The Top 5 Pregnancy Books

The baby and pregnancy section at the book store can feel as overwhelming as entering parenthood – ok, not quite, but the amount of choice provides a daunting, if not frustrating, experience.

There are your essential guides, comical accounts and shelf-loads of opinions, alternative strategies and planners. Maybe you’re looking to research the facts or just discover a sense of camaraderie.

Here’s a great place to start, with some recommendations from real moms. (Click on the title for a link to each one!)

Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Professor Lesley Regan
A great guide by a world renowned obstetrician (and mom) explains what exactly is happening week-by-week to both you and your baby during pregnancy. Forget complicated medical jargon, Professor Regan offers explanations, advice and reassurance, enabling you to make educated choices about your pregnancy. Includes state-of-the-art imagery and up-to-date research.

The New Contented Little Baby Book: The Secret to Calm and Confident Parenting by Gina Ford.
This is the latest version of Ford’s popular baby-care manual. Kate Winslet said that “for me, she was an absolute godsend.” The book is entertaining, informative and a great reference book to come back to again and again. It’s a perfect guide if you’re struggling to get your newborn to sleep through the night, still getting up for feeding or maybe just feeling overwhelmed. Some of her advice may go against the grain, but 10 years after it was first published, Gina Ford is still the UK’s best-selling author of childcare books in the UK.

Pregnancy for Men: The Whole Nine Months by Mark Woods.
So many pregnancy and parenting books are geared towards women. Finally, a book by a man for a man. Each chapter deals with a different month of pregnancy and then the birth itself. It includes a guide and tips on how to be supportive. It has a good balance of fact and humour to keep you entertained and engaged until the very end.

How to Afford Time Off With Your Baby: 101 Ways to Ease the Financial Strain by Becky Goddard-Hill.
From money saving ideas to tips and advice, this book makes pregnancy recession-proof. Topics include birthdays and baptisms on a budget, low cost activities for pre-school years, creating an inexpensive Christmas, things you should borrow for your new baby and ideas about earning money while off of work. Reviews from moms say that the advice is practical and creative, with real solutions for staying at home longer or just saving a little extra. Most importantly, the book is geared toward achieving these ends with a positive outlook and lots of fun. Practical and highly recommended.

What To Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff.
While opinions of Murkoff’s book seem divided, (some women love it, others hate it), the book has become America’s pregnancy bible. It is a long-standing New York Times best seller. USA Today ranks it amongst the 25 most influential books of the past 25 years. There are even claims that 90% of American women who have read a pregnancy book have picked this one up.

The latest addition offers new material and a fresh perspective. It includes information on everything from preconception, to fetal development and a brand new chapter on carrying multiples. Murkoff answers your emotional, nutritional and physical questions – and she doesn’t leave out the latest lifestyle trends. Everything from tattoos, botox and workplace concerns are touched upon. With humour, advice and helpful tips, What To Expect When Expecting is a must have item in your pregnancy book collection.

Read one of the books above? Have a tip of your own? Share your wisdom in the comments section below.