Pregnant People Like - Books

Today starts week 34. So, I have somewhere between 6-7 weeks left before Baby Icing makes her debut, and my memory is going. Since I hope to have more than one happy and healthy little baby (God willing), I want to remember all the resources and tips that were useful this time around. When I found out that I was actually pregnant (because I'm paranoid, I couldn't believe it until the blood work came back at 6 weeks), the first thing I did was to buy a couple of good reference books.

I think books are pretty personal, so what I liked might not work for you. That said, I think the Mayo Clinic book is very good and very neutral. It covers pre-conception tips and nutrition, genetic counselling and testing for disorders, as well as what changes your body and your baby go through over the 40 weeks. I thought the discussion of labor/c section and pain relief was really informative and non-biased. It also has handy little decision charts for different questions and concerns as you go through your pregnancy, and when you NEED to contact your doctor.

This is what I'm reading these days, and I've just started it. It's written by a pediatrician who does a really good job of looking at sleep from the perspective of a little baby. I'll review further when I complete it, but it is a nice sympathetic way of examining how babies sleep, and clarifying that they are quite different from grownups!

Vicki Iovine makes me laugh so much. I got this right at the start, and I think it's the perfect combination with the Mayo Clinic book - sage medical advice in the one, and light-hearted humor in the second. At a time when you are feeling deadly serious (and more than a little nervous), it's reassuring to read about people who have been there done that and survived! She is so funny about the ills of pregnancy (including the little indignities that NO ONE told me about). Granted, I think if you are very committed to a natural/home birth experience, or are not a fan of conventional medicine, you probably wouldn't find this very supportive, but it is HILARIOUS. I'll be giving this one to people when they tell me they are pregnant!

I just ordered Dr. Camann's book today, and am eagerly looking forward to it. Since this is my first baby, I want to be educated about all my options. It's written by an anesthesiologist about all sorts of various pain relief methods. My hospital offers a seminar by an anesthesiologist on pain relief choices as well, so I'm taking that too. Hopefully, this will help me understand how the epidural works, so I can be a little less nervous about it!

So, these are the books that I've found helpful so far. I will clearly need to do a post about baby care books too - right now I'm reading the back section of my Mayo Clinic group for baby care. What books have you found helpful?