctor immediately for a "lump" that turned out to be a nose or an ear does nothing but paint midwives in an incompetent and irresponsible light and I think that's a disservice to real professionals and laboring women everywhere.

Pushed is an amazing read though ❤️
I also like
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley, and Birthing From Within by Pam England and Rob Horowitz.

westslopemama · February 2020

@kalesix3 Now that mention Birthing From Within, that is the book that I actually meant! I somehow confused that book with Ian May’s. I did browse Ian May’s book, but didn’t get into it so I don’t really recall its content.

mdfarmchick · February 2020

I’m going to tell you that if you are a FTM and think you may be into baby-led weaning, go ahead and read Baby Led Weaning now because I definitely chose sleep over reading that after the baby came. 😂 Also, I recommend Janet Lansbury’s No Bad Kids and Elevating Childcare to prepare more for after you have a baby if you are interested in positive or respectful parenting. I also like the Moms on Call books if you are interested in having a schedule.

Also, I agree about Kellymom being a great resource for breastfeeding and the first few months in general. I also recommend Lucie’s List for another website that can help you with everything from your hospital bag to what labor is really like to what you really need for baby to the best products for you.

morethanamama · February 2020

@mdfarmchick we might be the same person lol. Pregnancy fog made me space on this stuff. I loved lucie's list, it was helpful!! And another online resource for baby led weaning is Feeding Littles. Super helpful, we actually took their courses.

coldbrew · February 2020

I downloaded Expecting Better and ugh, what a waste of money. The person who wrote it is extremely anxious and I can see it making someone in a good place feel anxious about their pregnancy.

I know I read WTE and The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding with DD1. Highly recommend, but tune out any knocks on formula feeding because there is NOTHING wrong with that.

morethanamama · February 2020

@coldbrew ditto. I breastfed 10 months, my goal was 6. I drove myself nuts pumping. It was awful. Never again! We'll see how it goes with this baby but the goal is 6 months again then I'm thinking I might seriously be done with that.

mdfarmchick · February 2020

@morethanamama did you do anything with Wonder Weeks?

coldbrew · February 2020

@morethanamama I had to EP for DD because she has a gtube. I lasted 6 months and just couldn’t take it anymore.

kalesix3 · February 2020

@westslopemama I actually didn't even see you had recommended Ina May! I just know I've seen pregnancy book discussions before on due date groups where mom shaming happened for not reading Ina May because she's widely regarded as some birth deity. So I wanted to throw in my two cents, I certainly wasn't meaning to call you out!
I'm glad you enjoyed BFW too ❤️

morethanamama · February 2020

@mdfarmchick I had the app and it was helpful although I was literally dreading every leap🙈😆

mdfarmchick · February 2020

@morethanamama I hated it... I felt like it was just telling me every day was a rain cloud 😂

morethanamama · February 2020

@mdfarmchick exactly. And then I'd worry because the worst times were always when we had to travel or had family in town lol

homeport17 · February 2020

I'm going to be picking up a copy of the Bradley Method. I'd like a natural childbirth and thankfully have a very involved partner, so I think it may be a good fit for us. Has anyone else tried those methods?

westslopemama · February 2020

@homeport17 I browsed the Bradley Method, but I couldn’t get into it. I honestly can’t remember it that well, but I know he talked about how animals give birth and how humans can use that same idea to give birth calmly and naturally. It probably has some good info, but it just didn’t vibe with my style. My husband and I took a birthing class (Birth Bootcamp) and that really helped prepare me for childbirth and prepare him to be my support person. My husband also read The Birth Partner and he really enjoyed that book.

homeport17 · February 2020

@westslopemama Oooh, thank you for the recommendation - he's a reader and would likely appreciate that book.

babycakesday · February 2020

@homeport17 We did the Bradley method. I bought a book but then decided to pay for the course. It’s super time consuming. Something like 10 weeks, once a week for two hours, but it forced us to practice and have someone to guide us. So I totally recommend doing both reading and finding a class if you can.

dolewhipper · February 2020

Books: Womanly art of breastfeeding (helped me get through so many issues, I bow down to pumping moms though-shit is HARD) I agree with other PPs to ignore the formula shame.
Websites: Lucie's List, Kellymom
Apps: Wonder Weeks, LactMed

I also tried an app that you would record when you nursed and on what side, it would help me remember which side I had done (though usually the size difference of my boobs would help). It also helped in the beginning when DD had lost more than 10% of her weight after birth and they wanted me to supplement.

Product Spotlight: Pregnancy Books

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