Did you just find out you’re pregnant? Or maybe you had your first doctors appointment and realized you wanted to learn more about having a healthy pregnancy. Whether you want to focus on diet, fitness, or just need some advice about being a new mom, there are so many Pregnancy Books that will help you along the way.
At Bless Our Littles, we like to talk about things we love and think you might enjoy too. Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. Which means we will receive a commission, if you click on a link and make a purchase. This is no extra cost to you. There are some products we have tried and others that we haven’t but think would be helpful to you!
In a hurry?? Here Are Our Favorites……
Real Food For Pregnancy By Lily Nichols
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong–and What You Really Need to Know By Emily Oster
Best Books for Pregnancy Nutrition
1. Real Food For Pregnancy – Lily Nichols
This book is hands down the BEST! It contains heavily researched information on what’s good for you to consume during pregnancy and why. The “why” part was my favorite because there are a lot of misconceptions out there that make prenatal nutrition overly complicated. This book helped to clarify all of that for me. After reading Lily Nichol’s research, I not only felt like I had a handle on prenatal nutrition, I also felt empowered. I was confident about my food choices going forward. I was also pleasantly surprised by all the recipes she included.
2. The Whole 9 months: A week-by-week Pregnancy Nutrition Guide – Jennifer Lang, MD
This book is written by an OB/GN who is also a mom and knows that simplicity is key in meal prepping, when you’ve got a busy schedule. I appreciated the quick and easy recipes provided in this book, that were pretty tasty as well!
It’s an easy read and light on the scientific jargon so you won’t feel overwhelmed and will be able to absorb a lot of good information. She includes recipes that ensure you get all the necessary nutrients during each week of pregnancy. This book is a good change of pace compared to all the fear-based pregnancy nutrition books out there!
3. Eating for Pregnancy – Catherine Jones + Rose Ann Hudson
This book is a great companion for your pregnancy journey! It spans from pre-conception nutrition to advice on how to achieve healthy weight loss goals after baby. It’s written by an award-winning cookbook author, so the recipes are not only nutritious but delicious as well. There are a lot of recipes to try with a ton of variety to satisfy any craving. A new edition for this book came out earlier this year so you can be sure to expect the most up to date information!
Best Pregnancy Exercise Books
4. Fit and Healthy Pregnancy – Krista Pinto + Rachel Kramer
Exercise during pregnancy is a complicated topic, but this book makes it not so scary. It provides a lot of pregnancy tailored work out plans that keep your changing body in mind. It also focuses on injury prevention, so you are geared with knowledge of safe practices when you go out and get moving.
The book is organized by trimesters so it’s easy to find what’s relevant to you. It also has pictures of exercises which helps make sure you’re doing things right.
I like that this book is very comprehensive and provides tips for pre-conception through getting back into a postpartum routine. Although this book focuses on moms-to-be who are already in shape and/or athletes (specifically, runners, cyclists and swimmers) it provides useful stretches/exercises that are doable at all levels of athleticism.
5. How to Exercise When You’re Expecting – Lindsay Brin
This book is a great resource for exercises you can do from the convenience of your home (all you need is a pair of free weights!). The exercises are very specific and detailed so you can be sure you’re doing them safely! It’s takes you through the best exercises for each trimester that will keep you healthy throughout pregnancy and also help prepare the body for labor.
You’ll also find the answers to a lot of questions, such as which workouts to avoid and even how much water you should be drinking while working out. Overall, it has a lot of good basic information for first time moms-to-be who are trying to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle throughout pregnancy!
6. Exercising Through Pregnancy – James F. Clapp III MD
Exercising through pregnancy is an information-packed book that will help you make safe choices during your pregnancy workouts. Reading this book will give you peace of mind about what your body can handle during pregnancy.
Why trust what it says? Science! All claims in this book are backed by cited research and scientific facts- you may be surprised to find that what you thought was true is actually just a myth. This was definitely a myth-busting book for me!
Pregnancy Books for Anxiety
7. Finding Calm for the Expectant Mom: Tools for Reducing Stress, Anxiety and Mood Sings During your Pregnancy – Alice D. Domar
As the title suggests, this book provides you with an arsenal of tools and coping strategies to address those negative feelings surrounding pregnancy. Negative feelings are totally normal, and, in fact, the author starts by creating a safe space where you immediately feel welcome to sit at the table.
I appreciated the fact that the author is incredibly relatable and aware of the stressors associated with pregnancy, no matter what your overall pregnancy journey might look like. This book made me feel understood. What’s also great is that there are check-in quizzes throughout the book to keep you aware of your feelings as well.
8. The Pregnancy and Postpartum Anxiety Workbook – Pamela S. Wiegartz + Kevin L. Gyoerkoe
This book makes you feel normal and that’s the best thing for your newly pregnant brain. It’s astounding how quickly cutting apples for Monday’s lunch can take you into a whirlwind of thoughts and scenarios. When this happens, you can stop, grab a page from this book and write it all down.
Actually doing the work in this book will help you identify patterns and triggers for your anxiety so you can address your anxious feelings before they manifest into something greater, like a panic attack. It provides strategies that come from an evidence-based science called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Best Pregnancy Books for First Time Moms
9. What to Expect When You’re Expecting – Heidi Murkoff
I feel like we had to add this book! It’s definitely popular and for good reason- you may have even seen the movie. I enjoyed reading this book slowlyyy, as it is sectioned into developmentally significant chunks of weeks.
Like many pregnancy books, it addresses a wide range of topics, some that are relevant to you but some that aren’t. However it’s all informative and fun to read nonetheless! This is a light read and a great way for first time parents to get acquainted with a little bit of a lot of pregnancy topics and issues. I got quite a few laughs out of it as well.
10. Expecting Better – Emily Oster
If there was ever a book to make you question everything your doctor does (in a good way) this is it. This book empowers you with knowledge that you can then use to make informed decisions about everything in your pregnancy.
The author presents unbiased data for numerous studies and expects you to use it to make the best decisions for you and your pregnancy. Did you know there is more than one way to measure your fluid during an ultrasound? I didn’t until I read this book. This will help you to have a better understanding of what’s going on at your doctors appointments!
11. 50 things to do Before you Deliver: The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Guide – Jill Krause
This book may not cover all pregnancy topics, but what is does cover is incredibly useful and relevant to most pregnant women. It keeps things light and casual which is so different and frankly, refreshing, compared to other pregnancy books.
Also, it’s in list form! If you enjoy checklists this is definitely a good one to read. Jill will take you through the list and help you to complete concrete tasks that bring you closer to baby. This will make you feel productive and just great overall.
There are a ton of things you should do before the arrival of your baby and this book helps you remember and complete all of them- it even provides resources for help!
Best Holistic Pregnancy Books
12. The Mama Natural – Genevieve Howland
If there’s one thing that Mama Natural wants you to take away from reading this book, it’s that pregnancy is a natural process and NOT a medical condition. This point is driven home by a ton of research showing how every pregnancy decision has an affect on this process. She presents you with choices to feel more confident throughout your pregnancy.
This week-by-week guide to pregnancy, has a little bit of everything for everyone. From diet tips (and recipes!), natural remedies for morning sickness, and birthing plans. It’s also a great resource for mama’s who want to try and eliminate as many medical interventions as possible during their pregnancy.
13. The Mindful Mom-To-Be – LORI BREGMAN
It makes sense that this book is written by a Doula because of how it’s all about supporting the mom-to-be. With breathing exercises, journaling exercises and stretches throughout the book, you will feel like your mind a body are being nurtured at every step of reading.
This book is all about creating a strong space inside your body and out, for a baby to thrive. I love that the author is very aware of her audience and her writing it not jarring, and there is not overload of information. Instead, this book is easy to read and digest with it very reinvigorating. If you are a naturally stressed out mom-to-be this is the book you put your foot up on the table to read!
14. Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood and Trusting Yourself and Your Body – Erica Chidi Cohen
This book is honest, relevant and makes you feel like everything is going to be okay. The author is very solution based, but also not harsh. She offers practical advice for problems mother’s face specifically in today’s society but also leaves room for you to make decisions, based on what you think is best for your lifestyle. It also reminds you to think about post-partum life, which comes quite suddenly after pregnancy.
Funny Pregnancy Books
15. The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy – Vicki Iovine
Reading this book is like getting a low down on all thing’s pregnancy from one of your closest, and realest friends. Vicki Lovine presents information very candidly (to say the least!). Her raw and unfiltered humor make this book a fun read. Pregnancy is a stressful time and it
16. Belly Laughs – Jenny McCarthy
Written by the hilarious Jenny McCarthy, Belly Laughs is one of my favorite books for pregnancy. Jenny is so open with her own experiences during pregnancy and they are very relatable. I enjoyed the fast-paced adult humor of this quick-read as a comic relief to the other information-dense books for pregnancy that I read.
17. Pregnancy Instructional Manual – Sarah Jordan + David Ufberg, M.D.
This handy little book is fashioned in the way of a typical product’s manual that you would get with say, your new TV. It’s such a clever and eye-catching way to present information that I was intrigued by the cover alone.
The inside does not disappoint either. It continues to follow the format of a manual with bullet points and clear and concise material. There are cute little diagrams that provide useful information such as what to pack in a hospital bag. Best of all, this book is very unbiased in the presentation of information. Guilt free pregnancy books? I’m here for it!
Wrap Up..
Reading books for pregnancy related information can be an educational, therapeutic or entertaining experience. The list above provides well-researched suggestions from each of these major categories. As your pregnancy progresses you may be looking for different things at different times, which is totally fine. Whatever your needs may be, I hope you can find enjoyment in productive reading that helps you achieve your pregnancy goals.
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