There are hundreds of books out there! And that makes it all the more difficult to choose which books to read up on when you're becoming a mother. Well, to help you, I will be writing a series of blog posts on what books are the best to read in a particular motherhood topic.
Pregnancy ~ Birth ~ Breastfeeding ~ The Fourth Trimester ~ Weaning ~ Parenting ~ Marriage
Being pregnant is a miracle (although our symptoms might make us think otherwise haha). It might seem like after conception our bodies take over and do the work. But there is so much more we can do by learning how are bodies are creating your baby and what you can do to help to make the pregnancy better and more enjoyable for both of you. I've read loads of books about pregnancy and these 3 are the best!
#1 - I'm Pregnant!: A week-by-week guide from conception to birth by Lesley Regan
This is a MUST-HAVE for pregnancy! There are a lot of week-by-week guides out there but this book by far is the best! This book is not full of fluff and nonsense. It is jam packed with knowledge and answers. It is like the true textbook for pregnancy. Dr Regan starts off the book by explaining about conception, staying safe in pregnancy, good diet and exercise, and about work and maternity rights, Then she dives into the weeks in pregnancy and what changes you and your baby are going through. I loved knowing the specific anatomy of my baby and what they were experiencing. She explains medical terminology, what complications can happen and how scans works. Towards the end of the book she goes through the stages of labour in detail (go read about my birth story to get a taste of what it was like for me) and then talks about when extra help is needed when complications happen. She then explains about what to expect in the fourth trimester (the hours after birth, the first six weeks, your recovery, being at home and feeding. At the very end of the book there is a section on concerns and complications that can happen during pregnancy and birth. This book is like the pregnancy bible! I felt so confident knowing what was happening with my baby and being able to understanding everything the doctors/midwives were saying. This is the most empowering book you can read during pregnancy!
#2 - Your Pregnancy Nutrition Guide: What to Eat When You're Pregnant by Henrietta Norton
This was my food bible during pregnancy and still is today! During pregnancy the biggest concerns and questions are around food. This book answers ALL the questions and gives you more! She talks about how to boost your fertility with nutrition and how to build up your nutrition in pregnancy. She explains what macronutrients and micronutrients are, how much you need and their food sources (this is the best chapter!). She talks about what foods to avoid and the benefits of supplements (so you don't spend a fortune on a supplement that you don't need). There is a chapter about how to eat well if you are a vegetarian or vegan (which was so handy for more because I didn't eat meat or fish often). She talks about how to manage common pregnancy symptoms and how to prepare for labour. Then she explains about what foods are good for your recovery from birth and to boost your breastfeeding. At the end of the book, she has a chapter on yoga (and birth positions) and a chapter with meals and recipes. You really need to read this book! Also check out my 6 favourite foods/snacks for pregnancy based on all I read.
#3 - Six Months To Change The World by Pierre Dukan
I absolutely loved this book! It's written by this French nutritionist who is the creator of the Dukan Diet. He writes this book with the goal of opening our eyes to the increasing number of diabetics and obesity. He explains how and why the number of cases are increasing and what we, as mothers, can do to stop it at its roots. He starts by explaining brilliantly how insulin and the pancreas works. I don't usually understand bodily functions too well but by the time Dr Dukan is done explaining I could rehearse its function like a song! He talks about carbs and what they do. He lists the bad carbs and offers ideas on how to replace them with good carbs. There is also a fantastic chapter on epigenetics where he talks about how our nutrition can affect what genes get turned on and off. After reading this book I could look at food and almost hear my pancreas saying "Don't eat that" haha! I also didn't know how much influence our diet has in the 4th and 5th month of pregnancy on our babies (basically by eating bad carbs we will increase the production of insulin in their tiny pancreas and give them a higher chance of becoming insulin resistant when they are older, leading to obesity and/or diabetes). I am so glad I read this book and learned what I could do to help my baby have a better chance for the future. And I still have an improved diet because of how much I learned from this book!
If you're not much of a reader but have the time to listen to a podcast on your commute to work or while exercising I recommend the Birthful Podcast and Fear Free Childbirth Podcast. These two podcasts are filled with interviews with experts and medical professionals. There are loads of birth, breastfeeding and postpartum stories shared. They are treasure-troves of knowledge and all free!
I hope the best for your pregnancy! These books gave me so much strength and I hope they do to you too! As I keep reading more books I will add more if I find any of them necessary for our journey into motherhood. The best thing you can do is gain knowledge because knowledge will give you confidence which will make pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, postpartum and parenting better. So put your feet up, keep calm and read!
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