My husband constantly laughs at me because of the amount I've read, to the point where he really doesn't understand why we're bothering with NCT classes. I don't know precisely why I'm so obsessive about knowing everything I can but it keeps me feeling like I'm as in control as you can be.
The first of my recommendations is very stereotypical but trust me my copy has been well and truly devoured several times:
What to Expect: when you're expecting by Heidi Murkoff - £8.50 from amazon
What I really loved about this book is the week by week guide and Q&A section for each month. There are so many little things you notice when you're pregnant that you've never experienced before and you're constantly asking yourself if it's normal. Particuarly in the beginning when you spend half the time convinced that every little twinge is a sign that you're going to lose the baby. Trust me pretty much every little symptom is somewhere in this book and if it's not in there then ask your midwife.
In all honesty without this bible I think I would have been into see the doctor or midwife every other week asking whether this little pull here or ache there was normal. I've also just purchased What to Expect: the first year to get me through those first couple of months.
Christine Hill's Pregnancy Guide: The essential handbook for all expectant mothers - £11.69 from amazon
Now this is the book that puts everything into perspective. Christine Hill is an extremely well respected paediatric physiotherapist in London and has been giving ante-natal classes since 1978. My sister-in-law was lucky enough to attend her course and passed this guide onto me.
It's great because it's a quick read that covers all areas of pregnancy from a factual to a lifestyle point of view. There are so many horror stories associated with pregnancy that you can so easily go out of your mind with worry if you even put the slightest foot wrong but this guide gives you the real risks e.g. did you know that it is ok to eat sushi or that if you accidentally eat a food that has been known to provide a risk of listeriosis you actually only have a 1 in 20,000-30,000 chance of contracting it?
The Day-by-Day Pregnancy Book by Dr Maggie Blott - £16 from Amazon
This is the book you need for sharing with your husband, family and friends. This guide gives you a beautiful look into what's going on inside your belly with pictures, drawings, example scans, info and top tips. So when people want to know what he/she looks like and whether they can hear or see things you can just whip out the book and show them.
In all honesty I don't look at it so much anymore but for the first couple of months my husband and I devoured it seeing what was going on and what we had to look forward to. When they're not kicking it does make everything seem a lot more real.
What to expect when you're breastfeeding and what if you can't by Clare Byam-Cook - £6.99 from amazon
The whole breast-feeding situation scares the hell out of me. Something I thought was supposed to be so straight-forward now feels like you're going to need a physics degree to handle. I think I hear more horror stories about feeding then I do about labour these days... It's something I know I desperately want to be able to do for muffin but I'm now really worried that I'm going to be awful at it.
After voicing all these concerns to friends with LOs a barrage of books and tips started coming my way including the dreaded Gina Ford books and the Baby Whisperer manuals but this is the one that has made me feel a lot calmer.
Everything else seems so regimented but Clare's style is just plain and simple. There's no overly strict routines or patronising language it's just 'this is how to do it and if it's not working then try these trouble shooting tips'. So if you feel anything like I have about preparing for breastfeeding then this is definitely the book I'd recommend. Whether it works in practice or not I'll have to let you know but for now it's given me back my confidence.
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