Would recommend

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May

I really like this book because of the stories at the beginning. It gives a realistic idea of what a positive birth could be like, especially when using midwives in a more natural setting. The rest of the technical information can be found in another good book about giving birth, such as the following.

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon

This book has a ton of great information, complete with pictures and illustrations. It is very easy to read and understand, and I think this is one of the most comprehensive books on natural childbirth you can find. If I was going to recommend reading only one book before giving birth, this would probably be the one.

Take it or leave it

What to Expect Eating Well When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff

I thought this book was pretty good. What I found most helpful was the ideas for snacks and the way it categorized them by nutritional value. However, I don’t know if I would trust all the information in it.

Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin, Ann Keppler, Janelle Durham, et al.

This book gives an overview of the most common questions, concerns, and pieces of information a new parent may have. As the title indicates, it details the journey from pregnancy all the way through caring for an infant. There are diagrams, resources, and brief but comprehensive explanations of most things a person would need to know going through the journey of having a child.

If someone had no idea where to go to learn about this topic, I think this book would be a great start. It doesn’t cover every little detail one could possible want to know, but it gives a good starting point to learn about topics to research. There isn’t much missing from this book, and the information is given in a matter-of-fact way, rather than trying to persuade a person on doing one thing or another. Overall, I think it’s a helpful and informative book, even for someone like myself who has done previous research into what to expect during this phase of life.

Not for me

Husband Coached Childbirth by Robert A. Bradley

Although this book has sound principles, I don’t think it has anything more than you could find in a different book. For example, Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way has everything this book has and more. Personally, I wouldn’t waste my time with this one.