Check It Out: What to expect with baby books
Are you expecting a bundle of joy and hoping for instructions on how to handle the changes about to take place in your life? The Newport Beach Public Library has numerous resources available beyond the classic “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” by Heidi Murkoff.
The newly updated edition of “Pregnancy Day by Day,” edited by Paula Amato and Maggie Blott, provides a daily one-page entry of reading beginning with the earliest stages. Each entry indicates how the baby is developing and the changes that are taking place in your own body. This is a nice overview of the progression of one’s pregnancy.
Other noteworthy and pregnancy handbooks are the newly published “The Healthy Pregnancy Book,” by William and Martha Sears, “The New Pregnancy Bible,” edited by Joanne Stone and Keith A. Eddleman, and “Pregnancy: The Beginner’s Guide.”
If looking for a book of answers to 150 frequently asked questions, check out “Bumpology,” by Linda Geddes. Geddes, a reporter for a science journal, covers the latest research and addresses a variety of topics from pregnancy to labor to the care of newborns. It’s easily understandable with a helpful glossary of terms that may be new to first-time parents.
Expecting multiples? Natalie Diaz’s “What to Do When You’re Having Two” helps expectant parents prepare for the reality of having more than one child. Diaz begins her guide with prenatal care and journeys through the first year with twins. Topics include bed rest, premature labor, sleep schedules, feeding and finances.
“The Birth Partner,” by Penny Simkin, is an essential guide that covers caring for the expectant mother from the end of her pregnancy through the beginning weeks of the baby’s life. The newly published fourth edition prepares birth partners for their supporting role through labor and the shift into becoming a new parent.
Annabel Karmel’s “Eating for Two” cookbook is filled with nutritious recipes just when you need them the most. Karmel offers useful tips and suggestions for what to eat and what to stay away from throughout a pregnancy. The majority of the recipes call for a limited number of ingredients and are kept to a single page of instructions.
What name will you give your little one? Check out for inspiration the 2014 edition of “The Baby Names Almanac,” by Emily Larson, or “1,107 Baby Names that Stand the Test of Time,” by Jennifer Griffin. These books list not only names but their meanings and origins.
Trying to decide what to buy for baby? “Baby Bargains,” by Denise and Alan Fields, contains reviews and ratings for baby products. Or visit the library’s “Consumer Reports” database through the library website. You’ll find numerous product reviews and buying guides for all things babies and kids. Access the databases page from the “services” tab at https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org.
CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of the branches, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.