While I was expecting my little MM, I read Penny Simkin's Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide. It was by far my favorite pregnancy book. I bought it at first in Nook format, but quickly decided I wanted the paper version. The diagrams and charts didn't show up well in digital format.
This book is a great overview of pregnancy, childbirth, and the newborn - just as you would expect from the title. This book begins with information on interviewing doctors, evaluating hospitals, and choosing a doula. I printed many of the handouts on http://www.pcnguide.com/ to help me with this process.
The sections on pregnancy and fetal development were not as detailed as other books. I supplemented with reading from other books and pregnancy aps on my iphone. This book doesn't have a weekly summary of fetal changes, but instead features a more of an overview of developments each trimester. I found the exercises and stretches useful.
The real value of this book lies in the labor and delivery section. Admittedly, it is a little biased toward natural delivery, but does include information on interventions. I was considering a natural birth when reading this book, but I was also open to intervention if I got in over my head. I printed the chart of coping techniques featured in this book, studied them, and included them in the documents I brought to the hospital. This book was also very helpful in writing my birth plan and featured a few examples of plans (from mothers with different goals). I used many of the strategies in this book to have the natural, in-hospital birth I wanted. Luckily for me, I had a normal, uncomplicated labor. Even if it had gone differently, this book gave an overview of interventions: why they might be recommended, what happens, and potential side effects.
Overall, I highly recommend this book especially if you are considering a natural birth or if you want a different view than the typical hospital birthing class. I just passed mine off to an expectant friend, and I hope she finds it as helpful as I did.
