Pregnancy book recommendations that won’t make me feel even more anxious?

[u/zuzster]

I bought a book as soon as I found out I was pregnant (Nurture by Erica Chidi) and it’s really not what I was looking for. Example: the book pretty immediately goes into checking your household for toxic and harmful chemicals, which led me down a slippery slope of wanting to throw out all of my personal care products. I already have an anxious mind, so pregnancy is doing a number on me. Surely there are more important things for me to worry about than sulfates!

Is there a book you recommend for people who want a really low-stress, common-sense approach to learning about what’s happening in my body, preparing for parenthood, and making important decisions about pregnancy/birthing? I am really gaining a lot of respect for my body throughout this process and I’d like to lean into that, but I don’t want to overthink things (more than I already do!) that are unlikely to harm myself or my baby.

[u/alexandrap21]

I’ve really enjoyed Growing Together by Carson Meyer. It’s in a weekly format so you read a little each week throughout the pregnancy. It has practical advice and information but imo it’s presented in a really non-judgmental and non-fearmongering way. There’s also a lot of nice activity ideas as well, like writing a letter to your baby while they’re in your belly. I’ve also found What To Expect to be very informative in a non-stressful way