I've had a few people ask for recommendations about what books to read, etc. when embarking on pregnancy. Above is a very condensed guide for the resources I used most when pregnant with Henry. I had a pretty rough pregnancy in some aspects, plus I wasn't working. Which means basically all I did for nine months was scour the internet and google weird stuff like "pregnant weird bump on my elbow." So just trust me.
Books... The "Birth Partner" is like an easy to read textbook with lots of pictures. It basically covers everything you need to know about birth from labor positions to medication choices. Do not expect your husband to read it. I think Thomas began to read it once on a plane and when I looked over the book was opened to the introduction and he was asleep with his mouth open. Cool, babe. If you plan to breastfeed, I highly suggest "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding." Even though I still feel like I am the worst breastfeed-er ever, this book is an amazing guide to get you started.
Apps... The first app is called iPregnant. I liked it the best as a pregnancy tracker because you could look at a calendar and it would tell you how far along you were on each day. This helped me when I was looking forward to being a bridesmaid and traveling on a plane. No matter what, do not buy the "What to Expect" book. Just get the app. The app literally contains all the same information as the book, but on your phone. Also, this app has forums which I still post to when I have a weird question and need the advice of other moms.
Sites... Alphamom.com is mostly a parenting website, but they have a great pregnancy section that offers a "zero to forty" guide on pregnancy. The week-by-week guide is informative but more fun to read than other guides. Modgblog.com is just my favorite mom blog and you should read it. Birthwitoutfearblog.com is a website dedicated to women sharing birth stories and videos. This site is VERY hippie. Most of the birth videos are unmedicated homebirths. I really suggest watching births on this site or on youtube. It helped me to feel desensitized about the entire labor and birth process and made it seem less scary. In fact, it made me EXCITED about popping a baby out. Give it a shot.
Also, take a prepared childbirth class and make your husband go with you. They aren't going to read the books, so just accept it. But they will go to the classes and probably listen.
Love,
Lauren
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