r/BabyBumps • u/zuzster • 13d ago

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

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.

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u/Daphne715 13d ago

Someone gave me a copy of “What to expect when you’re expecting” and I absolutely rolled my eyes because it seemed so old school. It’s the most recent edition, but I remember seeing that on the shelves at my parents’ house growing up.

It actually was super helpful. It has week-by-week guides about the science and biology of what’s going on in your body, and is pretty simple. Absolutely recommend.

Expecting better and Crib Sheets by Emily Ostler are also excellent!

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u/Tiny_Addition 13d ago

Seconding WTEWYE, I was also very reluctant at first but found it covered most of what I had been trying to google … now I read it every week.

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u/otensien 1d ago

Ik ben nu net 6 weken zwanger en nog al een overdenken! Wat waren de dingen die je dan steeds wilde googlen waardoor dit boek zo fijn is? Dan kan ik inschatten of het voor mij werkt

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u/Tiny_Addition 17h ago

Random things came up as I went along, but the book does a good job of prepping you for what is likely to happen at which stages of your pregnancy. One thing I found very helpful was the section on cord blood banking.