An Overall Review: Baby Books

I am a typical female consumer. If something is broken (and is of little significance), I would much rather replace it that try to repair it. However, with the anticipation of having a little one comes the stress of finances. My husband is determined not to go into debt and has calculated how much money we would go into debt should I not get some sort of job after the baby is born.

This means I have to be thriftier than usual and rely quite a bit more on advice since I do not trust what the Internet says about what to get for my child.

Instead of purchasing baby books, we checked them out of the library first.

I liked "You: Having a Baby" - it is very straight forward and explains the medical terminology in very easy language. It also has practical information such as what to eat, what you might want to purchase for the baby, and what to do AFTER the baby has arrived (how to change a diaper, etc.). I particularly like the information about immunization the book offers - it gives both sides of the the debate.

I did not like "What to Expect When You are Expecting" very much at the start, but now I wish I had not checked it back into the circulation desk. It at least tells you what is normal for each trimester. I did not appreciate the cheesy opening lines to each question. As best as I can remember, here is an example: "I really want to eat play-doh, is that normal?" Answer: "It is normal for women to have odd cravings, but play-doh is a play-don't!".

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The one book I would NOT recommend to anyone who does not want to be thoroughly grossed out is "The Pregnancy Bible".

I did not put this on the request list, the hubby did - I did not feel comfortable with a book that put words "Pregnancy" and "Bible" in the same phrase. After I showed my husband some of the GRAPHIC IMAGES (pregnancy sex complete with fake expressions of "ecstasy", stages of labor complete with crowning, etc.), he quite agreed that it was a horrible book.

One book that we have enjoyed was recommend by our friends Steve and Emily - "Baby Bargains". Like "You - Pregnant", it has VERY practical advice for parents. It has lists of brands on the market along with reviews from the authors and from parents. I particularly like the advice other parents give because they have gone through the process and can tell you what works and what does not.

Of course, each child is different. Given the little one's behavior so far, I am going to guess it will have its own agenda. Part of getting prepared for a baby is being prepared for all those plans to be chucked out the window!