Preggo Book Reviews

What to Expect When You're Expecting
By Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway
ISBN: 9780761150794

Review: Don't read this book!! I know that it is like the bible of pregnancy, the book whose name and title you know. I know there is an iPhone app with the same title (which I'll review later). I know that you want to know everything to expect, but this book is dark. The only preggo nightmares I ever had came after cracking this baby open. This book'll convince you that you're going to have a miscarriage. Or a "broken" baby. Or that you're doing stuff wrong. This book does NOT tell you how you're going to feel, or how to handle things, or anything like that. It does a great job of letting you know all of the things in the world that could possibly go wrong. But somehow I didn't find that knowledge comforting. It was really just disturbing. So take my advice and skip this one.


The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy
By Vicki Iovine
ISBN: 9781416524724

Review: This book has tons of information, including the "gross" or uncomfortable stuff that the other books leave out, without being scary or gory. Written in a very readable, relatable style. Best pregnancy book I've read. I mean, it really just hits the mark. For example, lately I've been feeling like I want a haircut. The book actually warns against this: in the 3rd trimester, you'll want a haircut. But DO NOT GET A NEW HAIRSTYLE!! You don't want a new hairstyle, what you actually want is to not look pregnant any more. And I thought.... good point. The authors relate their own pregnancy "war" stories, and suddenly when reading it, you don't feel like you're alone in this any more.


Hot Mom-to-be Handbook
By Jessica Denay
ISBN: 9780061787355

Review: I had high hopes for this book, but it was rough going. It felt really disorganized. Often the same advice would appear in the same words on subsequent pages. The author would tell a story about some useful advice she got while pregnant, then not tell what the advice was! Poor writing and terrible editing obscured any benefit that I could have gotten out of this one. Skip it.


Your Pregnancy Week by Week
By Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler
ISBN: 1555612563

Review: This book is really fun, though for me its information has been somewhat overshadowed/duplicated by some of the apps I have. But in the beginning, it is really nice to be able to open up a hard copy of a book about pregnancy, and see what is going on with your baby that week. I especially enjoyed the "actual size" drawings of baby - really brought home the "size of a grain of rice" bit!! Also good info on what is going on with your body. The one negative thing I have to say is that advice on caring for yourself all throughout the pregnancy is inserted in each week. In other words, I needed to know what fish not to eat at the very beginning, not in Week 28. If I was an editor, I'd move all that up to the front, and just leave the baby, body, and any timely testing information under the weeks. But I'd still recommend this one, especially if you don't get an app!


The baby gizmo buying guide: from pacifiers to potties, why, when, and what to buy for pregnancy through preschool
By Heather Maclean
ISBN: 9781401603540

Review: That first trip to Babies' R Us is insanely overwhelming. How do I know what type of bottle to get? Or which car seat (other than what I can find on Consumer Reports)? Or which type of stroller? Etc. This book really helps with all that. Tells you the features to look for, whether the category of item is essential, just nice to have, or a total waste of your money. Gives registry suggestions, pros and cons of various options, and occasionally ways to save money. Good info, though some of it is redundant with the next book on the list, I'm still glad I read both, and the authors of the 2 books often have differing opinions from each other, and analyzing that data gave me more to go on in some cases. This isn't a read-every-word book, more of a skimmer, or check a chapter in order to make an informed purchase of a specific item. Or one that you read when you're doing your registry.


Baby bargains: secrets to saving 20% to 50% on baby furniture, equipment, clothes, toys, maternity wear, and much, much more!
By Denise & Alan Fields
ISBN: 9781889392257

Review: This book is nice for telling you how to save some money. For example, don't buy one of those quilt/bumper sets, because you can't actually have the quilt or the bumpers in the crib with baby, so what's the point? Also, use a dresser top for a changing table instead of buying a separate changing table. Etc. It also goes into a detailed analysis of the various companies that produce various things, like clothing, telling you where spending a little extra money is totally worth it, and where it is a bust. Like Walmart clothing may be cheap, but it'll fall apart within a few washes, but Carter's will hold up until your baby outgrows it. Great resource, and in combo with "Baby Gizmo" above, really great.


Baby sign language basics: early communication for hearing babies and toddlers
By Monta Z. Briant.
ISBN: 9781401921606.

Review: Accessibly written about benefits/faqs about signing with a baby before they can speak. Complete with personal anecdotes of the author signing with her kid. Incredibly useful last chapter of 80 first signs which were simple to learn. Highly recommended!