Pregnancy Books

The first thing I did when I found out I was pregnant was buy a pregnancy book. I never bought a bride magazine before I was engaged and followed suit with the pregnancy as well. So many people say that the books are worthless but I like to know what is going on and what to expect. I also take everything I read with a grain of salt because one book may say one thing and the other may contradict it. I have been very fortunate to have been gifted several books so far and each one is special to me because of whom it came from. Here's my take on them:

1. Your Pregnancy Week by Week. This was given to me by my sister. What I love about this book is that there is a small drawing of your baby each week to show you how it is progressing and then it shows the same image drawn to scale of how big your baby is. Pretty neat! This book is written by a doctor so it is quite credible. It talks a lot about potential complications and how to detect them.

2. What to Expect When You're Expecting. I bought this one for myself :) Most people talk bad about this book but I like it. There are lots of questions that I ask myself that are answered here. Like "I just don't feel pregnant, is that ok?" and "Is it normal to drool more at night while you are pregnant?" (It actually is! Weird, I know.) It is written from a very casual perspective and quite funny at times. It has helped me to know that others have the same concerns I do and that most of the time it's not anything to worry about.

3. The Pregnancy Journal. My sister-in-law, Matty, gave this one to me. This is a day-to-day guide of your pregnancy and leaves room to journal as well. I haven't actually journaled anything yet but I should start. It is a good book because not only does it tell you about your babies growth but is also addresses the mother's changing body and interesting facts about pregnancy around the world and over the years.

4. A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. My longest and dearest friend, Erika, sent this to me. This one by far is the funnniest. It focuses on how to still be cute while pregnant, how to maintain your sex life, how it is normal to flirt with your doctor ... About halfway through the book, I read the bio of the author and it turns out she was a former Playboy Playmate. The book is a little outdated because it was written in the 90s and recommends wearing a vest with stirup pants and a man's sports jacket during the first months of pregnancy. Too funny! I enjoyed reading this book, though, because it makes you laugh.