Read All About It!

I'm not much of a reader but when I found out I was pregnant I wanted to read as much as I could about the road that was ahead of me. Ok, well, a lot of reading to me is probably different than to most of you. In the past, my reading materials usually consisted of the newspaper, magazines and the occasional special interest book (gardening, composting, traveling, photography, etc). I've enjoyed all the books that I've read over the last 9 months or so. I thought I would share them with you along with a very short review about each.


Great Expectations written by Sandy Jones & Marcie Jones is somewhat like the book that many people have heard of called What to Expect When You're Expecting (I'm reading that book as well). I have to say that I really like Great Expectations much more than the latter. The beginning of the book breaks down pregnancy week by week which is great because it gives you an idea of what to expect, size of the baby, how you will be feeling physically and emotionally, etc. Each week is only about a page and a half but Tom and I have been enjoying reading each week together as we approach it. For example, we just read week 39 last night (we always read a week ahead - I'm 38 weeks right now). The rest of the book has very useful information ranging from pregnancy, labor and delivery, and even the first few months after you bring baby home. I highly recommend this book.


The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine was a fun book to read. It was written quite a few years ago but it is a timeless piece because pregnancy itself hasn't changed. I may not have agreed with all of the author's comments and suggestions but there was some helpful information included. I liked hearing different stories about other 'girlfriend's' pregnancies and their experiences. I also enjoyed Vicki's honesty. She doesn't hold back...she gives it to you straight. It was humorous and I did learn a lot. This is a must read for anyone who is pregnant.


Raising Baby Green by Alan Greene, M.D. was a book I picked up to give me some guidelines for raising our little one in a more healthy and eco-friendly way. This book was great! It provided information on pregnancy, childbirth, taking care of baby and how to create a healthy environment. It did get a bit overwhelming at one point because there are SO many toxins out there. However, I tried to take the information and sort out the things that made sense for us and our baby. You can't do everything (or at least I don't feel like we can) BUT, we've made some decisions about how we'd like to raise our little one based on things that were most important for us. I definitely recommend this book if you are interested in 'raising baby green.'

The other eco-friendly book that I liked was Organic Baby by Kimberly Rider. I have to say this book was a bit of a disappointment for me after I had already read Raising Baby Green. I would say its a better book to start out with. If you haven't read any organic living books yet, pick this one up first. Its a quick read and isn't as overwhelming for new 'greenies.' It provides simple suggestions for creating a healthier lifestyle and environment for your family. It also has a handy section in the back with tons of websites that carry organic and eco-friendly products. Its also a very colorful book with beautiful photographs. Its always nice to have an aesthetically pleasing book to look through.

The Birth Book by William and Martha Sears has been a great reference for labor and delivery. I haven't finished it though because I've gotten more into the Great Expectations book. My cousin lent me this book and she loved it! I've found the information very useful and it covers a lot of information including the history of labor and delivery (various techniques and such). Its been very interesting to read about how things have changed over the years. Its a useful tool. I hope to be done with it before I give birth...who knows though.

Last but not least, Your Pregnancy for the father-to-be by Dr. Glade Curtis and Judith Schuler. This was a book for Tom. He got a lot out of it. At different times he was telling me things I didn't know...too funny! This book provides soon-to-be dads with information about pregnancy, what their partner is going through, tips on how to help make things better for mom-to-be, financial information, and much more! I think Tom was happy he read this book. It has prepared him (if that's possible considering the nature of pregnancy) a bit more for the pregnancy world and beyond.

So those are the books that have been by our bedsides for the last 9 months or so. I feel as though they have all played an important part in helping us prepare for baby mac's (hopefully soon) arrival. I'm 38 weeks and waiting impatiently for the time. I kept telling baby that Mother's Day would be a good day. Its 4pm...the day is almost over! I don't think baby mac was listening very well:)

That's ok. Since its Mother's Day, we're focusing on our moms! Tom and I spent yesterday evening with Irene to celebrate with her. We brought dinner over and went out for desert...yummy soft serve at our favorite ice cream place in Turners. Today we are bringing food for a BBQ over to my parent's house to celebrate Mother's Day as well as my Grandfather's birthday. Its been a beautiful weekend! Let's hope there are more days like this.

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms and soon-to-be moms out there!!!