Books, Books, and more Books

I don't really know why, but I have a weird desire to blog about some of the books I've read (or am reading) about pregnancy and parenting.  Maybe it's because that's all I ever seem to read these days!
And I was going to put a picture of each book on here but blogspot's picture thing isn't working so no pics (unless I can get it to work before I finish this post).

Pregnancy:
Your Pregnancy Week by Week:   This is probably one of the most popular pregnancy books out there.  I will admit that I never read What to Expect When You're Expecting (my sister said it would scare me) so I can't compare the two but I imagine they're very similar.  I really liked how this book was divided into weeks.  I looked forward to reading my new chapter each week and I totally admit to peeking ahead to the upcoming chapters. 

The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy:   Okay this book was a bit tongue-in-cheek but it had a lot of good information too.  I loved the author's style of writing.  I actually read this book many times because I enjoyed it so much and it always helped me feel better if I was feeling down.

The Best Birth:  I love this book.  The author is a labor and delivery nurse who encourages women to have natural labors but totally understands that some women really do need (okay, want) pain medication.  I really like how she goes through all the options for child birth and she doesn't put the reader on a guilt trip for choosing one way or the other.  She gives her opinion without being pushy and there are tons of great coping techniques (of course I couldn't remember hardly any of them!).  There's also a chapter just for dad's and at the end of each chapter she has "conversation starters" for mom and dad so they can openly discuss their ideas and opinions about how the birth should go.  Seriously, cannot recommend this book enough!

Breastfeeding: 
So That's What They're For:   I just got this book the other day and am almost done with it.  Okay, I may have skipped a few pages where the author explains for the 100th time why breastmilk is superior to formula but it's information I already knew.  This is a very easy-to-read book with some light humor.  A word of caution though: if you used formula with a previous child, or you think you might use formula, or if at any time you thought "surely formula isn't all that bad" then prepare to feel very bad about yourself.  I think there are about 3 chapters devoted solely to why breastfeeding is far superior to bottle feeding.  Don't get me wrong- I agree with the author that it is best, and I understand who she's aiming those chapters at (women who are on the fence about breastfeeding) but wow did I feel guilty after reading some of those pages.  And what's interesting is that she even talks about how guilty moms feel if they don't breastfeed....well I don't think she's helping.  Honestly I think that section was trying to scare moms into breastfeeding.  I might give this book a more hearty recommendation once I'm done reading it (and rereading it and then reading it again).

Spilled Milk:  I don't think this book is actually being published anymore.  I found a used copy on Amazon but I didn't see any new copies available.  Anyway, I thought this was a great book.  It is painfully honest about how hard breastfeeding is but does so in a gentle way with many stories that are both humorous and uplifting.  It can be a hard book to read if you feel like you "gave up" on breastfeeding too early (many of the stories are by women who stuck with it and say it was worth it in the end) but I found it to be very encouraging.  There are several stories in there from women who weren't able to breastfeed their first babies but were completely successful with subsequent children.  This is another one that I'll be rereading.

Making More Milk:  I purchased this book after I had Taylor hoping it would help me increase my supply.  It is chock full of information on why some women have trouble nursing and different things women can try to establish a successful breastfeeding relationship.  I highly recommend this book for any woman who is having supply issues or thinks that she might have supply issues when it comes time to breastfeed (like if your mom did-  it can be hereditary).

Parenting: 
First Time Parents:  This is a great reference book for parents.  It's divided into sections so it's easy to find the information you need and it covers everything from pregnancy (those sections are actually pretty brief) to potty training.   Really the best part is how easy it is find exactly what you need.  There are lots of great photos and each section has special tips "just for dad." 

The Girlfriend's Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood:   Well of course I'd recommend this after liking the pregnancy book so much.  This book is just like the book on pregnancy- very tongue-in-cheek but also some sound advice.  I've read this one several times too.

The Girlfriend's Guide to Toddlers:   Truthfully, I haven't read this yet.  I ordered it from Barnes and Noble and it hasn't arrived yet.  But considering how much I liked the author's other books, I'm sure I'll love this one too.  (and as a total side note, there is a girlfiend's guide to baby gear that i enjoyed as well). 

Be Prepared:  This one is for the dads.  In fact it was given to Walker by our good friends Val and Dan (Val correct me if I'm wrong but I swear you guys gave us this book!).  And while it is written for dads and I haven't read that much of it, the parts I have thumbed through seemed very good.  Like the tip about rocking your baby on his tummy on an exercise ball- total genius and I'm so doing that with this next baby! 

These are certainly not all the books I've read on these topics but they are definitely the best of the ones I've read (in my humble opinion).