I’m deep into my next book, which features the reality of life as a parent, but am still keeping an eye out for Real Deal Guide to Pregancy book reviews. Today I came across one from Mama Divas, which delighted me because the author, Kristina, clearly got the point of the book and said the following:

“Everything, and I mean everything is touched upon in this little handbook.  It fits nicely in your purse or backpack for easy access when work is slow (which is what I do, sshh) or while you’re waiting in the OB’s office.

The subjects brought up in this book range from your run of the mill prego symptoms, to expecting mama craving recipes, to those sex during pregnancy (and I don’t mean just missionary) questions you might be too embarrassed to ask the doctor or midwife, to maternity clothes shopping tips, to newborn baby care, to those weird lower back pains, to ….well do you see what I mean?…This is probably the first book you should buy when you first get pregnant.”

Click here to read the complete review and drop by again soon. I promise to write more often!

[tags]real deal guide to pregnancy, erika lenkert, book, best, guide[/tags]

In The Real Deal Guide, I discuss how unnecessary it is to read pregnancy tombs because our bodies know how to be pregnant and common sense goes a long way in pregnancy health.

I also wrote that your time would be better spent reading up on breastfeeding, if you’re planning on partaking, and helping your baby to develop healthy sleep habits once he or she arrives.

After reading a surprising article by Science Daily that declared nearly 1/3 of US parents don’t know what to expect from their infants or how to help them develop, I have yet another suggested homework assignment for mommies-to-be: invest in a child-rearing book or two.

I bought What to Expect the First Year and What to Expect the Toddler Years from a used bookshop, but found them as frustrating as the brand’s pregnancy book because its organization inadvertently implied that if your growing child did not follow the book’s rigid milestone time line, something was wrong. And heavens knows we moms don’t need any more to worry about.

More level headed, albeit a boring read, is Touchpoints, which helps parents anticipate, understand, and facilitate developmental milestones. I’m sure there are some other good ones out there, but now I’m too busy reading about healthy discipline practices for my nearly three-year-old to bother finding them.

If you have any suggestions, send ‘em my way!

Oh, how I wish I had this book when my daughter was born.

As a first-timer, I was beyond shocked when life with a newborn became a wormhole of lost days and lost identity. Though our family did venture on an overnight to a hotel when our girl was six weeks old, for the most part, my days were spent doing a whole lot of nothing other than nursing, care-taking, and waiting for my husband to get home so I could talk his ear off since he was the only adult I saw. (Note to new mothers: This is NOT particularly attractive to partners–or to self-esteem.)

Had I gotten my hands on The Rookie Mom’s Handbook: 250 Activities to Do with (and Without) Your Baby I might have had a lot more fun between nursing, cleaning spit-up, and sneaking in a quick shower.

Written by smart mommies Heather Gibbs Flett and Whitney Moss, this book offers fantastic ideas on what to do with your tot from the first month through the 12th. In between is a good amount of support, empathy, and wisdom that will inspire even the most shell-shocked mom to get off her (nursing) rocker and whoop it up new mommy style.

Activities range from creating a time capsule during month one (such a good idea!) to “getting all sexy” in month 12 (heck yeah!). And all of them promise a playful entree to motherhood. And who couldn’t use that?

Get this for yourself–even if your baby is beyond the first year–or get it for every upcoming baby shower you’ll attend–it’s the ultimate gift that your pregnant girlfriend actually needs and will use, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

Check out the Rookie Moms blog for book details and inspirations for fun with kids, including this recent piece of rainy-day brilliance: Playing Hopscotch Inside:

A dictionary of pregnancy and new-parent terms, it’s not touchy-feely, overwrought, or voluminously imposing. A concise 116-page A to Z resource guide, it’s packed with basic essential information couched in male attitude and wit.

Take the opening lines of the following definitions for example:

“CRYING, WIFE OR PARTNER: Unlike the crying baby, who cries because something is wrong, your wife will cry because everything is right. Or she’ll cry because the stoplight didn’t change fast enough. Or because her food is cold. Or because the baby is cute. Or because the sky is blue….”

“GLIDER: It’s just a freaking chair!…”

“MATERNITY CLOTHES: Repeat this phrase, ‘Honey, you look awesome in that outfit’….”

“NURSING BRA: Where the hell was this when you were dating or first married?…”

I’m not sure there is any amount of humor that can inspire the deadbeat dad-to-be to race to Borders to snatch up the hottest new pregnancy book for beaus. But guys with even the mildest interest will love this fresh, funny, and informative book—and their gals will get a chuckle out of the oh-so-paternal perspective, too. And the cost for all of the wisdom and wisecracks is a measly $12.95.

Also, FYI, you can get more of Todd’s parenting musings by visiting his blog.