Looking for a book that tells you ALL about what's going on inside that pregnant belly? And when I say all I mean ALL. The book "A Child Is Born", by Lennart Nilsson, is an all inclusive book that focuses solely on the baby. It starts with the decision to have a baby, then describes how a baby is conceived, then has week by week descriptions and pictures of how a baby grows and develops inside the womb and ends with the delivery. Now, for first time moms this book is probably not for you. It is full of pictures (of real live people) that illustrate what the author is discussing.
I personally was not prepared to see some of the stuff that is in this book. Not that anything about it is inappropriate, it's just that I couldn't really appreciate the beauty of pregnancy and birth until I actually went through it myself. Looking back through this book now doesn't really affect me like it did before. However, if the pictures don't bother you and you genuinely want to know everything about that little life that's growing inside you, then I would highly recommend this book. It's not very long and is mostly pictures, I loved having so many photos of the developing baby because then I knew exactly what this little thing kicking inside of me looked like. So go ahead and pick this book up, it will definitely satisfy your curiosity.
"Your Pregnancy Week by Week" by Glade B. Curtis, is another helpful book recommended to me. I read this one basically cover to cover and also found it to be helpful. It goes into more depth on some specific issues, but I felt like it left a lot of other information out. It is shorter than "What to Expect When You're Expecting" so if you are intimidated by big books then this may be just for you. I often had this book and "What to Expect" open at the same time because they complement each other. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" has more information and "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" takes some of that information and explains it a little more. If you're not a big reader and just want one book to go by, then this one is probably not the one you want to pick. It does have valuable information though, so if you have the time and motivation, then this is another one I would recommend keeping on your nightstand.
Ok, so I recently had a baby (she's 2 months old!) and I had people left and right recommending material for me to read. So, I thought I would do a little segment on here for some of the books that are out there. "What to Expect When You're Expecting", by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway, is probably the most well known pregnancy book out there, and for good reason. This book really breaks down what you can look forward to during your pregnancy. It lists how the baby grows and develops each month, how you grow and develop, the symptoms you can expect, and some of the things that your care provider will look for at your appointments. It also includes tips for how to handle some of the side effects of pregnancy and has valuable information for those carrying multiples. As well as going into what you can expect of your body right after delivery.
I found this book to be very helpful and there is even a website to go with it found here which has even more information than the book. I kept this book on my nightstand for a quick reference throughout my pregnancy. It's not the type of book you have to read cover to cover, you can just skim through to read what interests/applies to you. It's definitely something good to have around, especially if this is your first pregnancy.
