The Top 3 Books to Read When You’re Pregnant

There are a lot of books about pregnancy out there. 

And I have read a ton of them. 

From nutrition to fitness, textbooks to celebrity-written pregnancy stories, I fancy myself quite the connoisseur. Not only do I read pregnancy and postpartum books as part of my actual JOB (usually the textbook types, not SO much the celebrity-written tell-alls;) but I could not get enough of them when I was actually pregnant. I wanted to feel as prepared as possible. I wanted to get as much insight and info from other moms as well as much advice and stats as I could!

So what did I read…

You’ll note that I don’t have any books here specifically about how to get your baby to sleep. While I skimmed the book BabyWise, I never could actually get through reading all of it. I really found Taking Cara Babies site SUPER helpful and just couldn’t drag my brain through sleep books (especially when I wasn’t sleeping well/much!)

I have had patients and friends tell me that they don’t want to read “too much” about pregnancy during their pregnancy. I totally get that. There is a lot of information out there floating around in the interwebs, and I don’t recommend people just go reading random sites and filling their heads with “what ifs.” That is why I have chosen these three books. They are written by reliable and trusted sources and (especially the first two) have tons of research backing them.

This list is meant to be BOTH educational AND entertaining. Also, all three of them are really great on audiobook if that’s more of your style.

Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong - and What You Really Need to Know

by Emily Oster

I just adore this book because it gives REAL evidence behind (for and against) some of the common pregnancy misconceptions… Can you eat cold cuts? Have sushi? What about caffeine?  Women hear these “guidelines” from the moment they start telling people they’re pregnant (heck, even before that!) But WHERE did some of these ideas come from? Is there research? Turns out, there is. 

This book walks through a lot of those common questions as well as other more serious ones, and is broken up into very digestible and readable sections.

Emily Oster is an economist by trade, and when she became pregnant, she wanted the stats. I felt much the same way and many other women do too. In fact, while I was reading her book, I looked up many of the studies she references, just to fully understand the evidence. I really appreciate that she presents the data and also the cost benefit analysis of many decisions you have to make during pregnancy. 

Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five 

By John Medina 

John Medina is one of my all time favorite authors and researchers. Medina is a developmental molecular biologist. He has his PH.D in molecular biology and currently teaches at the University of Washington. 

My husband and I actually listened to this on audiobook before I was even pregnant. We had both read his books Brain Rules and Brain Rules for Aging previously. His books are VERY entertaining but also highly educational. In this book, Medina explains how a child’s brain develops, as well as things you can do to help optimize that development. He also gives science based research on what you can do during pregnancy up to the age of 5 to help your child’s brain develop.

From Amazon description-

“This book is destined to revolutionize parenting. Just one of the surprises: The best way to get your children into the college of their choice? Teach them impulse control. Brain Rules for Baby bridges the gap between what scientists know and what parents practice. Through fascinating and funny stories, Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and dad, unravels how a child’s brain develops - and what you can do to optimize it.”

Don’t miss this book! It will give you a GREAT way to think about your baby’s development!

Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting

By Pamela Druckerman 

This book by American Pamela Druckerman is both entertaining, insightful, and helpful. Druckerman is a journalist living in Paris who has her first child while living there. 

Even before having the baby she notes differences between American babies and French babies; from their sleeping habits, eating habits, to their attitudes, she is amazed at the differences. She sets out to understand WHAT French parents are doing differently than American parents. While there was some national controversy over this book (mostly Americans feeling that the French are cold to their children and it is not something to be admired) I found the book funny and light hearted, and of course, took it with a grain of salt;)

Questions? I’d love to hear them? 

My goal is ALWAYS to help pregnant and postpartum women feel strong, confident and physically stable, so let me know how I can help!

Please follow and reach out on instagram at @Drkarlie!