12 weeks – The redemption of pregnancy books June 28, 2009

I’m pleased to report that not all pregnancy books are flippant, condescending, and alarmist.  After my rant about them, I ordered two new books from Amazon.  I’m enjoying both of them and am finding that they complement each other nicely.  They came this week so obviously I haven’t had a chance to read them in depth but the books I bought are Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy and The Joy of Pregnancy: The Complete, Candid, and Reassuring Companion for Parents-to-Be.  The Mayo Clinic book, as you would expect, focuses on the medical information but isn’t alarming or flip.  It’s factual and straightforward.  The other book has this information as well but, as the title suggests, it focuses a little more on the feelings side of things than the Mayo Clinic book.  It was written by a delivery room nurse who is also a childbirth educator.  It sounds like she has a lot of experience soothing and educating anxious parents, which is exactly what I was looking for.  Between the two books I feel like I’m getting a positive, realistic, and reassuring feeling about pregnancy.  Now THAT is what I needed!