Pregnancy Book recommendations

I really enjoyed Up The Duff - a nice light hearted but informative view of the 40+ weeks.

Sheila Kitzinger also writes some really good factual books.

Good luck in your hunt - there's so much to choose from.

Third Up The Duff. It was hilarious, and had factual stuff as well as a little on-going fiction diary throughout it. DH and I had many laughs - I'd read to him from the diary entry, and it was exactly what I was going through that week!!

I used the NZ Pregnancy Guide which was ok.

I loved Up the Duff and read it week by week so it was exciting every Saturday morning to see what was happening next.

For the end of pregnancy/after the birth I found Oh Baby a really good book. It has info in there re sleeping/feeding etc so it was great to have this after the birth when you are home and going "now what??".

I also liked the Little Treasures Preganancy Guide that costs about $12.

Don't whatever you do read 11 hours by Paulina Simons, it is a good book but not one to read when pregnant.

TBH I didn't read any books I got a weekly email from Treasures (didn't know about OB then) and that was it.

I've got What to Expect When You're Expecting mainly because I couldn't find Up The Duff here but also because I like to read as much info as I can about anything and the first thing I did when I got my BFP was go out and buy books! I also got the What to Eat book from the same series and that has actually been far more useful - particularly when I had bad MS and needed ideas for easy to cook meals .. even DH could follow the recipes

What to Expect takes itself a bit seriously IMO, but it's an OK reference book and is easy to follow. Has tips about exercise and eating and mentions lots of the things that have come up in our due in Feb thread

For a bit of light reading, and for DHs benefit, I got "The Pregnant Guy" as well which is really really funny and a guy's take on his wife's pregnancy. DH has just finished it and really enjoyed it.

If you really want to buy a book, I'd go down to the bookstore and have a look through some of their pregnancy books and see which ones you like the style of and which ones have the kind of info you're looking for. There's loads of great info on the net and between OhBaby and the Baby Centre sites (and weekly updates) I think there's plenty to read without buying books at all if you don't want to!

My cousin lent me 'Active Birth' by Sheila Kitzinger. A great book but one I'd only recommend reading as you get closer to D-day

I sussed out my local library, picked a few favourites, then bought my own copies of them through trademe. The two I've been looking at all the way through are:

The DK Pregnancy Question & Answer Book
Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Lesley Regan (also DK)

More recently I've enjoyed a few other books from the library. Two were by Debra Choate & Kim Choate: 'Nest' & 'Nurture.' Johnson's put out a few little Everyday Babycare books that I found good too : 'Sleeping,' 'Crying & Comforting,' & (for DH!) 'Being a Dad.' And one that has some great ideas for things to make & do for baby was: 'Your Baby on a Budget' by Mimi Clegg

As well as the weekly updates from Ohbaby, I get a weekly email from Treasures that I find quite good. ivillage also does a pregnancyweekly email and has some great pics for different gestations. Also, try going online and plugging your due date into 'fitpregnancy.com' - they have some great info & ideas for each week of gestation.

Hehe... can you guess that I love reading?!!
Have fun!!!

Edited by kmarie

Thanks for the fitpregnancy.com tip kmarie! Just found their prenatal workouts section - brilliant!

I am currently reading Up The Duff witch I am enjoying week by week but would also like to find a more informative one.

mummy_becks wrote: Don't whatever you do read 11 hours by Paulina Simons, it is a good book but not one to read when pregnant. TBH I didn't read any books I got a weekly email from Treasures (didn't know about OB then) and that was it.

I loved this book too!! I read it a few years ago when I was a student, I had a day off and pretty much didn't get off the bed till I'd finished!!

I like Up the Duff too. I got a wee bit ahead of myself earlier this year and bought it and read the whole thing I'll have to read it again when I finally get a BFP

I know Sheila Kitzinger has been mentioned. But my favorite book is her one on "Homebirth and other alternatives to hospital"

It is EVEN good if you are going to be in hospital, it gives you a good understanding of labour in general and techniques you and your partner can do to help yourself.

I was planning a home water birth but now I cant have one But still I picked it up again the other day and it still had helpful info for being in hospital too