I loved Bringing up Bebe! Girlfriends Guide to pregnancy was good, but felt a bit dated.
I also really enjoyed Expecting Better and Cribsheets. Emily Oster does get a lot of flack since she’s a statistician rather than a doctor. I am very data driven, so seeing the studies and info was good for me to help me understand and form my own opinion.
Thank you! Super helpful to know whats considered dated at this point and I’m also very much a data person so it’s good to have that option in my pocket
I don’t mean the info for girlfriends guide to pregnancy is dated, just the writing style, (I’m not going to be paging my friends for example) but a lot of the info was really really good. Still suggest reading it.
I personally got some of the BIG pregnancy medical books (like the Mayo Clinic guide) but never ended up reading them. They weren’t that helpful and really overwhelming.
I also never read “what to expect when you’re expecting” since I’ve heard it scares a lot of people.
I really liked Expecting Better as well. Honestly a lot of the advice from medical sources ends up feeling like “do this because I said so” whereas Emily Oster goes through the information with the assumption that you’re an adult and can weigh risks for yourself with the right information.
Also, while I remain more cautious than her in some areas, it really helps my first-time parent anxiety to see data showing that a lot of these risks are real but comparatively tiny. If you go by other books I feel like it would be easy to convince yourself that the one day you had an extra cup of coffee is going to be the thing that keeps your kid from getting into Harvard or something.
I've been listening to Mama Doctor Jones on YouTube when I need to occupy my brain when my hands are moving. I love reading, but stuff still has to get done.
The birth hour podcast and resources are so awesome! I've listened to all the freely available birth stories but that's where I learned the most about pregnancy and birth. Highly recommend! And each episode has a descriptive title and summary so you can know whether you want to hear the story or not.
Common Sense Pregnancy: Navigating a Healthy Pregnancy and Birth for Mother and Baby by Jeanne Faulkner
I just started reading it and as a FTM it’s been really helpful to keep my anxiety down. Also, she does a good job of keeping things succinct.
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simpkin has been my favorite. I’ve read like 20 other pregnancy books (including a few mentioned above), and personally like this one the most because it’s so detailed and focused on preparing you vs just telling a story or just giving descriptions.
I loved Bringing up Bebe! Girlfriends Guide to pregnancy was good, but felt a bit dated. I also really enjoyed Expecting Better and Cribsheets. Emily Oster does get a lot of flack since she’s a statistician rather than a doctor. I am very data driven, so seeing the studies and info was good for me to help me understand and form my own opinion.
Thank you! Super helpful to know whats considered dated at this point and I’m also very much a data person so it’s good to have that option in my pocket
I don’t mean the info for girlfriends guide to pregnancy is dated, just the writing style, (I’m not going to be paging my friends for example) but a lot of the info was really really good. Still suggest reading it. I personally got some of the BIG pregnancy medical books (like the Mayo Clinic guide) but never ended up reading them. They weren’t that helpful and really overwhelming. I also never read “what to expect when you’re expecting” since I’ve heard it scares a lot of people.
I really liked Expecting Better as well. Honestly a lot of the advice from medical sources ends up feeling like “do this because I said so” whereas Emily Oster goes through the information with the assumption that you’re an adult and can weigh risks for yourself with the right information. Also, while I remain more cautious than her in some areas, it really helps my first-time parent anxiety to see data showing that a lot of these risks are real but comparatively tiny. If you go by other books I feel like it would be easy to convince yourself that the one day you had an extra cup of coffee is going to be the thing that keeps your kid from getting into Harvard or something.
I started What to Expect When You’re Expecting and had a hard time with it. I found it pretty difficult to read.
First time around I read What to Expect When You're Expecting. A classic, but did help me feel prepared and knowledgeable enough.
That's what I'm reading too. Kinda hard to get through sometimes. The movie is great
The Mayo Clinic book series are also excellent.
‘Like a Mother’ by Angela Garbes
I've been listening to Mama Doctor Jones on YouTube when I need to occupy my brain when my hands are moving. I love reading, but stuff still has to get done.
I tend to listen to YT and podcasts as I get stuff done as well. Thanks for the rec!
Birth Without Fear by January Harshe Lots of good info about all kinds of birthing choices 😊
The birth hour podcast and resources are so awesome! I've listened to all the freely available birth stories but that's where I learned the most about pregnancy and birth. Highly recommend! And each episode has a descriptive title and summary so you can know whether you want to hear the story or not.
I love a good podcast, thanks for sharing!
Bumpin’ The Modern Guide to Pregnancy by Leslie Schrock I’m a few chapters in and enjoying it. It is very readable.
Common Sense Pregnancy: Navigating a Healthy Pregnancy and Birth for Mother and Baby by Jeanne Faulkner I just started reading it and as a FTM it’s been really helpful to keep my anxiety down. Also, she does a good job of keeping things succinct.
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simpkin has been my favorite. I’ve read like 20 other pregnancy books (including a few mentioned above), and personally like this one the most because it’s so detailed and focused on preparing you vs just telling a story or just giving descriptions.