Poll...What are/were your must have pregnancy/baby books and which were a waste of money?

[Tracey]

Of course, I know Baby Bargains was everyone's number one pick :7 ! What were some of the others?

[Rachels]

I found the Sears books (The Pregnancy Book, the Birth Book, The Baby Book, The Breastfeeding Book, etc.) to be wonderful. You'll find a huge range in books as far as philosophies go, and if you look around the archives you'll notice that my earlier posts tend to suggest staying away from mass-market books like What to Expect (which I find to be fear-based and misleading, research-wise). However, I found the Sears books to do a pretty reasonable job of straddling the philosophy fence and presenting information in a way that is clear without being patronizing.

Other books that I am fond of both as a pregnant woman and as a researcher about childbirth practices include Henci Goer's books (such as The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth), Gayle Peterson's An Easier Childbirth, Sheila Kitzinger's books, and Penny Simkin's books. The Girlfriend's Guide was good for a chuckle, but again was packed with information that actually contradicts a good deal of the medical and world health literature. The books written by the other authors I mentioned are the insights of people who have had children but who also have had extensive histories as researchers (not the case with the Girlfriend's Guide or What to Expect, for example). I found that combination to present some pretty powerful information, and feel like the choices I've made for my own pregnancy and birth are very well-informed.

Hope this helps!

-Rachel

[trumansmom]

I second what she said! The Sears' books have been (and continue to be!) very helpful. Two others that I particularly enjoyed were "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" and (if applicable) "Your Over 35 Pregnancy Week by Week". Sorry, but they are both out on loan right now, so I don't have the authors!

The one that I HATED and seriously questioned the advice repeatedly, was "The EVERYTHING Pregnancy Book." There were some things in there that really shocked me and I found no other sources that came close to backing them up.

Good luck and happy reading!

[aprender]

Of course Baby Bargains Book . . . but I absolutely LOVED "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" by Vicki Iovine. I am now LOVING "the Girlfriends Guide to the First Year" by Vicki Iovine. My OB even highly recommended the GGTP and has it in his reception area. I found that the What to Expect when you're Expecting book a little frightening while pregnant. But the What to Expect in the First Year book very helpful in preparing for Doctor visits and feeding issues.

[rachelfran]

I recommend Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott

[Rachels]

I LOVE Operating Instructions!!! It's a mother's journal of her baby's first year. Besides being wonderfully funny and touching, it is incredibly validating of the experience of both loving a baby fiercely and wondering what you've done to your life by having one. Definitely worth a read (and a re-read...)

[luvbeinmama]

I haven't read the Sears books, but I have to agree about the "What to expect..." book. Yuck! Every time I had some kind of problem/ache/whatever during my pregnancy, I could find NO INFORMATION WHATSOEVER on what I was trying to look up!! And that diet! Ack! Like anyone is really going to stick to that! How about a reality check?

I did like the Pregnancy Week by Week book. It's like getting a little peek at how your baby is progressing each week. Very cool!

Most of the stuff I needed to know, I got out of the hospital classes, and the Lamaze classes (not just about breathing), which were all very informative.

[neeciekay]

Okay, you're not going to believe this, but a great book on pregnancy is the "Pregnancy for Dummies" book. (I can't find the book since I just moved and am not unpacked, so I don't know the authors, but they are two M.D.s -- a woman and a man). If you can handle the embarrassment of handing this book to the checkout clerk, it's a great resource. My husband bought it for himself as a joke, but you can't imagine how many times we found answers to our questions in there and nowhere else! I'm not kidding -- it's great.

Ditto to the other comments on "What to Expect ..." - yuck. I thought the "Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" was a welcome relief from all the heavy reading and I highly recommend it. You need to read something funny after all that stuff about epidurals vs. drug-free births, episiotomies vs. tearing, to circumcise or not to circumcise, and on and on and on.

Better yet, pick up your favorite magazine on anything but babies and happy reading!

[hellollama]

I know I have said this before, but I just thought I would mention it in this thread. There is a new version of "What to Expect..." out. I agree with most of the opinions about the earlier version of this book, but apparently the authors have taken complaints to heart and have removed that icky Best Odds Diet stuff and changed the tone in certain parts. I have not actually read the new version (and don't plan to)so I have no idea whether the book is actually less annoying than the old one. But I think it is only fair you keep in mind that the bad opinions on this board are really a criticism of the earlier version. I am actually curious to hear readers' opinions on the new version. Amazon is no help because they lump both versions' reviews together even though there are substantial differences between the two.
I did enjoy "The Girfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" but it is not a reference book. I recently bought "The Mother of All Pregnancy Books". I liked the author's tone and thought the information in it was accurate. (It was the only pregnancy book I have read that actually mentions that dehydration can cause pre-term labor - something I was unaware of until I ended up hospitalized for that very problem with my first pregnancy.) However, I did not like the organization of the book, and the amount of information in the book did not seem as substantial as some.

[spu]

We found the "Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy and Baby's First Year" very resourceful from the beginning of our pregnancy. With all the ups and downs that occur in one's first pregnancy, this book was thoughtful, reassuring, and easy to find information. I like the way it outlines the fetal development in the beginning, then goes into the trimesters, and the last half is about baby care. Since I was put on bedrest with my twins at 18 weeks into the pregnancy, it was the next best thing since I couldn't attend classes. Plus, it offers honest information without making you paranoid (like the "What to Expect..." book...)

The "Girlfriend's Guide" series was also terriffic. Very reassuring!!! The bit of humor complimented the more medical style books nicely. Vicki should package up her 3 books as a gift set. It would make a wonderful shower gift!

My hubby and I also enjoyed "The Pregnancy Journal; A Day-To-Day Guide to a Healthy and Happy Pregnancy". Taken with a grain of salt, it talks about everything happening to you and the baby's development on a day-by-day basis. Fun to see when things happen. It also spotlights different traditions, nutrition tips, etc. and makes for fast and easy reading.

My mom gave me her old Dr Spock book from when I was born, and it's been very fun, and humerous reading! Fun to see how things have changed!

Susan
edd July 30 - twin girls