Other Recommended Books

Non-fiction

Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy

Pregnancy at times is completely ridiculous and no one recognizes this more than Jenny McCarthy. She takes you inside her pregnancy (and I do mean inside - hemorrhoids, constipation, vaginal discharge, you name it) and makes you laugh at every ridiculous thing she experienced, which you may be experiencing too. Her take on pregnancy is fresh, outrageous, and completely honest. This is the book every pregnant woman needs. Buy at Amazon.com

It Could Happen to You by Martha Brockenbrough

This is an honest, funny, and sweet memoir of pregnancy and the first year as a parent. Brockenbrough takes us along on her journey as she lives the ups and downs of life as a new parent. It's sometimes funny, sometimes endearing, but always entertaining. Brockenbrough is not as outrageous as Jenny McCarthy, which is a good thing, because her book will appeal to everyone. It could be you in this book, for all intents and purposes, and reading someone else's first experience with parenthood is sure to arm a new mom with insights and hope. Buy at Amazon.com

Knocked Up by Rebecca Eckler

If you've worried that you are a bad mother, that you didn't do the right things during pregnancy or that you are too self-absorbed, this is the book that will ease all your worries. The true story of an engaged newspaper writer who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, Knocked Up is guaranteed to make any mother or mother-to-be suddenly supremely confident in her mothering abilities. Eckler smokes, drinks, and eats junk food through her pregnancy and spends all her time obsessing over her weight. If you thought you had it bad, this is the book that will clear your conscience. Even though you'll probably shake your head at some of Eckler's antics, you'll still want to hang in until the end to find out what happens. Buy at Amazon.com

The Mother of All Pregnancy Books by Ann Douglas

This is an excellent pregnancy starter book – a general pregnancy book to read before you read more specialized pregnancy books. It provides a solid, factual overview of the basics and it presents the material in a way that is not at all scary or overwhelming. You’ll find everything you want to know from preconception to postpartum, including a very good section that addresses difficult problems like miscarriage and stillbirth. Buy at Amazon.com

Fiction

The Baby Trail by Sinead Moriarty

This is the first fiction book I’ve ever read that has accurately portrayed what it is like to cope with fertility problems. The descriptions of the tests, drugs, procedures and emotions are dead-on. Because it is fiction, the main character has some behavior that is a bit nutsy. For example, the woman who will go to her husband’s office and rip his shirt off when he refuses to have sex with her when she is ovulating is probably few and far between. However, once you’ve taking your temp every morning for a year, peed on sticks for half of every month, and taken drugs that make you crazy, you can certainly see how someone might entertain such behavior. And I very much appreciated reading a book that did not tie everything up in a neat pink or blue bow at the end. Buy at Amazon.com

Bed Rest by Sarah Bilston

Quinn is placed on bed rest for her last trimester. Her days on the couch are broken up by visits from friends and relatives, increasing tension with her workaholic husband, and her involvement in helping a tenants' group that is being wrongly evicted by a real estate corporation which is curiously enough, represented by her husband's law firm. Will Quinn and her husband get through a rocky spot in her marriage? Will her visiting mother drive her over the edge? Will Quinn manage to help the tenants? And most importantly, will the baby be ok? Bilston does an excellent job of portraying the dull days of a pregnancy on bed rest. The other plot lines are interesting, but somehow not compelling. Nevertheless, this is a fun read for anyone who's been on bed rest or anyone who has been pregnant. Buy at Amazon.com

Confessions of a Pregnant Princess by Swan Adamson

If you're looking for belly bump lit, this ain't it. The pregnancy doesn't hit the pages until almost the end. And even though the story is sometimes a little predictable, I just couldn't help enjoying this thick, juicy book. Venus is wooed by an Italian prince who convinces her to come stay with him at his family home in Rome. Supported by her two gay dads and her mom, she finds that she's not readily accepted by his family. Love makes an appearance though and you'll find yourself rooting for Venus. A fun read, if not exactly about pregnancy, then at least it's a terrific romance. Buy at Amazon.com

Diary of a Mad Mom-to-Be by Laura Wolf

If you're pregnant you know how completely insane pregnancy makes you feel. But now you'll realize what a totally together person you are after you read this funny, side-splitting book. I love the diary format and the lists are fun (although you start skimming over them after a while since they repeat items the narrator not-so-surprisingly hasn't gotten to yet!). One gem from the book - the narrator's OB is a "low-talker" and because she can never hear him, she calls him "The Crotch Whisperer." To die for. Wolf is a great story teller and this is a great book to read while pregnant. Buy at Amazon.com

First Comes Love...Then Comes the Hard Part by Whitney Lyles

Still enjoying the newness of her marriage, Cate begins to think about having a baby. After dealing with some problems getting pregnant, she finally hits the jackpot (after spending her life's savings on hundreds of pregnancy tests). Cate spends the first few months in bed with terrible nausea then manages to get a bad eye infection. Throughout the amusing descriptions of her pregnancy craziness, she has to deal with an insane relative who has asked her to be bridesmaid - while pregnant. This is a light and fun book, sure to please moms-to-be. Buy at Amazon.com

The Mommy Club by Sarah Bird

The cover and title of this book make it seem it belongs in the "mommy lit" subcategory of chick lit. Instead, this is a literary exploration of what happens when a woman with a difficult past, and a cloudy future, agrees to become a surrogate mother for her boss. The pregnancy depictions are very realistic (the author actually wrote this while she was pregnant herself) and the characters are fascinating. No matter what you think about surrogacy, you'll find this to be a deeply engrossing read. Buy at Amazon.com

The Nine Month Plan by Wendy Markham

Nina has spent half her life raising her siblings after her mother's early death and is getting ready to fly the coop after her brother's graduation and her sister's wedding. Somehow though, she feels a strange attachment to her friend Joe who wants a family of his own. In a crazy, almost hard to believe moment, Nina agrees to have a baby for him. To meet her deadline, they decide to conceive the old fashioned way and each finds they have feelings for the other, but won't admit it. Nina ends up pregnant and when the news comes to light, everyone assumes they'll be getting married. An unexpected ending gives you the closure you seek. While the pregnancy is a big part of the book, center stage is the romance between Joe and Nina. Buy at Amazon.com

Notes from the Underbelly by Risa Green

I thought this book was pretty darn funny. It accurately portrayed a lot of the insecurities and insanities of pregnancy. A high school guidance counselor allows her husband to talk her into getting pregnant. One of her best friends is several months ahead of her in pregnancy and witnessing her experience makes her a tad nervous. There are really two plots in the book – the progression of her pregnancy and the action-oriented plot that involves trying to get an uncooperative student into the top-notch college requested by her parents. Following along as the narrator experiences crying jags, hemorrhoids, maternity clothes shopping and more is the best part of the book. Buy at Amazon.com

Playing House by Patricia Pearson

Thirty-three and unexpectedly expecting Frannie is catapulted out of her Sex and The City lifestyle of imperfect men, a cool job, and an exciting social life, after throwing up in a pile of sweaters in the Gap makes her realize she is pregnant. When her jazz musician boyfriend takes off on a European concert tour and her visa is denied (she's Canadian), Frannie ends up housesitting for her brother and adjusting to the changes in her life. This very funny (particular the imaginary 911 calls) and honest look at pregnancy and new parenthood is enough to make you laugh and cry at the same time. Buy at Amazon.com

The Pregnancy Test by Erin McCarthy

I expected this to be more focused on the the main character's pregnancy - you know, your typical chick lit pregnancy book. I was surprised to find the book read more like a steamy (emphasis on steamy) romance with pregnancy as one of the background stories. McCarthy can write a good sex scene for sure, but while I enjoyed the build up and the suspense, some of it rang false for me. I wanted more plot and more secondary characters. I think what was missing for me was the chick part. There wasn't a lot of interaction with her friends and there certainly wasn't enough shopping! I still recommend it though and think it's a good entry into the pregnancy/chick lit field. This is a good book to enjoy with a hot bath and your bunny slippers when you need a hot love story to warm you up. McCarthy is skilled at writing a good romance. Buy at Amazon.com

Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Bloomwood Brandon is back and this time her shopaholic nature is directed towards her unborn baby. Can't decide between strollers? Buy them all! Worried about childbirth? Arrange for a water birth with lotus flowers and Thai massage! Searching for the perfect birth locale? Ask your favorite boutique if you can give birth there! Becky shops her way through pregnancy, but also is in a competition with her husband to make the wisest investments for the baby. Will Becky's "antiques of the future" purchases - hot trendy items she thinks will one day be valuable - put her ahead?

All is not fun and cash register receipts though - Becky wonders if her marriage is in trouble and if the store she is a personal shopper for is going to make it. Zany as always, warm-hearted, and very creative when it comes to finances, Becky is the heroine you'll want to read more and more about.

Whether you're on a tight budget for your own baby or can shop to your heart's content, this is a great read that will make you laugh and know maybe you're not so crazy after all. Buy at Amazon.com

Tales from the Crib by Jennifer Coburn

Imagine finding out you’re pregnant again after several miscarriages (including one very late one) and having your husband tell you he wants a divorce just as you are about to share your good news. Because this pregnancy seems like a miracle to them both, they decide to stay married for the sake of the baby and live in the same house, but have separate lives. It may sound far-fetched, but there are people with stranger arrangements. The narrator’s relationship with her mother is a hoot and her portrayal of the possible problems with breastfeeding is realistic. This is a fun read. Buy at Amazon.com

Tales from the Crib by Risa Green

Risa Green is true to form and gives us the down and dirty truth about new motherhood with her signature wit. Lara Stone brings home her baby Parker and struggles with extra baby weight, nursing, explosive diapers, bonding, mommy & me class, sex, sleep deprivation and everything else every new mom has faced. You'll laugh out loud as you recognize yourself in her account. As with Notes from the Underbelly, Green provides a plot to keep us reading and I thought this plot was more compelling than in the last book, so points for Green there. Green has been there, done that when it comes to being a new mom and she's isolated just about every single thing that is ridiculously funny (as long as you're not living through it at the moment). This is a must read for all new and expectant moms. Buy at Amazon.com

The Yummy Mommy by Polly Williams

Londoner Amy Crane becomes unexpectedly pregnant and then finds that pregnancy leaves her unexpectedly frumpy. Envying all the MILFs she encounters, she eventually starts on a self-improvement kick which has a negative effect on her love life. This book takes an honest look at what it's like to be home with a baby and a body you no longer recognize, suddenly cut off from friends and work. Amy's struggles with self-esteem will be familiar to many new moms and the self-acceptance and courage she finds will inspire many. Buy at Amazon.com