book recommendations

[Anonymous]

I'm newly pregnant (7 weeks) and am looking for book recommendations on good pregnancy books including the beginning baby stage.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

What to Expect When You're Expecting is the standard. I think just about everyone reads it. I was enoying it until I found out I was having twins andswitched to a twin book. I also love the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. Both informative and entertaining. Congratulations!!

[Anonymous]

I second The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. Loved it!

[Anonymous]

I personally could not stand "What to Expect When Your Expecting".

When you get closer to delivery I really liked the book "What Every Woman should Know about Childbirth"

[Anonymous]

make sure you read some BABY books before you deliver...

[Anonymous]

The Mayo Clinic has a guidebook I found useful, with decision guides for choosing doctors, prenatal testing, pain control, etc.

[Anonymous]

I was a freak and read voraciously when I was pregnant! Here are a few I read (in order of my personal recommendation on value):

Great Books:
1 - Happiest Baby on the Block – this was probably the best book I read and had great information for how to calm a crying baby. John and I would definitely both recommend this book. Recommend reading before baby.
2 - The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth – very focused on natural childbirth, but I found it helpful, because it gave good information on all of the possible medical interventions you might experience (some I was totally unaware of, the doctor didn’t mention, and I ended up having!) and side effects. Recommend reading before baby.
3 - Ina May's Guide to Childbirth – my yoga instructor suggested this. I enjoyed the birth stories at the beginning of the book. This book is very focused on natural childbirth, so read with a grain of salt. Recommend reading before baby.
4 - The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Seventh Revised Edition (La Leche League International Book) – if you are going to breastfeed, this is pretty helpful and covers a broad range of topics. They are very pushy, but if you take it with a grain of salt, it is useful info. Recommend reading before baby.
5 - Baby Bargains – great info on almost every category of baby product. I also liked the website Epinions for additional information. Recommend reading before baby.
6 - The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition) – this is from Dr. Sears. He pushes “attachment parenting”, but I thought this was a pretty thorough book.
7 - The Wonder Years: Helping Your Baby and Young Child Successfully Negotiate The Major Developmental Milestones – I like the format of this book – lots of photos and suggestions on games you can play with your baby to help with developmental milestones

[Anonymous]

21:17 poster here. I gave you the wrong book name. What Every Woman should know about Childbirth....um, don't know how I came up with that. I meant to put The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth.

Sorry for any confusion!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What to Expect When You're Expecting is the standard. I think just about everyone reads it. I was enoying it until I found out I was having twins andswitched to a twin book. I also love the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. Both informative and entertaining. Congratulations!!

Ditto!

[Anonymous]

I would suggest reading "Babyproofing your marriage" before you deliver. Having a baby is a huge strain on even the happiest marriages and it's good to be prepared for this, I wish I had been.

[Anonymous]

As someone who is still pregnant, these are the books that I've been reading (mind you, I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy, so I've had some time!):

I wasn't a fan of "What to Expect..." and switched to the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy.


Other books (some already recommended by users, but wholeheartedly seconded too!).

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Baby Bargains
The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition)

Baby 411, Third Edition: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year - if you have "The Baby Book", you may not need this, but it isn't as bulky, is organized a bit differently, but has great information in it and is written with a sense of humor too. This is my husband's favorite book so far for what to do when our little one finally arrives.

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child - another book by Dr. Robert Sears. He goes through different vaccines, pros and cons of giving them, as well as an alternate vaccination schedule. It's a good resource for those many vaccines that babies go through in the first couple of years.

The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth - by Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears. My midwife told me to read this one. It helps you understand the many options that you have for childbirth - from natural, to pain relief, epidurals, c-sections, etc. It also relays some birth stories and gives information on creating a birth plan.

I also have a book on breastfeeding, but I can't remember the name of it - the author is Amy Spangler. If you do the IAH lactation class, you'll be given the book as part of the class.

[Anonymous]

"The Zygote Chronicles"

Short, memoir/ficton that is so delightful. I savored it before I went to bed after reading all of the advice/what to expect books. There were a few moments when I got teary, and I am not a crier.

That said, it is not sentimental at all. Very, very funny.

[Anonymous]

I'm not the OP, but just wanted to say thanks for all the helpful responses.

[Anonymous]

I liked the Mayo Clinic book and used that almost exclusively. I, too, did not like What to Expect because I found it too preachy as to what you are supposed to eat/not eat, etc. However, once my son was born, I did like What to Expect the First Year a lot.

[zumbamama]

Ooh, I read a great one but can't remember the title completely. I think it was called "Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy—what the doctor won't tell you." Or something like that. It is really funny, informative and candid.