book on pregnancy

[cat811]

Hi - I have just found out I'm pregnant, and was wondering if anyone can recommend a good all-round book that covers everything!

Thanks a lot,

Cat x

Congrats !

I have What to expect the first year
for sale if thats any good !

I quite liked (and still like) the Pregnancy Bible-got it from Amazon and has been lent around friends- don't know who's got it now! But good info.

birth and beyond by y gordon

I really liked 'Birth and Beyond' by Dr Yehudi Gordon (and is useful for the early months too - has a health care section in the back that's quite useful). Sheila Kitzinger's 'Pregnancy and Childbirth' is also good.

snap!

I've got the pregnancy bible and something called your pregnancy week by week, which both have nice pictures of what's growing inside and basic info on diet exercise etc, but perhaps not in depth enough for really detailed info on EVERYTHING. nice reads though.

this is a really good book.

it's got a chapter on each week with a story. it also has some non fiction info each week. it's really good and funny too.

i used to read a chapter a week to give me something to look forward to

If you want something very impartial and full of practical information, I'd recommend Prof. Lesley Regan, Your Pregnancy Week by Week. I found it contained everything I needed to know, and lacked the preachy tone of some other books.

Personally, I found the "What to Expect when you're Expecting" book REALLY annoying.

"The Rough Guide to Pregnancy and Birth"??? What the? That's published as "Up the Duff" here in Australia. It would be my recommended text but I didn't really like her sequel "Kid Wrangling" - probably not called that in the UK either?

Cheers

M

The Best Friend's guide by Vicki Iovine is also v good.

I'd agree with Lordashley, Your Pregnancy Week by Week is great, pictures are brilliant and it's covered everything I've worried about (so far...)

For Londoners, Hardens London Baby Guide is a fantastic, if a bit old (2004 last edition and they're not planning a new one, more's the pity), full of info about hospitals, shops etc as well as the usual general advice.

Personally I can't stand Americanisms so steering clear of Your Pregnancy Week by Week - but my BF gave me The Best Friend's Guide and that's very good.

Not so keen on Expecting (pub by Virago - stripey jumper on the cover) as though the tone is v.g., good and neutral, it seems to focus a lot on the downside of being pregnant so not great if you get anxious.

Have heard good things about the Yehudi Gordon too but unsurprisingly haven't got round to that one yet!

i only ever neeeded one book when i was pregnant the first time.. what to expect when your expecting. I'm Pg again and am already using it.. well worth a tenner, you can get it on Amazon

I am finding the Pregnancy Bible and Pregnancy Questions and Answers both really good.

I have been using the Your Pregnancy Week by Wekk by Lesley Reagan and it has been fab. Great photos, enough info without scaring me and some really interesting things that I never knew about pregnancy. I love it.

I also bought The Best Friends Guide to Pregnancy which was funny and the Yummy Mummy Survival Guide but they are both more light hearted though are worth a read for the amusing stories in them!

Aarrgh I'm an idiot - the American one I don't like is What to Expect When You're Expecting (you either mind the style or you don't I guess)

Sorry - blame the hormones!

In my opinion, avoid Miriam Stoppard's books, I found her alarmist, badly informed, obsessed with pre-eclampsia and all in favour of letting doctors do whatever they want.

I loved the Rough Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. Humorous, but with lots of information.

There is one called Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Glade B Curtis et al - AVOID like the plague, it is terribly scaremongery. I threw it away and took great pleasure in doing so.
To be perfectly honest, I would avoid What to Expect - it is very manufactured, it brings up a lot of really rare and minor problems with pregnancy but doesn't put them in any sort of context, leaving you to 'ask your healthcare practitioner' which is its only real advice. It also pays no attention to non-drug methods of pain relief in childbirth, and generally gives you the impression that every woman should have the epidural and get her ankles in the stirrups at the first contraction. It is very American and really makes me want to hurt someone.
The Rough Guide to Pregnancy is about the only one with any sense of humour and information about pregnancy. Doesn't tell you much about birth and breastfeeding though (but they are huge topics, imo they need books all of their own!).

One for the blokes as well- recommended by friends hubby, got my for hubby who has actually recommended and lent it to his friends! Blokes Guide to Pregnancy ( it has a section telling them to get you a pressie as well )
I liked reading it too, entertaining, but obviously completely different level of info for blokes...
mumofk

Zinnia, there are two books called Your Pregnancy Week by Week
One is by Lesley Regan and the other is the Glade B Curtis book
Regan is British and the other one is just hideous (and American).
I would avoid all American books as a general rule because their system is very focussed on medicalised birth/doctors delivering, and in Britain iirc 80% of babies are delivered by midwives, who usually have a totally different view of birth.