Pregnancy book recommendations

[DrIzzyP]

Hi everyone,

I’m a first-time mum-to-be and looking for the best evidence-based books on pregnancy and child development. I’d love any advice or recommendations you have to help me prepare for this exciting journey.

Thank you in advance! x

I've currently got from the library:

What to expect when you're expecting
The whole brain child
The book you wish your parents had read (and your children will be glad you did)

I haven't read any of them cover to cover but I'm dipping in and out and all three are really good.

Highly recommend 'expecting better' by Emily Oster

Christine Hill's Pregnancy Guide

I liked Clemmie Hoopers - how to grow a baby (and push it out) but appreciate she's slightly more controversial now than she was 7 years ago!

I was given what to expect when you're expecting but wasn't a huge fan - most of the info is in the app too and delivered week by week

I thought Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan by Rebecca Schiller was great. Very practical, lays out the options and evidence in a non-judgemental way. The way it's laid out makes it easy to dip in and out of if you just want to read about a particular topic.

Also liked Expecting Better and Cribsheet by Emily Oster, but good to bear in mind that her approach is that of an academic, i.e. she has researched the topics and presents what she thinks has the strongest evidence (although she does also say where there is little/no evidence either way). I did find it refreshing that she is not afraid to talk about subjects considered taboo, for example, she reckons there is no evidence that the occasional glass of wine during pregnancy will do any harm.

The most unusual one, but which I also really enjoyed, was Matrescence by Lucy Jones. Hard to explain what it's about, other than the experience of becoming a mother, but this one was the most interesting from a mental health perspective, I'd say.