What To Look For
Best-selling books for expectant mothers vary widely in emphasis. Although books that cover conception through delivery tend to make the top-seller list, there are also books for expectant mothers regarding natural childbirth, vegetarianism and various types of spirituality. Look for books that will help you adapt your lifestyle to your pregnancy.
Common Pitfalls
Consider the author and his credentials. Verify information from pregnancy books with your doctor if it could harm you or the baby. For example, according to the National Organization of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS), the U.S. Surgeon General urged women to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy because no amount of alcohol is safe. After studying what best-selling pregnancy books said about the relationship between pregnancy and alcohol, NOFAS found inaccurate information and recommendations in many books.
Where To Buy
Barnes and Noble, Borders and Amazon.com all offer new and used book purchases with reputations for reliable shipping. For cheapest prices, you may wish to consider a local used book store. If reading, not owning, the book is what you're after, consider borrowing the book from a friend or relative or checking for it at the library.
Cost
Best-selling pregnancy books can be found used for under $5 at major book-selling websites. New books for expectant mothers typically cost $12.95 and up. Humorous "Porn for New Moms," a book that depicts men taking care of infants, and "What to Expect When You're Expecting" are two of these books.
Comparison Shopping
Two of the top-selling pregnancy books are "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and "The Mother of All Pregnancy Books." Each offers its own insights into pregnancy, but will fit you depending on what needs you have as an expectant mother. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" has chapters on the time before conception, gynecological history, up to six weeks after pregnancy, getting back into shape, a chapter for dads and a chapter per month on what is happening to your baby, what you may feel and what to expect at doctor appointments.
"The Mother of All Pregnancy Books" questions if you are ready to have a child and then explains the cost of raising one. It spends five chapters planning financially, physically and mentally to have a child. It also offers a long list of complaints that a pregnant woman may make with explanations as to what is and what is not normal during pregnancy.
Accessories
In addition to a best-selling pregnancy book, you may want to consider purchasing a baby name book. Naming your child may be a difficult decision, even if you have had her name picked out since you were 12. A book of names will also give you a break from the worries of pregnancy complications that plague most expectant mothers.
