Pregnancy books

[clpsmum]

I am researching a new pregnancy book and would love to hear from all you pregnant ladies and mums on what you would like to see in a pregnancy book and things you think should be included that are sometimes left out of others.

thanks

I would like to see

safe exercises/sports etc both ante and post natal

foods/drink to help sickness/lethargy/sleeplessness

list of essential equipment (not sponsored by Mothercare etc)

list of support groups for single parents, breastfeeding, crysis, bereavement as well as for unexpected c-sections, prem birth/SCBU, PND, relate etc.

list of safe medication and alternative therapies for pregnancy/labour/breastfeeding/post natal care

week by week progress of baby in womb inc scans/diagrams

real life examples of women with pre eclampsia, prem birth, emergency c section, home birth, breech baby, placenta praevia (sp?), ventouse/forceps, epidural, back to back baby, low birth weight baby, multiple births, IVF, gestational diabetes etc and how they found pregnancy and birth

Will have a think, this is off the top of my head...

I don't recall reading much about SCBU, I guess they don't want to frighten people, but an explanation of the work those amazing doctors and nurses do as well as maybe explaining a few of the reasons why a baby may end up there even at full term would be useful. A lot of people associate them only with prem babies I think.

Realistic, but encouraging, description of what it's like when both mother and baby are learning to breastfeed.

Not like that ridiculously sugary crap in Emma's diary that makes you feel a complete failure when the letdown reflex feels as if someone's just sandpapered your nipples, instead of a 'gently tingling'.

13 years on, it still pisses me off.

Definitely would like to see more humour & realism & less sugary / too-optimistic / rose-tinted ideas on motherhood & pregnancy. More realistic advice about diet would also be helpful as most of the pregnancy books I checked out read as if pregnant ladies were eating a super-super balanced & healthy diet which is so often not the case.

To be brutally honest, I feel there's far too many pregnancy books out there as it is!