As a self-professed bookworm and type-A information hoarder, it took me all of 3 days after finding out we were expecting a baby to hit Barnes and Noble for some literature on this unchartered territory I was in. I may have gone a bit overboard, but what can I say? I loved all of the information. So here are my must-reads for new mamas:
Pregnancy related reads
Your Pregnancy, Week by Week: This book came highly recommended from all of my new-mama friends. It’s the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” minus all of the it-could-all-go-wrong-at-any-second drama. Loved it!
Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy: Quick, easy read. This book gets real and doesn’t sugar coat any ahem, unpleasant aspects of pregnancy. It definitely reminded me of sitting around with my gal pals asking “did this happen to you too?”
Babble and Baby Center: Seriously addicted to these sites. Babble is lot more “hip” and I tend to read the articles/blogs more. I love Baby Center for its How Big is Baby Chart that I use to update our weekly chalkboard.
Pregnant Chicken Blog: Seriously hilarious.
269 Days: Comic book version of pregnancy. I cried I was laughing so hard.
Child Birth related reads – I’ll give the full update once I’ve passed the milestone of ya know, having the baby!
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth: This is for the inner hippie in us all. We’re leaning towards a natural birth and this was really helpful in making that decision. Lots of information (regardless of your epidural preference) about birth, hospital procedures and what to expect.
The Birth Partner: I bought this for Matt on my book purchasing binge. I think it helps break down what will be happening to your lady friend in labor and how to help. I’m no expert but I’m hoping this will take some of the shock and wtf is happening out of delivery day for him.
Big Book of Birth: This is also a great read for a newbie. It gives a lot of information about hospital procedures and what your options are. If you’re looking for something a little less granola than Ms. Ina May, here’s your book.
After Baby – Apparently they don’t hand out instruction guides with newborns at the hospital.
I’ve bought a few books for life after baby after my friend said she was completed in the know about all things pregnancy but didn’t really have a clue about taking care of the baby. I definitely would have fallen into that boat so I’ve stocked up on a few reads (mostly suggestions from friends).
Baby 411: The bible to all things baby. I’ve skimmed through and it looks like a great reference for all of the “is this normal?” questions I’m sure all of us new parents have.
Baby Wise: I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about sleep training and scheduling from this book. We’ll play it by ear and see if it works for Baby A.
Tell me if there are any other books I need to add to my already sagging book case!
PS- I bought all of these books with my own hard earned cash- no perks here!
Been thinking about you lately… When do we get to see the remaining bumpdates? Aren’t you just T-minus a few days from d-day?!
Hey, I love several of these. Thanks for putting the pregnant chicken link on there, I love it!
girlfriends guide to pregancy & baby center are must havees! I also loved babycenter post preg for advice. Kelly Mom (google it) is a great breastfeeding q & a website. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
Congratulations on the little one! I’ve heard great things about Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. We read Baby Wise and used a lot of the principles from that book, but there were some things that we didn’t use/agree with. I loved Baby Whisperer for the newborn days! Lots of good stuff there. Also, Husband-Coached Childbirth and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, if you opt for natural birth. Good luck to you and I hope you find lots of time to read all those books! haha!