It's weird that in this information age, people don't read. I love that people ask me questions about my pregnancy, my labor, my recovery, and my first months as a new mom (I could talk about it all day), but all the stuff they're asking about is in books or online. Maybe not in the 1 sentence app updates, but available in many places if you search for it. A lot of the answers I give them are straight from book.
When I found out I was pregnant, in March of '11, I launched myself into reading, not just online, but actual books. I went from reading light chick-lit to wanting to know everything about pregnancy, L & D, breastfeeding, parenting etc. I was pretty much obsessed and didn't want to read anything else. Even my mom didn't understand why I was reading so much; she thought I should just ask her. But I loved it. It made me feel more connected with my baby even before she was born. In the summer, I spend hours at the beach reading about how to get a baby to latch properly, the ups and downs of medical interventions during labor, and how to give a newborn a bath. I just don't understand why people (or my friends) wouldn't do the same.
My favorite book was probably Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by James F. Clapp III. The research that he did was clear and justified everything I was doing during pregnancy. The benefits of exercise were and are immense. It reminded me of my college days reading Psych research. But, when I was searching for information on exercise during pregnancy, I couldn't believe that this was the only resource. Sure, every prenatal book gives a little blurb on fitness: start gradually; walking's good; don't work too intensely; ask your doctor...but I wanted FACTS! While there were facts in Clapp's book, I still think there needs to be more information out there for women. Research needs to be done. Anyone?
I also read all of Ina May Gaskin's books on childbirth and breastfeeding. While extreme to a certain extent, they let me formulate a plan of exactly what I wanted for myself and for my daughter.
I read What to Expect When You're Expecting. That's about all I have to say about that one. Felt like I should. Other reads: Head Home With Your Newborn, Nursing Mother's Companion, Belly Laughs, Babywise, Hypnobirthing, Baby Bargains, New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding, The Mommy Docs Guide to Pregnancy, and more. Even though I didn't really like them all, or agree with what they had to say, at least I felt informed.
I have and plan to continue my reading into the next phases...sleeping, eating, playing, development, parenting, communicating etc. I am always looking for suggestions. I thought that's what everyone would do, but I guess that's not the case. Sometimes I have to remind myself that women have been having babies since the beginning of time; maybe we don't need to read books. But, it's not something women seem to discuss unless you're pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or recently pregnant. In our society, it just doens't seem like it is at the forefront of women's minds until it's time. We should be sharing resources, experiences and stories throughout our lives and make it more a part of our society. I didn't even know my own birth story until I was pregnant and asked my mom. Why is this?
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