Reading, Reading, Reading...for First-Time Moms and Dads.

As much as I think it´s time for baby to show up now, it´s good that pregnancy lasts about 9 months... I´m not sure how else to read up on all things you (supposedly) need to know before baby comes and after he´s finally arrived. Here are just a few things I´ve been reading over the last few months and weeks:

I´ll start with my 2 favorite books (and I think most informative and positive ones):

-What to Expect when you´re expecting:

Tons of information, English only, and so worth the investment. I found this the most informative and fun book to read
during pregnancy. It answered a LOT of questions and has helpful tips and week by week information about your little one. 

-Schwangerschaft und Geburt / Pregnancy and Birth:

This has all the basic information and helpful "pages for dad". Great comic relief for when you have the pregnancy blues and those stupid hormones are wreaking havoc. Brilliant illustrations and fun flow charts. I found it very helpful ;). 

And then are these other ones, ok to read but not really essential for me, personally (but that´s just my opinion):

-Das Stillbuch / The Breastfeeding Book:

The German breastfeeding bible. Although I´m not a fan of the whole breastfeeding thing (it might spontaneously change, once I do it), but still intend to breastfeed, for all the health benefits for my little love. This book has ALL of the information you need (and more of the things you don´t want to know, but might save you if you end up in certain situations yourself). I found it very helpful but didn´t particularly enjoy reading it. I still vote for nature to change breastfeeding to thumbfeeding in the near future... .

-Das Mami Buch / The Mommy Book:

Now this one is ok information wise, not very practical if you´re looking for a specific topic (my opinion), but beautifully designed and illustrated. It has many "girly" extras, such as little charts and helps that you can take out and use (like a pregnancy workout poster and medical info sheets, etc., all beautifully designed for the moms to be). Major minus points for the many, many nude mom pictures in there - a problem I have with most of the German pregnancy books, except in this book they´re tasteful at least. I don´t need to see random naked women showing more than I want to see. I´d rather have illustrations than photographs. My awesome sister-in-law, Stephi, called it pregnancy porn and I laughed so hard, it´s true though ;). 

-Several other books that I`m not naming here, the list is endless but I haven´t found them very helpful or informative. However, there is this one book my parents got Dani when they were in the States. It is for your significant other, to help him cope with (you and) pregnancy ;). It´s a great comic relief and still contains some good information for men to know about pregnancy:

-Dude, you´re gonna be a dad:

A fun read for the both parents (like, you can read it to your husband, while he gives you a relaxing back massage)

I also read this short article recently, the "7 Rules for visiting a new baby", which I found super interesting. So true! Looking back, I wish I´d been more aware of these things when I was the one visiting. I guess some things are just figured out when you´re in that situation yourself (or just smart in the first place).

Most of you have families already, so today´s entry won´t be very new to you. But to all my other friends and family: if you feel like you need to read up on this special time in your life (coming up some time in the future or presently), go ahead. And thank you all for lending me an ear (or eye, on Facebook), giving me valuable advice when I needed it or had those random little pregnancy-freak-out-moments. Every mom gets them!