Do you want to be super versed in everything pregnancy? These are the best pregnancy books that will have you feeling in control, excited and prepared for anything.
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Pregnancy is both exciting and scary. You want to know what changes to expect, what different aches and pains mean, if you can drink caffeine, eat an Italian sub, and so on. The list of questions can be endless but I’ve found reading pregnancy books to be the BEST way to prepare. Googling will only take you so far and it’s often a bunch of junk honestly. You’ll find these reads actually provide you with real facts, tips, and suggestions to feel prepared, at ease, and ready for every changing week.
These are the best pregnancy books to read.
Best Pregnancy Books
1. The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth
With 80 million views on her YouTube channel and even more on MamaNatural.com, Howland’s (a.k.a. Mama Natural) funny but informational videos have empowered millions of women to embrace natural pregnancy and parenting. Now Howland is turning to the page, offering up the first week-by-week pregnancy & childbirth book from a natural perspective.
Book Details:
- Author: Genevieve Howland
- Number Of Pages: 528
- Publication Date: April 25, 2017
Plot Description (provided by amazon):
For the last half-century, control over childbirth has been in favor of doctors. Many pregnancy guides are conventional, fear-based, or written by male physicians deeply entrenched in the medical model of birth.
But change is underway. A groundswell of women are taking back their pregnancy and childbirth and embracing a natural way. Genevieve Howland, the woman behind the enormously popular Mama Natural website and YouTube channel, has created an inspiring, fun, and informative guide that demystifies natural pregnancy and walks mom through the process one week at a time.
The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth is the modern (and yet ancient) approach to pregnancy and childbirth. “Natural” recognizes that pregnancy and birth are normal, and that having a baby is a wondrous biological process and rite of passage–not a medical condition. This book draws upon the latest research showing how beneficial and life-changing natural birth is for both babies and moms.
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Full of weekly advice and tips for a healthy pregnancy, Howland details vital nutrition to take, natural remedies for common and troublesome symptoms, as well as the appropriate (and inappropriate) use of interventions.
Peppered throughout are positive birth and pregnancy stories from women of all backgrounds (and all stages of their natural journey) along with advice and insights from a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) plus a Registered Nurse (RN), doula, and lactation consultant. Encouraging, well-researched, and fun, The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth will be an essential companion for women everywhere to embrace natural pregnancy and reap all the benefits for both baby and mama.
2. Bumpin’
National Parenting Award Winner
Book Details:
- Author: Leslie Schrock
- Number Of Pages: 384
- Publication Date: December 17, 2019
Plot Description (provided by amazon):
Feeling overwhelmed? Confused by conflicting advice? Bumpin’ will radically transform your pregnancy journey to one of confidence and optimism. With over a decade of experience advising women’s healthcare and technology companies, Leslie Schrock distills cutting-edge research into your most comprehensive pregnancy guide—from conception through the newborn months.
Based on the latest clinical evidence and practical advice from top experts, Bumpin’ enables you to make the best decisions for your unique family. With a look at the science, it tackles every pregnancy FAQ and topics like the truth about cleaning up your cosmetics, nutrition, epidurals, and activity; and the practical, like putting together a baby budget and navigating work. Bumpin’ also takes you all the way through the postpartum period because taking your baby home and recovering brings unexpected physical, mental, and life changes that are too often overlooked for you and your partner.
Inside Bumpin’ you’ll find:
-A trimester-by-trimester overview from trimester zero (conception) through the postpartum period and return to work
-The truth about age and fertility and how to manage any issues that arise
-Research on topics like vaccinations, breastfeeding, and exercise
-The science behind your physical changes, leaks, sweats, and every other unexpected pregnancy symptom – and how to manage them to enhance your long term health
-Birth preferences and preparing for unpredictable changes
-The challenges of navigating parental leave and returning to work
-Unique advice for partners
-Budgeting, finance tips, baby registry, and hospital checklists
Every pregnancy is unique and often unpredictable. For Leslie, this meant handling curveballs like miscarriage and later a birth that didn’t go according to plan. She turned her personal journey into this book, written while she was pregnant, with the help of a wide network of experts she consulted along the way, including doulas, ob-gyns, midwives, therapists, prenatal trainers, and nutritionists.
Warm, funny, and non-judgemental, Bumpin’ will leave you feeling prepared and ready to tackle anything that comes your way.
3. We’re Pregnant! The First Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook
Become an excellent first-time dad and a supportive partner with this go-to-guide to fatherhood!
Book Details:
- Author: Adrian Kulp
- Number Of Pages: 292
- Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Plot Description (provided by amazon):
Being a great dad doesn’t mean being perfect; it means participating in the experience with empathy and confidence. From the basics of pregnancy, to designing a birthing plan, and tips on being helpful and supportive for your partner, this guide provides all the need-to-know information on how to be a fully prepared parent. We’re Pregnant! The First Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook is the perfect choice for first-time dads. It offers practical advice and knowledge necessary for pregnancy.
Featuring must-ask questions for the doctor, milestone trackers, and more, this funny and friendly standout among dad pregnancy books also takes you beyond the due date, offering a helping hand on how to plan and perfect your own style of childcare.
There are plenty of pregnancy books for first time moms out there, get one aimed especially at dads that helps you:
Focus on one month at a time ― Organized by each month in each trimester, this baby book for dad explains what to expect, when, and which milestones are coming up for your new baby.
Find insight on issues big & small ― Learn how to thrive as new parents with useful tips on everything from bottle temperature to bonding with your new baby.
Look forward to your growing family ― Keep your relationship positive and healthy by setting family goals like creating a fun pregnancy announcement or planning a relaxing trip.
Be a pro parent with this relatable new dad book that covers everything the expectant father needs to know.
4. Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition
Book Details:
- Author: Lily Nichols
- Number Of Pages: 346
- Publication Date: February 21, 2018
Plot Description (provided by amazon):
Prenatal nutrition can be confusing. A lot of the advice you have been given about what to eat (or what not to eat) is well-meaning, but frankly, outdated or not evidenced-based. In Real Food for Pregnancy, you will get clear answers on what to eat and why, with research to back up every recommendation.
Author and specialist in prenatal nutrition, Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE, has taken a long and hard look at the science and discovered a wide gap between current prenatal nutrition recommendations and what foods are required for optimal health in pregnancy and for your baby’s development. There has never been a more comprehensive and well-referenced resource on prenatal nutrition. With Real Food for Pregnancy as your guide, you can be confident that your food and lifestyle choices support a smooth, healthy pregnancy.
5. Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong–and What You Really Need to Know
“Emily Oster is the non-judgmental girlfriend holding our hand and guiding us through pregnancy and motherhood. She has done the work to get us the hard facts in a soft, understandable way.” —Amy Schumer
Book Details:
- Author: Emily Oster
- Number Of Pages: 368
- Publication Date: June 24, 2014, updated and revised in 2021
Plot Description (provided by amazon):
Pregnancy—unquestionably one of the most profound, meaningful experiences of adulthood—can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. Pregnant women are told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee without ever being told why these are forbidden. Rules for prenatal testing are similarly unexplained. Moms-to-be desperately want a resource that empowers them to make their own right choices.
When award-winning economist Emily Oster was a mom-to-be herself, she evaluated the data behind the accepted rules of pregnancy, and discovered that most are often misguided and some are just flat-out wrong. Debunking myths and explaining everything from the real effects of caffeine to the surprising dangers of gardening, Expecting Better is the book for every pregnant woman who wants to enjoy a healthy and relaxed pregnancy—and the occasional glass of wine.
6. The Simplest Baby Book in the World: The Illustrated, Grab-and-Do Guide for a Healthy, Happy Baby
The Simplest Baby Book in the World is the illustrated grab-and-do guide that helps first-time moms and dads gain confidence in their ability to be great new parents. More than 700 playful, yet instructive, illustrations make learning faster and easier.
Book Details:
- Author: Stephen Gross
- Number Of Pages: 304
- Publication Date: November 16, 2021
Plot Description (provided by amazon):
Enjoy an easier first year of raising baby with this curated and distilled collection of essentials, including the best-of-the-best advice on topics. Topics include sleep training and sleeping through the night, when and how much to feed your baby, and everything you need to know about bath time for newborns. Plus, how to be safe and stay sane when traveling with your baby, preparing the nursery, solutions to the most common ailments, and helpful experience and best practices of the community of those who know best: pediatricians, nurses, lactation specialists, nannies, educators, and other first-time moms and dads.
You will quickly and easily find simple solutions and have proven techniques at your fingertips when you need them most, whether it’s 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. Every chapter starts with an essential list of products, providing a handy checklist for everything you will need. Don’t miss recommendations for the must-have products that make parents’ lives easier while saving them time and money. QR codes placed throughout the book will directly link you to our list of the best-of-the-best products and brands.
The Simplest Baby Book is the baby-care solution for all of today’s parents—both moms and dads. At a time when the role of men in providing childcare is increasing, and families come in all shapes and sizes, it is important that parenting reflects this new reality. The Simplest Baby Book does just that.
Forget all the other baby books and “Bibles” you will never read. Choose The Simplest Baby Book in the World to raise your healthy, happy baby.
7. What to Expect When You’re Expecting
The OG of pregnancy books.
Book Details:
- Author: Heidi Murkoff
- Number Of Pages: 656
- Publication Date: May 31, 2016, updated in 2024
Plot Description (provided by amazon):
Updated multiple times every year, America’s pregnancy bible answers all your questions.
- When can I take an at-home a pregnancy test?
- How can I eat for two if I’m too queasy to eat for one?
- Can I keep up my spinning classes?
- Is fish safe to eat? And what’s this I hear about soft cheese?
- Can I work until I deliver? What are my rights on the job?
- I’m blotchy and broken out—where’s the glow?
- Should we do a gender reveal? What about a 4-D ultrasound?
- Will I know labor when I feel it?
Your pregnancy explained and your pregnant body demystified, head (what to do about those headaches) to feet (why they’re so swollen), back (how to stop it from aching) to front (why you can’t tell a baby by mom’s bump). Filled with must-have information, practical advice, realistic insight, easy-to-use tips, and lots of reassurance, you’ll also find the very latest on prenatal screenings, which medications are safe, and the most current birthing options—from water birth to gentle c-sections. Your pregnancy lifestyle gets equal attention, too: eating (including food trends) to coffee drinking, working out (and work) to sex, travel to beauty, skin care, and more. Have pregnancy symptoms? You will—and you’ll find solutions for them all. Expecting multiples? There’s a chapter for you. Expecting to become a dad? This book has you covered, too.
These are the best pregnancy books on the market. Enjoy, Mama!
