Pregnancy Book Recommendations

Updated on November 02, 2011
F.K. asks from Hayward, CA
31 answers

I am currently planning for my upcoming pregnancy and want to know of any good book recommendations related to pregnancy, besides "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Any suggestions from moms and mom's to be would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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J.G.

answers from Modesto on

"Baby Bargains" by Denise and Allan Shields was invaluable helping me to prepare for all of the "stuff" that comes along with babies! It answers questions like: how many diapers should I have on hand for the first month? How many onesies do I really need? What type of stroller is the best for my needs? What infant carrier is best/safest/easiest for me? It did help me find bargains, but it was really valuable for comparing baby products and deciding what you need and what you really don't. I get it for all my first-time pregnant friends.

By the way, I read "What to Expect" and didn't have any problem like some people are saying. I didn't read all the things that could go wrong in the back section (though I'm not a worrier anyway), and though I didn't take all of the health advice I felt good about the things I was doing that were mentioned in the book. I thought it was helpful.

Also, Happiest Baby on the Block comes in DVD form if you're getting tired of reading. I watched the DVD (30 min or so) for the techniques, which worked great for us.

Sleep training may get to be a big deal for you a few months after the baby comes. I read Babywise and Sleeping Through the Night (by Jodi Mindell, I think). Babywise had some good tips, but it was far to rigid, one-size-fits-all for my parenting style. Sleeping Through the Night was great because it went through many different sleep training techniques, explained how each one works, and explains what type of parents and children might fit that techinque best. It also addresses some specific sleep issues and how to address them (the author is a child sleep expert). I liked being able to understand all the methods and then pick and choose to tailor my sleep training technique for my baby's temperment and my own. I ended up using a combination of techniques, and my girl is now a great sleeper!

Good luck sorting through all the info!

J.

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L.M.

answers from San Francisco on

A good one for breastfeeding is "So, That's What They're For" by Janet Tamaro. It's not really about pregnancy, but is HILARIOUS and has so much good info. I usually give this as a shower gift.

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L.G.

answers from San Francisco on

My favorites are: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin, and The Pregnancy Book by William Sears.

Good luck!! :)

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C.C.

answers from Cleveland on

Congrats!
I highly recommend "Birthing from Within" by England/Horowitz. It made my experience incredible. Good luck!

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M.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Second the "Your Pregnancy week by week". Easy to read and felt it was written for a 'real' new mom.

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K.G.

answers from Fort Wayne on

pregnancy for dummies was a great book. very clear not too in depth. also breast feeding for dummies was a life saver.

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A.B.

answers from Sacramento on

What to Expect is mediocre, at best. Girlfriends' Guide is funny and entertaining, but not so great with good info.
I second the recommendations of The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth (Henci Goer - who absolutely ROCKS); anything by Sears or Ina May Gaskin; Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper; Hey! Who's Having this Baby, Anyway? by Breck Hawk; HypnoBirthing - A Celebration of Life, by Marie Mongan; and a fabulous book, just out last summer: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Natural Childbirth, by my friend and midwife extraordinaire, Jennifer West.
Finally, if you can find it, a rather old - but excellent - book, The Five Standards for Safe Childbearing, by David Stewart, Ph.D.

There - happy reading:-)

A., BA, IBCLC, CD/PCD(DONA), HBCE

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M.P.

answers from Modesto on

I LOVED The Girfriends Guide to Pregnancy. Hilarious and so informative. It was great!

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C.W.

answers from Redding on

Belly Laughs by Jenni McCarthy....so funny and a nice breath of fresh air compared to some of those other books out there.

I have to add as well to take these books with a grain of salt...every pregnancy and baby is different! And it is comforting having a reference on what to expect, but you have to still be flexible and "ok" with everything not following the book. Have fun with this pregnancy and enjoy everyday...nine monthes dissapears into a terrible twos toddler before you can blink : - )
Good luck!

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D.J.

answers from San Francisco on

the thinking womans guide to better birth! henci goer...it changed my life! i also love birthing from within..
happy conceiving!

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H.L.

answers from San Francisco on

I second the recommendation for the one from the Mayo Clinic.

Also, another posted referred to the weekly emails - I think she was thinking about the one from BabyCenter.com. They are fun. Every week, it's like, this week, your baby is the size of a strawberry, this week your baby is the size of a turnip. :-)

Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from Sacramento on

My absolute favorite was The Mayo Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. I bought a few others and then my husband brought this one home (it came as a part of some program through his employer). It covered EVERYTHING. It breaks down pregnancy by months and talks about how the baby is developing and each week, and gives a lot of information about what is happening to your body and tips for dealing with different issues that month. For each month, it also gives you different issues you may have and when to contact the doctor (call in the morning, call ASAP, go to the hospital, etc.) There are also sections on labor and childbirth, C-sections, caring for your newborn, taking your baby home, postpartum care for moms, discussions on complications or problems during pregnancy, and much, much more. It was a wonderful resource for everything I had questions about. After giving birth, I was so fascinated by the entire process, that I still looked back and read parts of the book!

http://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Guide-Healthy-Pregnancy...

I also recommend The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. Not a pregnancy book, but a book that saved my sanity those first few months!

Best of luck to you!
-J

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S.N.

answers from San Francisco on

As a Doula and from what I've heard from other Doulas ..... Don't read What to expect while expecting ! I've heard many different reasons for first time moms not to read it. There is smother good book out there that a lot of moms like. It's called Birthing From Within. Sometimes you can find a workshop for expecting moms here in the Bay Area.

C.C.

answers from Fresno on

Personally, I hated "What to Expect." It made me feel like I was doing everything all wrong by not eating flax seed and brown rice all the time, not exercising enough, gaining too much weight, etc etc etc. Take that book with a grain of salt, for sure. Every pregnancy is different.

I loved, loved, loved Vicki Iovine's "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy." She is hilarious and gives great advice.

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R.K.

answers from San Francisco on

i would recommend the book by Ina May Gaskin. I don't have the title in front of me, but a book store or amazon.com could easily point you in the right direction. have a great pregnancy and birth!

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J.C.

answers from Sacramento on

You have received lots of great suggestions! The book I recommend for after the baby arrives : Baby 411 (can't find my copy or I would give you the authors names) but it is written by two moms - 1 is a pediatrician. Clear, concise, answers to all your questions written in a way that is not meant to alarm or scare the heck out of you!

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N.K.

answers from San Francisco on

I would highly reccomend "The Pregnancy Book" by Dr. Sears. It has tons of information in a easy to read format. If you like really workdy explanations some of the other books mentioned are great but I preferred being able to use the index and read sections that were useful to me personally.

I would also reccomend "The Baby Book" for once your little one arrives. It is also filled with inormation and takes you through the first two years on the child's life with help about everything from illness to milestones to how to play with your baby at different ages.

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A.D.

answers from Washington DC on

The book i read when i was pregnant was:
Dr Oz
You: having a baby

Great book... Good luck

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R.P.

answers from Sacramento on

I will whole-heartedly say, "ditto" to the Girlfriends Guide books (I read one about pregnancy and one about once your home with said baby). I read so many books during my first pregnancy, and these two of the best. Very informative and so funny and so try. I laughed til I peed (yes, really--but I was already pretty far along at that time so a little leaking wasn't uncommon!). I did also do the "What to Expect..." and another from the Dr. which I think was "Pregnancy Month by Month" or something like that. I really did not find either of them very helpful at all and not full of that much information. I'm a detail person, so they were vague for me.

By far the best books I read, however two by A. Christine Harris, Ph. D. They are at Target for about $18 each. There is "The Pregnancy Journal" and "Babies First Year Journal". Not good titles, as they are far more than a place to write (though there are spaces for that too. They literally give you something to read each an every day--so full of information that I never found anywhere else. You'll find things like, "You're babies eyelashes are starting to form today" or, "Between now and the next 4 days your baby will begin to process blood through her kidneys". I'm making those up but there is about a page a day full of great information, including not only what your baby is doing but also what is going on with you and what you may be feeling (and what foods are helpful for exactly what you and your baby are doing at that time). Beautiful quotes on each page, too! And yes, places to write the occasional notes with insightful questions. The BEST!!!!! The second best book I found was, "The Complete Organic Pregnancy" (can't remember authors, but recall it being two women). EXCELLENT to read before you become pregnant (so you can do things like switch to a kinder-for-you-and-your-baby-to-be toothpaste or pillow. Seriously--it's not meant to freak you out...but if you can make some easy and small changes to give your future baby a better start, why wouldn't you? I wish I had read this with baby #1...but read it with baby #2 instead (and re-read The Pregnancy Journal, of course!).

Happy reading and Happy Babying to you and yours!

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C.A.

answers from San Francisco on

I got "Your Pregnancy week by week" by Glade B Curtis & Judith Schuler because I really liked the "first year" version of this book I read after my daughter was born. At the end of each chapter (in the pregnancy book) they have exercises you can do, which I thought was nice.
If you are looking for a book to help you get pregnant, Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a great book, but Toni something.
Best of luck,
C.

J.P.

answers from Stockton on

I LOVE the book "Your Pregnancy Week by Week"

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C.Q.

answers from San Francisco on

Congratulations! I know you asked for a pregnancy book but I highly recommend, "The Happiest Baby on the Block". This book is easy to read and was a life saver! The techniques worked perfectly on our baby and we were able to get the much needed rest and sleep during the first 3 months! All the best to you!

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C.C.

answers from Salt Lake City on

I enjoyed getting e-mails about what is going on inside that week. I don't remember which one I used there are several out there. I know there was one that I liked and one that I didn't. Also I had my babies naturally and that is an experience I would recommend if you have a low risk pregnancy. I did a lot of preparation for this I wouldn't want to do it without the preparation. I took a Bradley class, and a Hypno Birthing class they were both very informative and had good books that went along with them. I also liked checking out videos from the Library. One of then that really helped us as new parents was " The Happiest Baby on the Block" there is a book for that too, but I likes seeing how to do the things that he was describing.
Do remember that every pregnancy is different, when people learn you are pregnant they wan to give you stories and advise. My advice would be to let you know that you have every right to say what you want you can hear it if you want too, but if you don't wan to you can respectfully decline from hearing it. I wouldn't let anyone tell me scary stories, if they started a story I would ask them to wait a minute is this a happy story or a scary story, I am avoiding scary stories right now. Whatever advice you get, and whatever you read the choice is yours what to do or not do.

B.A.

answers from Saginaw on

Belly laughs by Jenny McCarthy is a funny read.

As far as pregnancy books, I read what to expect when you're expecting and it was a good reference.

I wouldn't read too many pregnancy books, reading one to look at for reference is good, but if you read too many you'll a preconceived idea on what it should be like and raising a baby by a book is impossible. At least that's what I've noticed from those that read a lot of them.

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J.S.

answers from Salinas on

The Pregnancy Bible is great it shows weekly pictures of the baby and a women who is actually pregnant. Its great.

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T.L.

answers from San Francisco on

My baby Bible: Weissbulth: Healthy Baby something something... (it was the only way I slept the 1st year)... It will be indespensible once you hit month 3-4 & beyond...
2nd Book: friends... you can read all you want but nothing will compare to bouncing ideas off girlfriends... I swear I read 15 books beforehand... regardless you'll be nervous, anxious, excited and crazy about that baby the first year... relax, have fun and trust your instincts & realized that you and the other mommy's are all baby-crazed!
3rd Book: There was a neat countdown book (I had daily & weekly) that I really enjoyed to see how the baby was developing... I followed it up with a daily book on the baby's 1st year and their progress. I helped me understand what the baby was able to comprehend, see, hear, etc. and made me feel like I was able to better meet his needs step by step. (sorry I don't remember the name... the daily one was spiral bound and had a column for you to write notes it in too in case you forgot to write it in your baby book... Best wishes!

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A.O.

answers from San Francisco on

You Pregnant by Dr Oz is great. I am reading this with my 2nd pregnancy and wish I had this with my first.
Best of Luck!

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L.K.

answers from Austin on

You should for sure read Pushed by Jennifer Block and The Thinking Woman's Guide to Better Birth by Henci Goer.

Lisa

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N.K.

answers from Madison on

I liked the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. It is not a "fun" book and I would not read the sections at the back about specific problems (unless you have them). But I like sound and scientific advice from doctors, or "accurate information from a reputable source".
Here is a link to the Amazon web site with more comments:
http://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Guide-Healthy-Pregnancy...

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K.L.

answers from Chicago on

Check out "Belly Laughs" (I think that's what it's called) by Jenny McCarthy. It's funny, but it also has some good info. It's a quick read. Another book I found to be powerful was Misconceptions by Naomi Wolf. But know that it is a book that is pretty angeled against traditional Western medical practices with regards to childbirth. It has some super arguments and information and is very focused on helping you to advocate for what you as a pregnant woman and soon-to-be new mom feel is important to you. It also pretty much slams how we as an American culture treat our new moms. Interesting for sure!

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