Pregnancy books

[Linnis]

Went to the library today to check out the pregnancy books they carried. I ended up bringing home, the four I liked best and one book about breast feeding. I was at first a little discouraged because many of the 'natural' childbirth books or even pregnancy ones for that matter, had that new agey mother earth junk in it but after some digging and ending up in the section for child development, not pregnancy I found some that are more balanced and don't push any odd religions.

I really like Having a Baby, Naturally by Peggy O'Mara which is published by Mothering Magazine, more than have the book is about the labor, bonding with the baby directly after his/her birth etc

What are the books, you are reading or have read that you liked?

 

[seamonster]

"What to Expect When You're Expecting" is a must. I give it to all my pregnant friends . Amazon.com will have it used pretty cheap, and it's in almost every bookstore.

The book is really great -- it's a month by month guide on what to expect, tips for planning the labor, etc. They have a series -- what to eat when you're expecting, pregnancy organizer, what to expect the first year, what to expect the toddler years, etc.

It does talk about midwife births vs doctor births (I was just reading it last night ) and has a lot of good breastfeeding info.

Another book that I haven't read but my mother swears by, is "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding." I have a copy that I just bought but haven't gotten around to reading yet, but I've heard only good things about it

 

[Linnis]

DH found the Latest edition of What to expect when you're expecting for $2.49, at a used book place online. I wanted to get it right away but couldn't see paying $11 for it at walmart. I can't wait!

The library had the toddler one, it also had the womenly art of breast feeding, I'll pick that up next time.

 

[Athene]

Linnis, have you looked at the babycentre website? I've been using the UK one for info, I've found it to be very good.

 

[Savedthroughfaith]

What To Expect
Your Pregnancy Week by Week
Motherly Art of Breastfeeding
Natural Childbirth The Bradley Way
The Post-Partum Handbook

 

[Linnis]

Linnis, have you looked at the babycentre website? I've been using the UK one for info, I've found it to be very good.

Yes, I signed up for it the day I found out I was pregnant. They've been really helpful, just reading info off a computer screen bugs me after a while or at least my eyes.

 

[JulySheMustFly]

"What to Expect When You're Expecting" is a must. I give it to all my pregnant friends . Amazon.com will have it used pretty cheap, and it's in almost every bookstore.

The book is really great -- it's a month by month guide on what to expect, tips for planning the labor, etc. They have a series -- what to eat when you're expecting, pregnancy organizer, what to expect the first year, what to expect the toddler years, etc.

"What to Expect When You're Expecting" was given to me by a friend when I was pregnant with my first. I found it frightening. We went on vacation when I was about 3mos. I was reading it on the beach bawling because I was so scared about having the baby and not being listened to by doctors. Glad it was helpful for someone else but wow, not for me.

I have heard the "Your pregnancy week by week" was really good, and not as scarey as "What to Expect."

 

[Savedthroughfaith]

Your Preg Week by Week is good, but I found there is just not ENOUGH info. It's very generalized. But I like the week-by-week breakdown. I have both.

 

[Linnis]

"What to Expect When You're Expecting" was given to me by a friend when I was pregnant with my first. I found it frightening. We went on vacation when I was about 3mos. I was reading it on the beach bawling because I was so scared about having the baby and not being listened to by doctors. Glad it was helpful for someone else but wow, not for me.

I have heard the "Your pregnancy week by week" was really good, and not as scarey as "What to Expect."

I've heard and read that, good thing I've been in the hopital many times before and know how to speak up for myself and not take a no without good reason.

 

[Savedthroughfaith]

Linnis,
Keep me posted on what you decide on as a birthing method. I'd be interested to see what info you come up (as I am doing the same...researching, researching).

 

[Linnis]

I have yet to meet my OB so I'm becoming as informed as I can so I can ask the right questions in the first few appts, so we(DH, OB and I) can come up with the best game plan.

 

[jgonz]

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon is Fabulous.

Even if you decide on getting an epidural, you still need to get to the point where you can Get one... so knowing what's going on with your body, what stage of labor you're in, just basically what's going on, is very important and helpful. And if you decide to go natural, then this book is even More helpful. IMO, it's one of the best for straightforward, down to earth info.

 

[jazzbird]

I do not like What to Expect at all. As someone else has said, it's overall, not very positive, but more than that, I do not find it very pro-natural birth, and I just think there are a lot of much better alternatives, especially if you are looking for resources that will support your natural birth decision.

As a month by month resource, I much prefer Dr. Sears' The Pregnancy Book. It's much more balanced and positive. Pregnancy "problems" are listed in a section in the back, rather than sprinkled throughout like in WTEWYE. (Also, if you're looking ahead at all, I love his The Baby Book too).

The Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger is wonderful too. It may actually be my favorite. I find myself turning to it often for enjoyment as well as information. There are tons of pictures too. It's very attractive looking in addition to being extremely useful.

Ina May's Guide To Childbirth is a must, imo, if you are planning on natural childbirth. The first half of the book is birth stories, and the second half is about birth. She's very crunchy, but I wouldn't call her new age, by any means - not like Birthing from Within, or anything. Her book has such a positive and encouraging view of the natural process of birth. She will definetely give you confidence to know that you can do this!

Susan McCutcheon's book, as was mentioned is a great resource too. I don't know what kind of childbirth class you plan to take, but especially if you take the hospital classes, I highly recommend this book as it will give you really solid techniques to draw on during labor. The hospital classes spend a lot of time on protocol, interventions, etc. and from what I've heard of others' experiences, they are not always that helpful in providing a real solid foundation for coping and making it through your L&D drug free. I think too many women go into labor with the mindset that I'm going to try to do it natural, but they often haven't spent the time and commitment necessary to prepare themselves to be successful, and they usually end up with an epi. This book will definetely help you be successful.

Another book that I really enjoyed is Mother's Intention: How Belief Shapes Birth. I forget the author - she's a childbirth educator. A word of warning though: she's hardcore and doesn't make any apologies for her position on natural birth/breastfeeding, etc. I probably wouldn't recommend the book to someone who wasn't planning a natural birth, but it has tons of great information and statistics on the benefits of doing it that way.

Have fun reading!

 

[Cright]

I really like my friends "What to expect" book, she got it about 5 or 5 1/2 years ago. The newer editions get more and more negative and less for natural birth, and seem more pro-abortion! Did they forget the title of the book "...your expecting"??

Anyway, if you can get a used older one I highly recommend it, otherwise I don't.

Other than that I like pregnancy week by week
the childbirth bradley method book
and for pictures (though some are graphic) is "a child is born"

Great thread!

 

[katelyn]

I'm currently reading The Birth Book by Sears and am really liking it. Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way was also really good.

Hey, I just checked out ICEA.org (International Childbirth Education Association) and they have discounted books in an Ebay bookstore:

http://stores.ebay.com/ICEA-Bookcenter

 

[Savedthroughfaith]

cright and katelyn,
Have either of you used (or going to use) the Bradley Method?
If so, any input on it? I am trying to decide between that and Hypnobirthing.....

 

[katelyn]

cright and katelyn,
Have either of you used (or going to use) the Bradley Method?
If so, any input on it? I am trying to decide between that and Hypnobirthing.....

I did Bradley Method with Natalie. I found the classes to be very beneficial and really appreciated the side-lying position they teach. However, I think they could teach more variety in their pain management techniques. They focus so heavily on the relaxation - which is important! - but I ended up in a situation where I felt like it was impossible for me to just will myself to relax, because I was nauseated and felt yucky all the time, not just during contractions. I think having some other methods in my toolbox, like visualization/meditation, might have helped me during that time. So next time I might take a more open class, perhaps something offered by the ICEA.

 

[Savedthroughfaith]

Thank you for your input. Perhaps I should take both classes...

By the way, my daughter is Natalie, too! (Natalie Rose).

 

[Cright]

I plan on using Bradley method. I have not yet attended classes, they don't start for another 2 or 3 months into the pregnancy. I will also be doing other research as well.

I want a natural birth, no drugs, and to be as relaxed as possible. I like the idea of being able to get up and move around the room when I want, and my OB/GYN and hospital are okay with that! Yeah.

 

[jazzbird]

cright and katelyn,
Have either of you used (or going to use) the Bradley Method?
If so, any input on it? I am trying to decide between that and Hypnobirthing.....

I'm currently taking Bradley which I feel is giving me a firm foundation for coping, and I also really appreciate how much it gets dh involved. On my own, I read the hypnobirthing book and am practicing the techniques in conjunction with my Bradley techniques. I think they are pretty complimentary programs. I feel like hypnobirthing will give me tools to draw on that will help me go deeper into relaxation. There is a lot more mental imagery involved and I find that helpful - though challenging.