Many future moms have one thing in common: when they find out that a baby is on her way they start seeking advice on how the following nine months are going to be. However, in most of the cases, the advice received from parents, friends or mothers-in-law is almost completely useless.
The reason why you shouldn’t rely on this type of advice is simple: things have changed since your mother or mother-in-law had a baby. Researchers found new information on pregnancy but chances are that your parents are not really up to date with the latest discoveries in the field.
On the other hand, friends almost always tend to dramatize their pregnancies and you could end up being more confused on what you should or shouldn’t do then you were before asking for advice.
For these reasons, it is recommended to follow the expert advice you can find in many reliable pregnancy books.
Since finding the right book can be hard, we put up this best pregnancy books buyer’s guide to help you find the right publication. So, read on and choose the right pregnancy book for you.
Best Pregnancy Books
How To Choose A Pregnancy Book
The first thing to determine when choosing a pregnancy book is the type of information you’re interested in. For something as complex as pregnancy it is difficult to find a universal guide, therefore you should choose the type of book that addresses your real questions or concerns.
For example, if you want to know what are the changes your body goes through during the nine months of expectancy, a well-researched scientific study on pregnancy might be a good choice. On the other hand, if you want to find out more about nutrition during pregnancy, a book that focuses on dieting could be a more suitable option.
There are also books that explain what is happening to you and the baby during the various stages of the pregnancy, books that focus on the emotional changes during pregnancy and also books that give advice on why and how to deliver the baby at home.
For these reasons, it is essential that you decide what information is important for you before beginning to search for a pregnancy book.
Once you have decided what type of book you need, here are a few things to consider when choosing the book.
Author
Anyone can write a book, but if you want to be sure that the book you are reading really contains trustworthy information you should check who the author is before you buy it. Ideally, you should choose a book written by a healthcare specialist, such as a midwife or physician.
If you’re attracted to the idea of natural childbirth, you should choose a book written by a pregnancy coach or doula.
If the author is not a specialist, check carefully the author’s background and try to understand the level of expertise that stands behind the information in the book.
Publisher
Once you checked the author’s bio and chose a book written by a pregnancy specialist or expert, you should also check who the publisher is.
Renowned publishers are most likely to check the accuracy of the information presented in the books they publish, therefore there is a major guarantee that you will read trustworthy information. Ideally, the book you choose should be published by a famous publishing house or by some authority in the field, such as a research or healthcare institute, a university or a government publication.
Publishing Year
Even if the book you choose is written by established experts, it is essential that it is a rather recent publication. Things change rapidly and what was considered a universal truth a few years ago might now be an outdated information.
Make sure that what you read is up to date and accurate if you want to be sure that you will not follow any potentially harmful advice.
Edition
The rule is simple: the more editions the better. The number of the edition shows how many times the book was published, including how many times the information presented in it was revised and updated.
New books that are at their first edition might hold wrong information or unverified advice. On the other hand, the books that are in their second or more edition are not only popular, but they also have the information updated and revised.
Publishing Place
While this may seem less important, the fact is that you should read pregnancy books that were published in your country. This rule should be followed especially if you’re interested in a book that offers practical advice about nutritional supplements, vaccines and other medical information about pregnancy.
If you’re confused about this rule, the reason why you should follow it is quite simple: the risks associated with the alimentation or the immunization procedures can be different in different countries. Therefore, if you want to be sure that you are reading the relevant information you should choose a book published in your geographical area.
Content Presentation
To make sure that you will not get bored while reading the book, choose one that is written in a friendly tone. Keep in mind that a pregnancy book should answer your doubts or fears and not amplify them.
Basically, the ideal pregnancy book should teach you everything you need to know about this delicate stage of your life in a way that will make you enjoy both the lecture and the pregnancy.
Book Format
In the digital era we live in, many authors and publishers prefer to publish their books in digital or online formats, such as Kindle or other types of eBook formats.
However, since many readers still enjoy the feeling of a real book, almost all serious books should be easy to find in paperback format too. For this reason, you should double-check the author’s and publisher’s information if the book you’re interested in is available in the digital version only.
With these tips in mind, let’s see which are the best pregnancy books available on the market.
Best Pregnancy Books
1. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy: From Doctors Who Are Parents, Too!
A reference point for all those pregnant women seeking professional advice, the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy: From Doctors Who Are Parents, Too! is one of the most complete pregnancy books available on the market.
Similar to the other health guides published by Mayo Clinic, this pregnancy book covers a wide range of topics, from week-by-week changes of the embryo to physical and psychological changes for the mom-to-be, dieting advice, and health tips.
Furthermore, the authors also aim to explain how various medical conditions such as diabetes or other chronic diseases can affect the baby’s development as well as practical advice on the use of medication.
Things We Liked
- Written by specialists: this Guide To A Healthy Pregnancy is written by professional healthcare workers, including physicians, midwives and other healthcare specialists.
- Complete information: whether you are looking for dieting advice, general pregnancy guides, parenting advice or antenatal exercising and lifestyle, this guide covers all the aspects of the future mother’s life.
- Useful questions and answers: in addition to all the information and advice offered, the authors also included a questions and answers section where they address some difficult or embarrassing concerns of the future parents.
- Well organized: regardless of what your question or concern is, it will be really easy to find the answers in this well-structured guide.
Things We Didn’t Like
- It seems that the Kindle version is not adequately formatted and there are some issues with the graphics and charts visibility.
2. The Mindful Mom-To-Be: A Modern Doula’s Guide to Building a Healthy Foundation from Pregnancy Through Birth
As more and more future moms prefer going back to natural births and opt for delivering their babies at home, it is no wonder why we decided to include a pregnancy guide for them too in our list of best pregnancy books.
For all those moms who think that returning to the roots is the right thing to do, we recommend The Mindful Mom-To-Be: A Modern Doula’s Guide to Building a Healthy Foundation from Pregnancy Through Birth.
Written by Lori Bergman, an experienced doula and pregnancy coach, this book is a comprehensive guide that explains in detail the various stages of pregnancy and that also includes other useful information, such as nutritional guides and pregnancy exercises.
Things We Liked
- Expert advice: the author has over 20 years of experience in working with pregnant women and base her practice on techniques learned from renowned spiritual teachers and healers.
- Comprehensive: this pregnancy book is divided into various chapters, each of them dedicated to a specific pregnancy phase.
- Useful tips: pleading for a “green pregnancy”, the author offers many useful tips on how to prepare your own cleaners or what natural treatments to use as an alternative to the traditional medicine. The author also offers many tips on how to improve your emotional state and how to achieve spiritual fulfillment during pregnancy.
- Various learning methods: a thing we really like about this book is that it comes in the audio version in addition to paperback and Kindle formats.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Although the book offers a complete and comprehensive holistic view on pregnancy and birth, some future moms might feel that traditional medicine is still the way to go.
3. Pregnancy: What You Need To Know When You’re Expecting – The Complete Pregnancy Guide For Moms And Dads
Written by a consultant in obstetrics and gynecology, this complete pregnancy guide is another excellent book to read while you’re expecting a baby.
Dr. Jyothi Shenoy explains not only how your body will change during pregnancy, but also how your baby develops, what symptoms are associated with each stage of the pregnancy and what are the most common myths you should beware of.
What we really like about this book is that it goes beyond explaining how to behave during pregnancy, explaining in detail what type of clothing you should wear, tips on traveling and much more.
Things We Liked
- Extensive guide: no matter what your concern is, it is very likely that you will find the answer to your questions in this book.
- For both parents: this pregnancy guide addresses both moms and dads, being a comprehensive guide on pregnancy for both parents.
- Bonuses included: you will get two interesting bonuses with the book. Unfortunately, the author doesn’t specify which are the bonuses.
- Easy to follow: the book is written in plain language, being easy to understand by all women regardless of their cultural background.
Things We Didn’t Like
- The book only comes in Kindle format.
4. The Art of Pregnancy After 40: A Personal Journey, Medical Standards, Myths, and the Latest Research
Written by Katka Konecna-Rivera, this is one of the most informative books dedicated to all those women who consider pregnancy at an older age. The author used her pregnancy experience to create this well-written and easy-to-read book.
Many moms-to-be who decided to have a baby in their forties confessed that the book helped them a lot in understanding how to deal with a pregnancy at this stage of their lives.
In fact, the book is presented in a humorous yet informative way, being written in a simple language that all women can understand. As the title says, this book will answer many questions and concerns about the medical standards regarding a late pregnancy, but will also reveal which are the most common myths and the latest research in the field.
Things We Liked
- Personal story: the author based this book on her personal experience, providing useful advice on how to address pregnancy and how to behave during pregnancy as a mature woman.
- Easy-to-read: Mrs. Konecna-Rivera uses a friendly tone throughout the book, writing in a fun yet informative way. Most women will find this style easy to follow.
- Complete guide: this book goes beyond being a personal story, offering comprehensive advice on pregnancy at this age, nutrition, lifestyle and physical activity recommended for the future mom.
- Electronic and hard copy format: you will be able to choose between Kindle format or paperback format based on your personal preference.
Things We Didn’t Like
- Even if the book is highly informative and full of practical advice, the young moms-to-be might not find this book extremely useful.
5. Expecting A Baby For New Moms
The last pregnancy book recommended by us is Expecting A Baby For New Moms, a book written by Stacy Miller. The author has published many pregnancy and parenting guides, this one being one of the most detailed books she wrote.
This pregnancy book focuses on the changes endured during the various stages of the pregnancy, explaining to the future moms how to deal with common problems such as cravings, unusual hunger, but also what are the exercises they should during the pregnancy.
Furthermore, the author also offers a few useful dieting tips and much other useful advice.
Things We Liked
- Dedicated to the first-time moms: many pregnancy books address pregnancy issues in general, but this book is specifically written for the first-time moms.
- Comprehensive approach: the author explains in detail what should be expected from the beginning of a pregnancy until delivery.
- Useful dieting tips: the diet during pregnancy is one of the main concerns of the future moms, and this guide offers applicable advice about this matter.
- Excellent for both parents: even if the book is written for the expecting mothers, dads can also learn a lot from this book.
Things We Didn’t Like
- There is little information available about the author.
Conclusion And Final Pick
On the market, there are available many complete guides that can help you understand the various phases of a pregnancy. As you can see, you can find an interesting pregnancy book regardless of your age or concerns.
While choosing the best pregnancy books is often a matter of personal choice, we feel that the best pregnancy book available on the market is Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy: From Doctors Who Are Parents, Too!
What we like about this book is the fact that it offers advice and tips from the experts who are parents too. While it is easy to find pregnancy information and tips in general, it is quite hard to find the right information and advice on whether the use of medication for people who have certain medical conditions affect the baby’s development.
In addition, the book offers a complete insight into how pregnancy really develops, and it includes tips from the specialists from dieting advice, antenatal exercising, to parenting advice.
Furthermore, this book includes questions and answers section where they address some concerns of the future parents that might be too embarrassing to ask personally.
We feel that this book can offer the right practical and emotional support to all those women who are expecting, therefore we consider it the best pregnancy book available on the market.
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