stocking your pregnancy library
Filed Under Pregnancy and Birthing, Stuff | July 16, 2009
Being pregnant is all about research. Figuring out what’s happening inside your body, what you’ll need for baby and whether or not those twinges you’re feeling are Braxton Hicks contractions or the real deal. We found the following books essential through pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond – and we love that two of them are from Canadian authors:
The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: An All-Canadian Guide to Conception, Birth & Everything in Between by Ann Douglas
Full of practical advice and useful tips, we love Douglas’ realistic approach to pregnancy. She doesn’t just address your top ten worries for each trimester (because let’s face it, there’s lots of worrying involved in pregnancy too!) but also useful lists on what you really need for the hospital and bringing home baby. Plus she lists lots of useful Canadian organizations and online resources. And on her site you’ll find even more info.
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
Apparently, the most recent edition of Weissbluth’s book is better written than previous versions which is a relief, as we constantly recommend this book to other mothers with the caveat – it’s terribly written but has great info. Even if all you do is flip to Weissbluth’s action plans for exhausted parents we’d practically guarantee – we never fully guarantee anything when it comes to babies and sleep – you’ll find this book helpful. Weissbluth has a balanced approach that takes into account different families’ approaches to sleep and he addresses all the ages and stages from infancy to toddlerhood to time changes and nap schedules. We’d recommend getting your hands on this pre-baby to bone up on a few facts before you’re faced with a baby who sleeps like…well, a baby…
Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide To Breastfeeding by Jack P. Newman
Newman is renowned for his breastfeeding knowledge and his book is full of in depth, useful info on any and all breastfeeding dilemmas you may face. And while he may preach the benefits of breastfeeding, he does it in a non guilt-inducing way, which we can’t say of some other books by experts who shall remain nameless. This is another one to grab before you actually need it, in fact it’s probably worth packing it in your hospital bag just in case. The breastfeeding help section on his site is also a great resource.
3 Responses to “stocking your pregnancy library”
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Let us know what you think or share your great finds with us so we can share them with other Vancouver mothers!
The single most useful book I read during pregnancy is “Birth Partner” – very useful at going through all the things that might occur during labour and what decisions those might present. Its intended to help partners support the woman during labour, but its very useful for both to read to ensure that they’ve talked through the process and the partner knows what the woman’s wishes are in each situation. Also incredibly useful for women expecting their second who aren’t going to be taking a pre-natal class but want a quick brush up.
I love Ann Douglas, but I really disagree with the Healthy Sleep Habits book. It was the cause of the worst months of our lives with Aidan. While some of his book is good, he really advocates crying it out and it broke my heart and made things 10 times worse. I prefer the no-cry sleep solution. I am also planning to read Ann Douglas’ Sleep book.
Isn’t that interesting, we found the Healthy Sleep Habits book invaluable and I have many, many friends who did as well. I still use it during time changes & nap shifts etc. I felt he offered alternatives to crying it out, but it just shows how sleep and kids is such a fraught topic!