Great Books About Pregnancy
I’m a self-confessed nerd, so it shouldn’t come as much surprise that one of the first things I did when I was expecting was order a big stack of books on pregnancy! Since then delving into my stash of books as become one of my favourite past times and I’ve loved learning more about all the changes you go through when you’re growing a tiny human, as well as understanding more about the social and political side of pregnancy (I am after all a social scientist!).
Why You Should Read Up on Pregnancy
Reading up on pregnancy has been hugely empowering for me, by understanding the physiology of pregnancy I feel more equipped to handle labour, and learning about the psychology and hormonal changes involved has helped me navigate some of the more challenging moments I’ve had around my mental health. Even if you’re not normally someone who reads a lot I’d absolutely recommend getting yourself a great book on pregnancy and birth to scan through as the more you know the more confident you’ll feel navigating the wild ride that is expecting a baby!
Some Great Books About Pregnancy
The thing about having a baby is that everyone has an opinion on having a baby! There are a huge number of books out there about pregnancy and birth, each with their own philosophy and approach, so it can be tricky to know where to start. When I was looking for books about pregnancy and birth I knew that I wanted something that reflected my values - grounded in evidence, woman-centred and progressive in it’s outlook - and along the way stumbled across some great reads! Here are the books I found most useful during my pregnancy journey …
‘Expecting Better’ by Emily Oster
When she was expecting her first child award winning economist Emily Oster felt powerless to make the right decisions for her pregnancy. Like many pregnant women she’d been given a long list of do’s and don’ts without any real explanation from doctors about why she should or shouldn’t do particular things (something I know has frustrated me during my own pregnancy…especially as Googling does not help the situation!). Drawing on her own experience and using the tools she’d learnt as an economist Oster went in search of the facts and, as Expecting Better shows, found that the information given to pregnant women isn’t always as accurate as we’d like and is often oversimplified.
I found Expecting Better a great primer that helped me decide when I wanted to press my medical team for more information and the whys and wherefores of advice. It was utterly reassuring when it came down to fears I had around things like miscarriage as Oster was able to provide clear statistics from trusted sources, which my nerdy brain lapped up.
‘Give Birth Like a Feminist’ by Milli Hill
This book definitely skews to the social and political side of pregnancy, but it was still super useful when it came to becoming more informed about why hospital policy around pregnancy and birth looks the way it does and, much like Expecting Better, it helped me decide when I wanted to press for more information so I could make more informed decisions.
Hill highlights how women have been fed the rhetoric that when it comes to birth ‘a healthy baby is all that matters’ and argues that in with women matter too and that birth should be part of the ongoing conversation about female power, control and agency. This book provides huge amounts of social, historical and political context alongside more practical advice on everything from birth plans to human rights in childbirth to help you find your voice in the labour room.
‘The Positive Birth Book’ by Milli Hill
My ultimate goal when it comes to birthing my baby is that it’s a positive experience. That doesn’t mean it has to be all dim lights and birthing pools (although that is my preferred option), but rather that whatever happens I come away feeling empowered and in control, irrespective of how baby ends up arriving into the world.
‘The Positive Birth Book’ challenges negativity and fear around childbirth and helps you work out what kind of birth you really want in a way that’s clear, informed and easy to engage with, whatever your birth preferences are. I really like how easy it is to dip in and out of this book (reading too much about birth at once can be a little overwhelming!) and especially love the advice it gives around designing a birth plan and using pictorial prompts to communicate in labour.
‘Bumps and Burpees’ by Charlie Barker
Ok so not really one about pregnancy and birth in the traditional sense, but this is a great guide to staying strong, fit and happy throughout pregnancy. I’ve shared in the past about some of the challenges women can face around working out during pregnancy (check out the post here) and this book breaks through pretty much everything.
Charlie takes a holistic approach that helps mums to be prioritise their own health and wellbeing while keeping baby safe and providing lots of context around the physical changes that happen in each trimester. Even though I’ve not been able to workout as much as I’d like during this pregnancy, I still found ‘Bumps and Burpees’ hugely informative and reassuring.