When you find out you’re expecting, you’re more than a little bit excited, but maybe a teensy bit of anxious too. Keep these bibles by your bedside. We’ve whittled down our all-time favourites below.
1 Becoming Mum
Kate Carbery
This book comes highly recommended by the HerFamily.ie team. It’s an Irish book with strikingly honest accounts from mums all over the country about their experiences with childbirth and the first few months of becoming a mum. It certainly doesn’t sugar-coat things, so be warned, but then you need some realistic accounts of what it’s really like.
2 What To Expect When You’re Expecting
Heidi Murkoff
It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Originally published in 1984, it’s now in it’s fourth edition. Consistently topping the NY Times ‘Best Seller’ list, Murkoff’s book is a firm favourite with pregnant women world wide. Chronologically ordered, the book tracks pregnancy from the first suspicions to the post partum period. Each chapter lists symptoms a woman may be having, and lists things she can expect for check-ups. It even inspired the 2012 film with the same name starring Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz.
3 The Everything Pregnancy Book
Paula Ford Martin
This book focuses on helping you understand the physical and emotional changes you can expect to go through. It also helps with nutrition and exercise (hello pregnancy yoga) as well as giving the best labour and delivery advice. There’s a handy section on budgeting too, for figuring out exactly how much this baby is going to cost.
4 The Pregnancy Countdown Book
Kara Nakisbendi, MD
The tome is a whole lot simpler than a lot of the pregnancy books on the market. It counts down the biggest milestones along the way. There’s amusing (uncensored) anecdotes, tips from doctors, and advice from other mothers too. It’s a more light hearted read.
