Books/websites to read during pregnancy

[zinher]

Hi, I have already ordered some books from my library about breast feeding and such. Now it's dawning on me that the baby has to come out so am wondering how I should prepare for the birth and the first few weeks thereafter? Any books or website recommendations?
Thanks

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is a bit hippy-ish if that kind of thing bugs you but has lots of very positive birth stories in it.

I enjoyed reading What to Expect the First Year but my baby hasn't arrived yet so I've no idea whether it will actually be useful when they're here...

:) thanks marzi. Will check those out. When are you due?

February 4th, how about you?

By the way - I actually started a similar thread ages ago and most of the replies were along the lines of - don't bother reading too much because when it happens, you'll forget all the theory/your baby won't be like the babies in the books/if you have questions, MN is open 24/7! Which I am sure is all very true, but I do like reading :)

But I did enjoy Ina May (and she does have some good, potentially useful tips for ways to help you relax during childbirth) and I thought the other book was a good, non-judgemental, non-theory pushing basic look at what you can expect from a one week old/one month old/etc.

2 march :) I have been reading mumsnet too but would like to read something about the actual process too. Thanks :)

I'd recommend Juju Sundin, Birth Skills. It's all about practical tips to cope with labour pain without (or before you have) drugs and is (IMO) not overly hippy nor likely to make you feel bad if you end up with epidural, CS or whatever.

I read way too much about labour and birth and not even about bf. So, I would recommend:

The Womanly Art of Bf
The Food of Love
Kellymom website
Dr Jack Newman website

The most useful childbirth book I read was Nicole Croft's Good Birth Companion - not too preachy or hippie or scaremongering...

Since DD arrived about a week ago I've been referring back to Bumpology and Lucy Atkins' First-Time Parent (on kindle so I can keyword search). I also expect Andrea Grace's Gentle Sleep Solutions will be helpful in a few weeks / months! I'm not trying to follow any systems as such, I just want practical advice...

"How not to be a perfect mother" by Libby Purves - it is funny, and full of common sense about how you don't have to drive yourself to a frazzle trying to be perfect - even a Madonna (the mother of Jesus sort, not the conically-bra-ed pop star sort) needs half an hour off with her feet up, and a good book - and as long as your child is warm, clean-ish, safe and fed, it isn't the end of the world that he is wearing a disposable nappy and his older brother's jumper with the sleeves rolled up.

I'd second the Libby Purves one, and I buy The Food of Love for my preg friends.