Starr Struck's Pregnancy + Mom-to-Be Reading List

 As I make my way through my Summer Reading List, which is full of beach reads + [mostly] fiction books, I have also been making time in between the "fun" books to read pregnancy and mommy-related books. Not that these books aren't as enjoyable to read per se, but they definitely require me to be in a different mental space in order to read them.

That being said, I've gotten a lot out of reading these types of books, as they make me feel more educated and aware of what's out there in this unknown world I'm about to enter--even if I don't agree with or understand everything written in each book. 

So, here are the books that are on my mom-to-be reading list. I've already read 3 of the books listed below, and the other 3 are in my queue...

• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Diane Wiessinger:  If you're at all interested in breastfeeding, I highly recommend this book. It was given to me by one of my friends who found it really helpful, and I felt the same way--reading it made me feel SO much more knowledgable about breastfeeding, it's benefits, it's challenges, and the resources that exist out there to help new mothers with breastfeeding. Really interesting + informative!
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• The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer by Harvey Carp: I've heard multiple mothers and experts mention this book as a must-read, and since I hear that newborns like to cry a lot and can often have trouble sleeping, I think it's worth getting into. Quick admission: Sara gave me a DVD that covers most of what is in this book, so there's a high probability that I'll watch that (with Ben) instead of reading the book...because I only have approx 5 weeks left before this babe comes, and that's not a ton of time!
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• The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth by William Sears and Martha Sears: This book was recommended to me by my HypnoBirthing Coach, and I found it to be particularly helpful in explaining the science behind birth and what's actually happening in your body throughout the birth process. For me, understanding the physical logistics of birth has been helpful in making it feel much more doable (and less scary), so this book has been an important read for me thus far. 
  
  
• Elevating Childcare: A Guide to Respectful Parenting by Janet Lansbury: While I don't know a ton about this one, I've heard a lot of good things about Janet Lansbury and want to read this book in order to learn more about her ideas on parenting. I have no idea whether or not her parenting style/thoughts will resonate with me or not, but from what I understand, it's worth reading just to broaden my horizons. {This book might be one I'll have to get into after we have the babe, but we'll see...}
  
  
• Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin: If I lived in or close to Tennessee, I think I might venture over to The Farm (Ina May's Midwifery Center) to give birth. But since I don't, reading her book and finding inspiration from the stories and wisdom shared within it's pages will have to do for now. A beautiful read for anyone interested in natural childbirth and the magical spirituality of childbirth. 
  
  
• Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Drukerman: Despite this being my first pregnancy, I feel like I've been hearing about this book for quite some time now, simply because it ruffled a lot of feathers when it first came out by bringing up some big differences between the way French mothers and American mothers parent. Then, I recently read this article about why American mothers can't possibly parent the way that French mothers do because we don't have the same kind of support from our government, and it piqued my interest again, so I've added it to my list. 

So, that's where I am at this point when it comes to baby books! I'm sure this list will be constantly changing as I get deeper into the process (and actually have a baby!), but there you go. 

Fellow pregnant ladies and/or parents: what books would you recommend? Any must-reads that I haven't included here? Please post to comments to share the learning love!