If you are looking for good books to read, here are some books I highly recommend! 

Great pregnancy books to read

I do NOT recommend What to Expect When you are Expecting... this tells you everything that can go wrong and tells you to expect it. 

I DO recommend BABY-EGG Pregnancy Countdown Calendar to have a wonderful visual of your growing baby and their development.  Beautifully done and especially wonderful for families who already have children.  So great to see and learn how the baby is growing, without any negative information at all. 

For a good reference book on pregnancy Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin has good information presented in a positive way. 

What about exercise during pregnancy?  I will be honest, this was not my strong suit.  I was told about this book, Maternal Fitness: Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy, an Easier Labor, and a Quick Recovery after I had Bryson and it sounds like a perfect solution, for those who don't love exercising, but want to prepare for their birthing time!  I guess even moms who love exercising would like it too!  :)

Great birth books include

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin and The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer.  These two books pretty much have it all, good birth stories, great information to make good choices during your pregnancy and birth and inspirational ideas to help your birth go more smoothly. 

Birth Without Violence by Frederick LeBoyer is a beautiful book that I remember from reading when I was in high school.  Childbirth without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth is another classic book with good basic birth information.  These two books are not necessary if you take the Hypnobabies course as the important information is cover in the course.  But if you want more, or are not taking the course these are good reads. 

Another great book filled with POSITIVE, empowering birth stories is Journey into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth by Sheri Menelli.  It seems like a lot of birth stories moms here now are negative and scare pregnant moms.  These stories will inspire you and help you trust in your body and the beauty of birth!

My favorite breastfeeding book

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers by Nancy Mohrbacher.  I love this book because I learned a lot from reading it, even after nursing 3 babies!  In fact I wish I had read it BEFORE I had Bryson, as we had some challenges I could have avoided if I had read this book first. I think every mom who wants to breastfeed should read a breastfeeding book BEFORE they have their baby and really this one is great.

My favorite newborn baby book

The Happiest Baby on the Block - The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer (DVD) by Harvey Karp, this book really helps make the transition from pregnancy, to having a baby go much smoother.  He even has a DVD, which is Better than the book, because it is easier to SEE how all the pieces work together and because then Dad can learn it too.  J