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If you’re anything like me and find yourself finally pregnant after trying for years (and feeling like you know everything there is to know about infertility), there’s something you realize when you get a positive pregnancy test: For as much as you know about infertility, you don’t know anything about being pregnant. (I’d imagine any first-time mom has that feeling, really.) That’s when I panicked and wondered…what are the best pregnancy books for first time moms?
So as soon as it hit me that I was really pregnant (after having experienced a previous miscarriage), I promptly ordered six pregnancy books. I loved three of them. So here are the best pregnancy books for first time moms I highly recommend (and my reviews of the other three!):
The Best Pregnancy Books for First Time Moms
1. Expecting Better, by Emily Oster
If you’ve read any of my posts on TTC tips, you already know that I am all about studying the research, taking control of my health, and making informed decisions. That said, I think I’d get along great with this author.
This book takes you through questions about whether or not you can really eat lunch meat, clean the litter box, and drink coffee. Current research is cited so that you can make your own informed decisions about your pregnancy.
2. Real Food for Pregnancy, by Lily Nichols
This is another book that is heavily research-based. The best thing about this book is that it aligns with all of the dietary advice my functional medicine doctor had already given me about fertility (with an emphasis on pregnancy, of course). In addition to dietary advice, this book also talks about exercise, supplements, and exposure to toxins. There are some great recipes in the back, too!
Although I truthfully didn’t have to deal with any morning sickness, nausea, food aversions or cravings, this book also gives great ideas for coping with the less-than-pleasant symptoms of being pregnant.
3. What to Expect When You’re Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff
As a first time mom, I couldn’t not buy this classic. And I wasn’t disappointed in it, either. Sure, you could probably find out the majority of the information on this book via the app or simply online, but there is something nice about having the big reference book sitting on your coffee table.
A great thing about this book — which is not necessarily true of many other pregnancy books — is that it is divided into different chapters by month. At the beginning of each chapter, there are short paragraphs about each week. This is followed by a lot of common Q and As that might arise during that month. Again, I didn’t have a lot of the questions many pregnant women do since I didn’t have many pregnancy symptoms and I did find some things common sense, but overall I still think this book is a must-have for first-time moms.
And now, my review of the other three books I bought:
1. We’re Pregnant!: The First-Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook, by Adrian Kulp
My husband is not a big reader, but he wanted a book (amongst the other five that I ordered for myself!) so that he could follow along with the baby’s progress, too. After reading zillions of Amazon reviews, I ultimately settled on this one because of its small size and very short chapters. (And I still think that was a good call overall!)
However, a couple things I didn’t like: 1. At times, this book is almost word-for-word the same as the What to Expect book, honestly. Even the comparisons and jokes are the same sometimes! That said, I don’t think my husband would really want to read the What to Expect book given that it’s written primarily for women (not to mention the sheer size of it). But, we could’ve definitely read the short paragraphs about each week together and gotten the same information. 2. I think the author is trying to be a little “too cool” sometimes, making comments about not being able to have a poker night downstairs with the guys on a Tuesday until 3am anymore because of a sleeping baby. Even my husband rolled his eyes at this. Like, really?
Overall, if your husband likes to read, I’d recommend something more like First Time Dad: An Expectant Father’s Weekly Guide To Pregnancy, by Tory Horne. Although I haven’t read it, this was another one of my options. And if your husband doesn’t like to read, maybe just read the short paragraph about each week of pregnancy from the What to Expect book together!
2. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide, by Penny Simkin (and others)
I also have mixed feelings about this book, but don’t feel I can fully review it yet. This book has a lot of information about labor and delivery, which I’ve only really skimmed so far (but plan to read soon as I’m nearing my third trimester!).
The big reason I wasn’t as impressed with this book is the layout of it. It’s not quite as “user-friendly” for me for some reason, though I can’t pinpoint exactly why. Perhaps it’s because the chapters are long and not broken up enough, so it’s just harder to read. (Even though I love reading!)
3. Babywise, by Robert Bucknam and Gary Ezzo
Here’s another book I don’t feel I can fully review just yet. This book was recommended to me by several friends who swear by sleep training — and the more I read of this book, the more I agree with it. (Although admittedly I haven’t done much research yet.) This book goes by the motto that if your baby doesn’t sleep well, it’s because you haven’t taught him or her to sleep well.
But until I try some of the ideas from this book, I don’t think I can review it just yet! Either way, I do recommend starting to get some books about raising children while you’re still pregnant!
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