I know most you have children already, but there is a chance someone might be looking for some suggestions about pregnancy books — if only to give as a gift to their good friend who is expecting for the first time.
To tell you the truth some people I know go through pregnancy (even the first) without reading anything but the NHS leaflets, and it’s perfectly fine! But if you are like me than you might want one or two (or three) books that tell you in depth what’s going on inside you.
So here we go, this is what I read:
1. What To Expect When You’re Expecting: This must be the best-seller pregnancy book ever. It’s easy to read and it contains loads of information. Although I read the revised UK edition it felt a bit too much focused on the American system.
2. The Rough Guide to Pregnancy and Birth: This could be a good companion to any other more “serious” pregnancy manual you choose. It does contain loads of advice and information, but the week-to-week progress is narrated in a semi-fictitious weekly diary. Really funny — this will not allow you to take yourself too seriously.
3. Birth and Beyond…: This is definitely my favourite. I found it reassuring and empowering, something you badly need during your first pregnancy. It covers pregnancy and the first 9 months of the baby’s life. Written by one of the world’s leading obstetricians, it takes a holistic approach covering aspects regarding both parents and the baby. It also includes an extensive reference section.
So this is what I have in my library. What’s in yours?
-Michela
Comments (6)
Buddhism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali is a lovely book to read when you are pregnant and also once your child is born. It is a beautiful gift for an expecting mother.
I never read ‘Birth and Beyond’, but I think I would definitely like it!
It’s funny though, how when it’s your third baby, you don’t really read the baby books, maybe for lack of time, but also maybe because you already feel like an ‘expert’! 🙂
I own a copy of the Birth & Beyond. I love it. I love it so much that I have given some pregnant friends copies of it when they fall pregnant too….
I read What to expect, and I like the plain info it gives. But true, it is super American. I think I even got the US version, in which you are hardly allowed to eat anything!
Ina May Gaskin’s “Guide to Childbirth” is great for women interested in a drug free birth experience, it’s by an American midwife. I also loved “Birth and Breastfeeding: Rediscovering the Needs of Women During Pregnancy and Childbirth” by a French Doctor.” And for the American expats who are nervous about birthing abroad, “Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First” by Marsden Wagner. This last book will make them HAPPY to be birthing in a foreign country. The US spend the most money on maternity care and has the worst mother and baby outcomes among industrialized nations…who knew?
I don’t actually remember what I read, but I do really remember feeling like I knew all about being pregnant but not like I knew anything about what to do with a new born. So from Birth and Beyond sounds really good, especially for a first time mom.