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[JynxGirl]

Being me, I love to read everything I can get my hands on. 

Right now I'm reading "Pushed" by Jennifer Block and am totally engrossed. This was a Christmas present from my husband who has known I've wanted this book for ever!!

But now I'm curious, what pregnancy, parenting or really anything, books are you reading?

[SaguaroMoon]

I love to read, and I really like to learn what to expect of any situation! Here are my main books of the moment:

The Natural Pregnancy Book, by Aviva Jill Romm, MD. This book has all kinds of great advice; how to choose a doctor / midwife, nutrition, exercises, and a whole index of pregnancy related issues and natural ways to deal with them. I have a few good pregnancy books, but this has been my main reference through my pregnancy thus far.

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, by Susan McCutcheon. This was lent to me by my midwife, who is a big fan of the Bradley method. While I'm having a bit of a hard time getting into the book (for some reason, I'm not really digging the author's writing style), it has lots of wonderful advice, ideas and practice exercises for thriving through a drug-free labor.
 

The Pagan Family, by Ceisiwr Serith. I've had this book since I was 18 or so, and have read it about 10 times already, but I'm totally absorbing it this time. So many of my previous celebrations of holidays have involved hour-long rituals, rich with history, ecology, mythology, guided meditations - in other words, great for interested adults, but guaranteed to bore the socks off a kid. So, I've been looking into ways to celebrate the holidays and moon phases in a more kid-friendly way, with food, decorations, brief mealtime prayers, and relevant activities in nature and the community. This book has some wonderful suggestions of what works with kids, and what doesn't.

The Baby Book, by William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN. This is the best reference guide for ages birth to two that I have ever come across, with a strong emphasis on attachment parenting. EVERYTHING is in here; breastfeeding & bottlefeeding, baby-wearing, feeding other foods, attachment parenting for the working mom, sleeping issues, developmental stages, toilet training, babyproofing the home, health concerns - and so much more. Lol, I sound like an advertisement, but seriously, this book is wonderful! I've learned so much more from it than any child development class I've ever taken, and I'm a social worker.

I hope you didn't mind a full review - that's how much of a book nerd I am! I love discussing books!

[persephassa]

i have the sears baby book, simkin's pregnancy book, and the hypnobithing book... but my favorite, non-strictly informational books about pregnancy/birth are carole maso's room lit by roses--a diary chronicling her pregnancy in her early 40s, and francesca lia block's guarding the moon, about the first year of her daughter's life. i just reread maso's book, it is so lush & thoughtful. she has a collection of short stories coming out in june, i think called mother and child; i heard her read from it in san diego in october and i'm excited to have that to look forward to, after baby is here. in college i read anne lamott's operating instructions--i remember being annoyed by it, but maybe i'll try it again. but yeah, room lit by roses is amazing--maso loved the experience of being pregnant, and her writing is lyrical and smart.

[JynxGirl]

Sagurao - I love book reviews, because they help me decide if I want to actually read the book. :D Don't you just love Aviva Romm's writing style? I actually own a very dog eared copy of Naturally Healthy Babies and Children, and much as my husband normally despises anything "natural, hippy or crappy" he seems to like the suggestions and treatments in this book. Not to mention that I caught him reading it when he didn't want me to know he had an ear infection... (He caught hell for that, but still, the treatments I used on him were what the book suggested anyway...)

[Masel]

First pregnancy I read everything I could get my hands on. I am research girl by default. This time I am deliberately reading fun fiction. As important as having good information is I think this is keeping me sane. That said Carole Maso's Room Lit by Roses sounds interesting. I'm taking some heat from being so old and pregnant and could use a little validation. 

[JynxGirl]

Originally Posted by Masel 

First pregnancy I read everything I could get my hands on. I am research girl by default. This time I am deliberately reading fun fiction. As important as having good information is I think this is keeping me sane. That said Carole Maso's Room Lit by Roses sounds interesting. I'm taking some heat from being so old and pregnant and could use a little validation. 

I did the same with my daughter. But being 20/21, I read all the mainstream stuff. What to Expect when you're expecting (a thief to break into your house and maim your baby while you're sleeping.... seriously... what a terrifying book to read as a first time parent!!!!) A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy and stuff like that.

Then I found The Baby Book by Dr. Sears when I was about 30 weeks pregnant and it changed my freaking life!!! Finally!  A book that didn't feel like it was telling me EVERYTHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!! 

This time I seem to be wanting to read more instructional/off the wall books or books that are more research based. I can't seem to put Pushed down, and next on my list is probably Diaper Free Baby. :D

[MeredithA]

I am reading Pushed right now also! My midwife had it in her library and I picked it up at my last visit. I can't put it down either! I find that with my crazy pregnant hormones, I end up crying reading about how some women are treated in hospitals, the days of strapping mom to the birthing table, etc. I've also got the Hypnobirthing book but haven't read much yet because I've been trying to finish Pushed.  I read Spiritual Midwifery early on in the pregnancy (such an amazing book!) and am currently looking for a book of natural remedies. Maybe i'll check out Natural Healthy Babies. It doesn't have to be targeting just babies though - I'd like a book about what herbs/oils/natural remedies to use for a variety of ailments. Suggestions? 

[JynxGirl]

Naturally Healthy Babies and Children is awesome because of all of the remedies that are suitable for children and infants, but I've found that they work just as well on myself as well. :D (There's also a great section on pregnancy and nursing.)

I finished Pushed last night... My husband who was kind of on the fence about what we wanted for this baby's birth is now all "You are woman, rawr!!" about it. LOL My mom wants to read it now too, because she's concerned about how many interventions I'm turning down, but wants to understand why.

I've been reading Ina May's Guide to childbirth since before I was pregnant, and have borrowed Spiritual Midwifery three times from our library. :P