What are you reading? « Back to Group Discussions

[intime0]

I feel like there was recently a book thread, but I don't see it. 

Anyway, I'm curious what others are reading birth/pregnancy related and just in general. 

Maybe if a few are interested we could select a pregnancy/birth book and read it together and discuss.  We coudl have a long turn around time. Just throwing it out there.

Currently I'm reading Gunslinger #1 with my husband. The Stand because he told me I would love it. 

and  A Naturally Healthy Pregnancy by Shonda Parker.  (Don't have much to say about it yet cause I've just started it.)

[Thandiwe]

I'm reading "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant - when I can that is!  I borrowed "Mommy Diagnostics" by Shonda Parker to read again, since it's been a couple of years, but so far I've only loosely read through it this time. 

[sallyrae17]

I bumped up the old list. As for me, I just started reading "Love in the Time of Cholera." I love it so far!

[Lizbiz]

I'm currently reading: 

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 

Extreme Makeover by Teresa Tomeo

Conversation with Christ by Peter Rohrbach

And... no pregnancy books :).  I regularly flip through Spiritual Midwifery though because I love the birth stories, and well, Ina May rocks.  :)  

[ISHISN0WC0NE]

I LOVED "The Red Tent"!  Im reading "The Historian" right now, and recently read "A Reliable Wife" and "The Heretics Daughter".  All excellent.  Nothing baby related though 

[ilovetchotchkes]

Motherprayer- Jewish prayer book for moms. :) 

As soon as the newest Stephen King book shows up i'll be reading the 2nd to most recent (Since I never know when he'll retire, or get hit by a van again, I save the last book until he comes out with a new one so that if he does stop writing, I will savor the living snot out of it!!!) 

I need some good books on birth. Any suggestions? i've already read Pushed and the Ina Mae one. 

[ISHISN0WC0NE]

ilovetchotchkes- who is the author of motherprayer?

[Knitting Mama]

Currently reading Beyond the Sling and liking it a lot. I have heard that the biggest criticism people have towards the book is that they feel like they have to be defensive if they don't do what Mayim writes about, but I don't feel that way. Guess I'm confident in my AP parenting skillz or something. 

[ilovetchotchkes]

Originally Posted by ISHISN0WC0NE 

ilovetchotchkes- who is the author of motherprayer?

http://www.amazon.com/Motherprayer-Pregnant-Womans-Spiritual-Companion/dp/1573225533/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332164145&sr=8-1

:) 

[Thandiwe]

Originally Posted by ISHISN0WC0NE 

I LOVED "The Red Tent"! 

I wasn't sure what to think, but I'd read through everything I have and that was in a bin in the basement so I thought I'd try it.  It is really good! 

[Thandiwe]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama 

Currently reading Beyond the Sling and liking it a lot. I have heard that the biggest criticism people have towards the book is that they feel like they have to be defensive if they don't do what Mayim writes about, but I don't feel that way. Guess I'm confident in my AP parenting skillz or something. 

I love how AP is a continuum.  You can really be anywhere on the spectrum and parent any which way, as long you are focusing on the *heart* of AP, which is a deep connection with your child.  My favorite article through API is an article where the author says you really don't have to practice any of the principles like breastfeeding, babywearing, or co-sleeping but really just need to have that deep connection with your child where their physical, emotional, and mental well-being are primary to any particular parenting decision.    I find that recognizing that AP is a spectrum/continuum (instead of an ultimate, sometimes unobtainable destination) can really reach so many moms instead of dividing.  That's my only complaint about parenting "experts" who claim to know just the *right* way to do things - there's never only one way to get the job done.  I've never read any of Mayim Bialik's books so I can't really state any opinions on her.  The moms in my API group are so vast - we all do things so incredibly different!  But at the core of all of us, we're striving to connect deeper with our children and parent them specifically to their needs. 

[Knitting Mama]

She has been really up front in her interviews and stuff about how she feels like the book is more memoir than a parenting advice book. While I can see why she feels that way, I also think that she gives a lot of advice in the book that some people would not want to do, like about EC and family beds. But still, there's a lot of valuable information and experience in there.

[dovemama]

I am reading "Full Moon Feast" by Jessica Prentice. About Traditional foods and community. 

Also, "Spiritual Midwifery" sits on my nightstand for easy reading. It, in my opinion, is the Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul 

[intime0]

I can't remember which one of the Ina May books that I didnt like.  I know I have the other on my bookshelf to read. 

I didnt love the Red Tent.  I think I would have liked it a lot better if it was more fiction.  It seemed she took a lot of freedom with the Bible and...well...I didnt like that. 

I would like to read Mayim's book.

[moremadder]

Just finished Get Me Out by Randi Hutter Epstein, supposedly a history of birth but was actually a little broader -- covered conception and pregnancy stuff too. It was very interesting, a very quick and easy read, but I wished there was more focus on the move from home births and midwives to OBs and hospitals and then (to some extent) back again. That was definitely covered quite extensively, but I don't know ... I wanted more. Especially on more recent developments, how they do it in other countries, etc. And Epstein was a little annoyingly flippant at times. But overall very interesting, I recommend it.

Has anyone read Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives, by Annie Murphy Paul? I'm kind of interested to read it but worried it will make me too paranoid and freaked out to read it while pregnant.

[Justmee]

Originally Posted by Thandiwe 

I'm reading "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant - when I can that is!  I borrowed "Mommy Diagnostics" by Shonda Parker to read again, since it's been a couple of years, but so far I've only loosely read through it this time. 

I read The Red Tent a few years ago, really enjoyed it. I jsut finished "The Island" and I think it was great. I have started The Dovekeepers, but not into it yet.

If you mean baby / child care books, I should be re-reading how to talk and siblings without rivalry, thanks for the reminders!

[LeAnn A Doula]

I just finished Hillary's Choice by Gail Sheehy and American Lion by Meacham, a great bio of Andrew Jackson. I want to start Ghosts by Daylight by Janine Di Giovanni. It's a memoir of her experience as war correspondent. I'm also reading Alice in Wonderland out loud to the LO.

I read The Red Tent a few years back as well and liked it a lot. I just really enjoyed the portrayal of the women's community.

Baby-wise I'm re-reading Ina Mae's Guide to CB and I want to read the Thinking Woman's Guide to Better Birth next. Other books on my baby to read list are Ina Mae's Guide to BFing, The Womanly Art of BFing, The Baby Book and The Discipline Book by Dr. Sears.

[iixivboots]

Hi Ladies,

I'm reviving this to see if anyone has a birth book recommendation for me. I really want something that is a balanced view of hospital vs. home/birth center; natural vs medicated; high intervention vs. low intervention.  I know I will birth at a hospital and while I am still hoping, I have a pretty high risk for GD. I just want to start with a book that I feel like presents an unbiased view of many possible outcomes. Ideas? Thanks.

[LilyTiger]

Boots, you probably already looked at this, but I just started the Dr. Sears Birth Book and so far it seems very balanced.  I also read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and really liked that one too, though she obviously comes from a very much non-interventionist place.  I don't think she deals with GD at any length either.  The Sears book is the only one I've actually bought -- I picked it up along with the Sears Baby Book the other day.  Just a thought.

[iixivboots]

Lily, I have the Sears baby book, but not the birth book. I did really like his writing style and overall tone from when I looked at the birth book (way earlier in the school year!) so maybe I'll try that.