Can you reccomend good reading material for a first time expectant mother.?

Question

I would like to get some suggestions on readig material for expentant mothers. I am two months pregnant and frankly what I am reading on the internet scares the crap out of me. I am amazed any children are even born based on the horror stories I see. My mother reccomended "what to expect when you are expecting" but I would like to know also more about nutrition and such. Any reccomendations would be greatly appreicated.

Answer 1

"What to Expect..." is science-free garbage written for the more dull-witted sort of mother. It'll tell you how to happily comply with every bad idea that can be thrown at you (if an obstetrician recommends it, it's a great idea and it's risk-free! Except...it's not always so, but they make the interventions sound that way). And scare the pants off you with BS about how bad it is to eat sugar (where that one even came from, I don't know) and basically end up being garbage for the recycling bin, unless you really believe that baked sweet potatoes will satisfy a craving for french fries.

Er, sorry. But, really -- look up some of the unfavourable reviews of it on amazon.com. Plenty of midwives and doctors sneer at it, too.

Get "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth." Dr Sears' books are pretty good. Keep an eye out for stuff by Sheila Kitzinger, Ina May Gaskin, etc.

As for nutrition, I think you might be better off buying a book about nutrition, not one about nutrition in pregnancy. Or at least ignore the web sites; they can get pretty error-riddled. Good nutrition in pregnancy is the same as good nutrition in general; claims to the contrary are generally just trying to sell you a book.

Answer 2

Well, to be honest, the books out there and the things on the internet just inform you about every single aspect of pregnancy, the possibilities and the complications along with the good aspects. Even in a good book such as "What to expect when you're expecting" They talk about miscarriages and stillbirths and things like that, so you can't get away from it, but it's very informative in any case

Answer 3

The "What to Expect" series is a great resource for all aspects of pregnancy and the first few years of your child's life. It is definately a must have.

Another good book is "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" by Vicki Iovine. It is less like a resource manual and more like sitting down and talking with your girlfriends about what it's REALLY like, not the clinical stuff the doctors will tell you. That series includes a book for the first year, and one for the toddler years. A very good read. I highly recommend.

Answer 4

I love The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, by Vicki Iovine, of course. That's a very fun read. I found What to Expect...to be boring and restrictive, and somewhat outdated. One book that I just got through reading that I think every first time mother should read is The Big Book of Birth by Erica Lyon. It's relatively new, I checked it out of the new section at the library. I'm in my third trimester so I figured I should read as much about childbirth as I can to try to prepare myself! It's a very thorough book, talks about the different kinds of relaxing and pain relieving techniques you can use (not just breathing techniques like Lamaze), and teaches you how to make as informed of a decision about your own birth as you are able to. And it's also an easy read.

Answer 5

I didn't like the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting". It scared me. In fact, my OB told me to throw that book out. I read "Your Pregnancy, Week by Week", by Glade B. Curtis. I thought it was informative without overloading you with all the rare problems that might occur. I am pregnant again and reading it again. I also read "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" by Vicki Iovine. It's a light hearted reading and gives you information about all the things that doctors don't necessarily discuss with you. It also gives you the male prospective towards pregnancy, which I thought was good because men are often too afraid to be honest with a pregnant woman - especially their partner. My husband and I laughed quite a bit through that book. Best wishes.

Answer 6

The Pregnancy Book by Dr Sears and What to expect when you are expecting I loved! They are both month by month and are really informative.

Also a good book:A Child is Born Not so much info on what to eat but has the most amazing pics!!! Check it out!

Answer 7

There's a book that's been the standard book for expectant mothers for a few generations written by a Dr. Spock. (not star trek)

The book is really what you want if you're scared of what you see. It goes over everything in detail and tells you what to look for, but it also has common practical advice that's universal for first time mothers.

You can get it at the library or anywhere, and I promise you'll be glad you read it.

Answer 8

"The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" by Vicki Iovine is a good book. I'm 34 weeks with my first baby and I was reading the stuff on the internet and was freaked out by that too. "Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy is good too. Oh, congrats!

Answer 9

What to Expect when you're expecting.
Mayo Clinic Books (healthy pregnancy, diet)
Belly Laughs (is a must!)

Answer 10

What to Expect When Your Expecting has it all in there. Hands down it's the greatest book to have when your pregnant. I had several books but that is the one I referred to the most. You really should check it out.