Listmania!
Best Reads During Pregnancy
By an Amazon.com customer
The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between (U.S. Edition)The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between (U.S. Edition) by Ann Douglas
Buy new: $10.87 / Used from: $2.00
This will probably be the first of many Ann Douglas books you'll read as a new parent! Love, love, love and admire Douglas for her wisdom and her work.
The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth (Revised)The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth (Revised) by Sheila Kitzinger
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $3.69
Kitzinger's book is a comprehensive classic, and the art and photos actually (for once!) add something to the text. This is an especially important book if you are considering a drug-free birth.
The Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early ParenthoodThe Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $13.54
Another comprehensive keeper.
The Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth, Second EditionThe Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth, Second Edition by Penny Simkin
Buy used from: $3.99
Great handbook for dads/partners/birth coaches who want to learn all they can and really play a meaningful role in labor and birth.
The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier BirthThe Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus
Buy new: $20.00 / Used from: $11.00
Considering hiring a doula for labor and birth? This book makes a strong case for doula support, which is shown to be associated with healthier, safer, easier births for both mom and baby.
Active Birth : The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, Revised EditionActive Birth : The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, Revised Edition by Janet Balaskas
Buy new: $13.18 / Used from: $5.74
Another good one for those who are considering a drug-free or low-intervention labor.
An Easier Childbirth: A Mother's Guide to Birthing NormallyAn Easier Childbirth: A Mother's Guide to Birthing Normally
Buy new: $17.59 / Used from: $8.85
Extremely important for women preparing for a low-intervention, no-drug birth. Great for prepping, mentally and physically, to triumph over labor pain.
Ina May's Guide to ChildbirthIna May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
Buy new: $11.56 / Used from: $7.40
It's on the "granola" side, but if you're open to new information and a new way of thinking about and preparing for birth, this is THE book, from world-renowned midwife Gaskin.
Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year: A Guide to Health and Comfort Before and After Your Baby Is BornEssential Exercises for the Childbearing Year: A Guide to Health and Comfort Before and After Your Baby Is Born by Elizabeth Noble
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $9.00
Great book for feeling good & keeping in shape while you're growing a baby - and after.
Birth as an American Rite of PassageBirth as an American Rite of Passage by Robbie E. Davis-Floyd
Buy new: $19.75 / Used from: $14.95
For those who like research-based reading with a scholarly and historical perspective on childbirth, Robbie Davis-Floyd's book is essential reading! And a real eye-opener.
The Pregnancy Journal; A Day-To-Day Guide to a Healthy and Happy PregnancyThe Pregnancy Journal; A Day-To-Day Guide to a Healthy and Happy Pregnancy by A. Christine Harris
Buy used from: $5.54
Love this journal. Well-designed, informative, and a good way to document your pregnancy all along the way.
Love Letters to My BabyLove Letters to My Baby by Vickey Banks
Buy new: $11.24 / Used from: $2.97
A beautiful little book for journaling during pregnancy and after the birth. Someday I'll give my copy to my daughter as a keepsake to pass on.
It Could Happen To You:  Diary Of A Pregnancy and BeyondIt Could Happen To You: Diary Of A Pregnancy and Beyond by Martha Brockenbrough
Buy used from: $5.25
While you're doing all that heavy reading, don't forget to lighten up a little, too. Read things that make you feel less alone, that make you laugh!
Expecting : One Man's Uncensored Memoir of PregnancyExpecting : One Man's Uncensored Memoir of Pregnancy by Gordon Churchwell
Buy used from: $0.01
Daddies need a laugh, too!
Waiting for Birdy: A Year of Frantic Tedium, Neurotic Angst, and the Wild Magic of Growing a FamilyWaiting for Birdy: A Year of Frantic Tedium, Neurotic Angst, and the Wild Magic of Growing a Family by Catherine Newman
Buy new: $11.20 / Used from: $0.98
Another funny, well-written memoir. Especially recommended for second-time expectant mamas.
The Nursing Mother's Companion: Revised EditionThe Nursing Mother's Companion: Revised Edition by Kathleen Huggins
Buy new: $13.18 / Used from: $6.25
Best book to prepare for stress-free, successful breastfeeding.
Nursing Mother, Working Mother: The Essential Guide for Breastfeeding and Staying Close to Your Baby After You Return to WorkNursing Mother, Working Mother: The Essential Guide for Breastfeeding and Staying Close to Your Baby After You Return to Work by Gale Pryor
Buy used from: $0.01
If you plan to breastfeed but also plan to go back to work outside the home, you need to read this book.
Our Bodies Ourselves For The New Century (A Touchstone book)Our Bodies Ourselves For The New Century (A Touchstone book) by Boston Women's Health Book Collective
Buy used from: $0.01
An important book for all women to have, before, during, and after pregnancy.
Smart Medicine for a Healthier ChildSmart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand
Buy new: $16.29 / Used from: $9.18
Every pregnant woman and parent should have this on the bookshelf. Get it early enough to read the chapter on pregnancy and newborns.
Baby Bargains: Secrets To Saving 20% To 50% On Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear, And Much, Much More! (Baby Bargains)Baby Bargains: Secrets To Saving 20% To 50% On Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear, And Much, Much More! (Baby Bargains) by Denise Fields
Buy used from: $0.01
Get what you want and need, without getting ripped off. It's important to save some spare change for improptu splurges on baby - and yourself - after the birth.