Can anyone recommend some good pregnancy books please?

[AngelDoll]

I'm going book shopping this weekend and wondered if there are any that people had found particularly useful, from early pregnancy onwards? Don't know where to start!!

not sure about pregnancy ones
I had what to expect when you're expecting one

BUT lulumama recommended Stand and Deliver for birthing advice and its great

Dr Sears 'The Baby Book' - i bought it on a whim and it was the best book i could have got! Its very keen on attachment parenting, but that suits me just fine. Its very comprehensive, and good for building confidence - basically it says trust your instincts.

think he also does a pregnancy book, but i cant recommend the above one highly enough. Good luck x

Thanks, I have heard people refer to pregnancy books but I guess they mean birthing/baby books - am new to all of this!

Will have a good rummage round Waterstones!

i can recommend the Best Friend's Guide to Pregnancy - funny, irreverent and simple

as a thorough medical book which outlined all your options (although won't tell you what to do - just gives you choice) is Lesley Regan's book on pregnancy week by week - it is big, expensive, but fantastic if you want impartial medical and human advice

beware of too many books - they'll drive you crazy - and too much scaremongering. and as much as i love mumsnet, beware of putting too much reliance on other people's opinions - hearing what other people think/did is only one way of making up your own mind.

Kaz Cooke's - Rough Guide to Pregnancy and Birth is really good informative but written from her own experiences so all the information is there in a funny way i loved it just passed it on to a friend who is 16 weeks as i have read it cover to cover 3 times at 33 weeks what i dont know now dont think i ever will lol x

i have a love :-

your pregnancy week by week by practical parenting

for each week that your pregnancy progresses there is a picture of what the baby looks like and information on how it is developing. also has sections about how your body is changing during the different weeks.
covers what you should and shouldnt eat etc

watch me grow by professor stuart campbell

a gorgeous book for each week has a 3-d scan of what the baby looks like and information pictures are amazing

pregnancy questions and answers by dk

covers everything you need to know about pregnancy and birth.has great pictures every month of developing baby and lots of information

I really like Your Pregnancy Bible.

Another vote for Kaz Cooke's Rough Guide to Pregnancy. The only one that made me laugh. And it does contain all the "proper" serious stuff too.

I'd agree with Kaz Cooke's Rough Guide to Pregnancy - it's very funny and just about the right amount of information.

I liked the Queen Charlotte's hospital one. Was written by experts. Had some good sections at the back (when things go wrong, huge section on labour, nutrition etc.) and a good few pages for each week, telling you in detail what the baby and what you were doing (e.g. baby is now the size of a peanut, baby now has eyelashes...but quite a lot of info.)

that is a good one , dizzy ! whomovedmychocolate recommended it to me, and in fact, gave it to me!

i would also say anything by sheila kitzinger, ina may gaskin and janet balaskas, although mainly birth orientated, are very powerful, inspiring and more spiritual.

Agree with Kaz Cookes one. Loved that. Its got a little measurng bit down the side of each page to tell you how big the baby is each week which I really liked.

tommys guide to being pregnant, you can order it free off the charities website. It was the most straight forward and informative guide I read, (I read a lot of them) but always went back to that one.

I also loved the Kaz Cookes one - really informative and accessible. I bought Blooming Birth too and that was great for preparing for labour and overcoming any fears. It also covered pregnancy and what to expect after the birth in an honest way.

I liked 'What to Expect' for general info, and for a funny read about pregnancy and the first year the Mel Geidroyc books, From here to Maternity' and 'Going GaGa'

They're all really helpful suggestions, I didn't get to go book shopping after all and I'm glad I didn't as I now have lots of new titles to consider! I can have a look on Amazon this week. Thanks everybody for your contributions!

My favorite book about pregnancy is "Pregnancy for Dummies" has lots of good info.

what to expect when you're expecting..
I know, cliche... but it's really good! It tells you what you need to know, isn't scary and bullets the important information for each month, provides very clear information and not too much or overwhelming (and no scary stories like in magazines!). I love it can you tell?

Def another vote for Kaz Cooke's Rough Guide - have bought so many copies to give to newly pregnant friends I should be on commission!
I hate when people say this but "the most important book" I've ever read is WHy Love Matters - can't remember who it's by. It's not an easy read and is not really to do with pregnancy or birth but more on the development of baby from conception through to early years. I really really really really (you get the idea ) recommend it!

Another vote for "Expecting" by Anna McGrail and Daphne Metland. It was my bible when I was pregnant- lots of evidence-based facts and reassuring advice. I used to lie in bed with DH every Saturday morning (in the days when we used to lie in bed at the weekend!) and we would read together the chapter about the particular week of gestation I was in eg. "OOOH This week I am making eyebrows".

That sounds a bit cringy but it is one of my fondest memories of being PG.

BTW when your baby comes you will want a copy of "Your Baby Week by Week" by Cave and Fertleman. It provides very simple advice relating to each week from birth to six months, about how much sleep, milk, poos etc. It is so very reassuring, again based on sound medical evidence (one of the authors is the paediatrician at my local hospital) and covers lots of things which other books don't. Now my DD is over 6 months I feel a bit lost without it.

I liked Kaz Cooke's book as well, v funny and helpful!