I need a book like What to Expect....but good.

[Boobs]

What To Expect When Expecting was my bible when I was pregnant and 17. (I really did the best I could!)

Is there a comprehensive pregnancy book for natural mothers? I have books on birth, but I don't have books on what's going on with me now.

Any suggestions?

[Sonna]

Oh golly, now you got me started!
I am in the prosses of building a lending library and I have a wonderful list for you.
I totaly recomend Peggy O'Marra's new book (Natural Pregnacy?). I reccomend both of Ina May Gaskin's books; Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. They are more about preparing for birth than going through pregnacy though. I reccomend both you and your partner read Peggy Simkin's The Birth Partner. It is less about pregnacy and more about labor, but she is awsome and the book would be very helpful to anyone supporting a mother through labor. Hmmm. Most of the books I can think of off the top of my head are more about labor. I will go home and look through my library and get back to you.

Have youread Spiritual Midwifery or Ina May's Guide to Childbirth? They are so empowering. I know that my birth was so wonderful (I would even say pain free) because of the mind set I addapted after reading Spiritual Midwifery.

[Boobs]

Hey, Sonna!

I have A Child Is Born - Lennart Nilsson (great, great pictures)

Birth Your Way - Sheila Kitzinger

I need a book to tell me what's happening when to me and the baby. A week by week breakdown. I loved that about WTE. I really liked the format of those books, just not the information!

[wtchyhlr]

The Pregnancy Book by Dr. Sears.

[Lisashepp]

I used this with my first and now this pregnancy

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1555612601/102-5010090-9589715?v=glance

It isn't really into natural stuff, but it gives information and doesn't go on and on. IMO the best part is the weekly pictures of the baby! it also says each week how big the baby is, and how big you are and what changes are going on with you and your baby week-by-week.

[Clarity]

Your Pregnancy Companion is a short, prety good week by week without the negative issues in WTE

[sadkitty]

I just checked Sheila Kitzingers "The Complete pregancy and birth" book out of the library and have devoured about 150 pages of it today. I like lots of pictures and she is biased towards naturalness without being totally negative about medical stuff. I DON't recommend a girlfriend guide to pregnancy. I have very violent feeling towards that stupid book. I did buy "your pregnancy week by week", but its been shelved.

Anyone have good boks recs for the 2nd time mama?

[Periwinkle]

As a 2nd time mama who read WTEWYE and Your Pregnancy Week by Week (plus a couple of multiple pregnancy books) I had to restock big time too.

Now to clarify, I am someone who also LOVES the format of the two books above -- the really good detail on a weekly or monthly basis, and the Q&A format for "concerns you might have during this month". I just can't stand much of the content. So instead of keeping the Week by Week book, instead I subscribed to one of those online newsletters (babycenter.com) which sends me a weekly email all about what's happening to baby. That allows me to have fun knowing that my baby is now the size of a walnut instead of a lima bean, and various things going on in my body, but I don't have to read all the other cr*p.

I read The Pregnancy Book (William Sears) but I don't know, it kind of bugs me like a lot of his books. It was just a natural/AP version of WTEWYE - condescension and all. :shrug May be just me though.

I also have Having A Baby, Naturally (Peggy O'Mara) - Like all "soup to nuts" pregnancy/birth books, I think it's better suited for 1st time moms. Also, there's A LOT of text on really really big pages. :D Sorry, I'm a graphics gal. :o

All in all, I think these books were great:

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth (Henci Goer)
Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally (Janet Balaskas)
Spiritual Midwifery and Guide to Childbirth (Ina May Gaskin)

I am also planning a VBAC so I bought:

VBAC Companion by Diana Korte


Good luck!!

[Sonna]

Having a Baby Naturaly. That is the name of Peggy O'Marra's new book that I was trying to remember yesterday. Thanks Periwinkle. That book is a must if you don't want the negative WTEWYE, but you like the layout.

[kater07]

The Pregnancy Book by Sears Goes Month by Month and I love it!

Immaculate Deception by Suzanne Arms

Birthing From Within Bu England and Horowitz

I haven't read Ina May Gaskins or Peggy O'Mara's books, but I want them too.

I also want to read The Thinking Woman's Guide to Better Birth... checked it out once then got sick of PG books when I wasn't PG yet.

Good luck!

[Ellie'sMom]

Hi all. I was just lurking over here to see how you all are doing, and I saw this thread. One book not mentioned is Penny Simkin's (sp?) Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn. It was the text for my childbirth class and that along with Dr. Sears' Pregnancy Book and Birthing from Within were my staples. The Simkin book was great and less heavy handed than the Dr. Sears' book, IMO.

Back to lurkdom!

[alaskanteach]

I found two somewhat dated but still fun to read cloth diapering books. Changing times was one, I can't remember the name of the other. Something about Modern Cloth Diapering.