"Honey!
Guess what?" My
wife walked into the room several weeks ago and announced "I'm
pregnant."
After
she'd revived me with smelling salts and a cattle prod, I told her
how happy and excited I was and how this was really going to be
an exciting time in our lives.
What
I didn't tell her was that I don't have the first idea about what
happens during pregnancy, what my role as the father is, how to
hook that carseat in properly so that the little child isn't jettisoned
over the dashboard or how to look comfortable with a little human
attached to my chest while pushing a stroller.
So
I did what I normally do when I'm approached with a subject I know
very little about - I turned to a bunch of books. Here's what I
found:
What
to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi E. Murkoff,
Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
This
is apparently the "Bible" of all pregnancy books and it
deserves that title. The book covers the entire pregnancy period
from conception to delivery. It cleared up a lot of questions for
me and the author writes in a clear and conversational tone while
taking the subject very seriously.
The
Girlfriends' Guide to Pregancy: Or Everything
Your Doctor Won't Tell You by Vicki Iovine
My
wife received this one from a good friend and truly enjoyed the
fact that it made fun of a lot of What To Expect When You're
Expecting says. This doesn't offer a lot of helpful hints for
the guys, but it does seem to offer some very realistic insight
for women. My wife has laughed her way through the whole book.
My
Boys Can Swim!: The Official Guy's Guide to Pregnancy
by Ian Davis
A
not so serious look at the male side of pregnancy, as the title
suggests. Not a whole lot of pertinent information here, but there
are a lot of laughs, including discussions about naming the child
and maternity clothes. Comes in handy when Mom-to-Be goes off the
handle and Dad-to-Be has no idea why.
The
Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-To-Be
by Armin A. Brott, Jennifer Ash
This
one is much more helpful for hard information for the soon to be
father. Breaks down the pregnancy by month and tells you not only
what you should be doing, but also what the soon to be mother is
enduring.
The
Greatest Baby Name Book Ever by Carol McD Wallace
The name says it all. A ton of names,
with origins and meanings, if those things are important to you
when you select a name. If nothing else, it makes for a lot of fun
looking at some really goofy names.
Now
I have to go practice my stroller pushing...
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