Have you googled “Must-Read Pregnancy Books” yet? During my first pregnancy, I wanted to read every book I could get my hands on! Books about what to expect, books that explained what my body was going through, books for my mind, books for my body, books for my baby. You name it! But I also had a strong desire to find a book that would help me connect with myself during this pregnancy as well. Which is why I was attracted to both inspirational books and books that helped me decide methods for eating during pregnancy, how to approach sleep training, and what meditations and yoga poses to do during these 9 months.
So behold! Our list of the Top 5 Pregnancy Books on the market currently. These 5 pregnancy books are a great start to your “must-read” list and motherhood journey!
Top 5 Pregnancy Books – The Must Read Books for When You’re Expecting!
1.) The Daily Soul Sessions for the Pregnant Mama: A Daily Dose of Soul and Inspiration for all Thrilled, Shocked, Excited, and Delighted Mamas To Be!
by Kacey Coppola Morreale, Kate Coppola Leiva, and Kara Coppola Schmahl
This book (obviously!) is one of my favorites. When my twin sister, Kacey, was pregnant with Stella, she really struggled with all the massive changes her life, body, soul, and spirit were going through at the time. As we are songwriters, she started writing all of her feelings down.
During my first pregnancy, I searched and searched for a pregnancy book or app that would speak to me and my soul and not just tell me all the clinical things going on with my body and what size fruit my baby is this week. I was yearning for something a bit more spiritual, a bit more inspiring. Something that would help cultivate my creativity. I must have complained to Kacey a million times because she finally let me read some of her daily journal entries. BOOM. There it was. Exactly what I had been looking for…The Daily Soul Sessions For The Pregnant Mama is a collection of 280 daily inspirations. One for every single day of your pregnancy. In the words of the lovely mama and blogger Hannah Renee:
“This book is a sweet and simple daily minute to yourself. It is full of wonderful inspirational quotes, reflections, and reminders. I am seriously loving the short, yet so on point, daily reflections and inspiration. It is such a great way for me to begin (or end) my day. I’ve appreciated the reminder to slow down and take a breath. It’s so important to stay positive and to let yourself rest and reflect on the changes you’re experiencing through this beautiful time. I believe this book is for any mama, whether it’s your first baby or your fifth. These ladies have made a simple book, aside from the how-tos, the guides, the birth books, etc. to give mama something just for her. Put simply, it’s a daily dose of positivity, especially made for pregnant mamas. It’s a breath of fresh air & totally worth the buy.
“And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person you walked in.” – Haruki Murakami (excerpt from pg. 181).”
2.) Bringing Up Bebe
by Pamela Druckerman
This book has gotten a lot of hype for the past few years, and personally I really enjoyed reading it. Even my husband read it! For starters, it gave me hope as a first time mom. I worried a lot during my first pregnancy about losing myself in the whole “mommy” world, afraid that I had to become a mama martyr, if you will, in order to be a good mother. This book helped me understand why we are hardwired to feel this way.
Ms. Druckerman offers a glimpse into the realities of French parenting, and she digs into the differences between American and French parenting. She also dives into why American moms tend to feel more guilt and more pressure to lose their entire identity inside their children. And she contrasts that with the French way of including their children in their already established lifestyle and routine. It was a refreshing and enjoyable read!
3.) On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant The Gift of Nighttime Sleep
by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam
Ok, ok, ok, this one is suuuuuuupppppeeeeerrrrr controversial. There are so many different schools of thought on how to get your baby to sleep through the night. I personally come from the school of read and learn and educate myself as much as humanly possible, and then determine the best course of action for my family. With that in mind, I have to say that Baby Wise was a great fit for our family.
Now, my daughter was a good sleeper from the very beginning, so I realize I was blessed! (We’ll see how this little boy will do – in fact, I’ll be dusting off my copy of this book ASAP!) But the schedule that Baby Wise gets you on really worked for us! By 11 weeks, Sloane was sleeping from 11pm to 5 or 6am! Now my 2 and a half year old is a fantastic sleeper, she loves her bed, and she loves nap time. I really believe it is a “gift” we are giving our kids and ourselves when we take the time and the effort to teach our babies how to sleep. Anyway! You may love it or hate it – but try it out if you’re looking for sleep answers!
4.) Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives: A Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth Through Meditation, Ayurveda, and Yoga Techniques
by Deepak Chopra, David Simon, and Vicki Abrams
I loved how this book integrated body, mind, and spirit with the latest Western scientific prenatal practices. It’s a practical AND inspirational look at the art of bringing a baby into this world. I’m a huge fan of yoga and meditation, and this book incorporates both into your pregnancy.
5.) Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby’s First Foods
by Nina Planck
I first discovered author Nina Planck through her “The Real Food Cookbook” – devoted to serving only real foods and avoiding anything processed. The book describes itself as a “more old-fashioned and diverse way of eating…using fresh herbs, good butter, seasonal fruits and vegetables, grass-fed and pastured meats, and whole grains.” This method of approaching recipes and feeding my family is very attractive to me. I try to bring everything back to its most basic form, I try to shop the perimeter of the market, and I try to avoid processed foods as much as possible! (I lost a lot of my baby weight by eating this way, but that’s another post for another day!)
When I found her first 2 books, this one and its predecessor “Real Food”, I dove right in! She tells stories about her first pregnancy and encourages mamas to eat healthy, real foods that are good for you and for baby. She backs up all of her theories with facts and is a walking example of the lifestyle she touts.
Happy Reading, Mamas!
The Daily Soul Sessions For The Pregnant Mama book is a daily dose of soul and inspiration for all thrilled, shocked, excited, and delighted mamas-to-be! Available on Amazon now! There are 280 soul sessions – one for every day of your pregnancy. Join The Daily Soul Sessions mama tribe at www.thedailysoulsessions.com. We are dedicated to helping mamas and mamas-to-be stay creative and inspired, and to figure out how to hold onto themselves and their passions while everyone else is holding onto them.
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Join The Daily Soul Sessions tribe! We are 3 sisters, 2 of us are identical twins, Grammy nominated singer/songwriters and recording artists from Denver, Colorado who, when we got pregnant accidentally the first time around, wrote a book about how to stay connected to yourself, your positivity, your creativity, and your inspiration during those crazy 9 months! Now we are all 3 pregnant again with our 2nd babies! Kara is due any day now, and Kate and Kacey (twins!) are due 10 days apart in February of 2017.
