Great Reads for Moms-to-Be

Your Premature Baby: The First Five Years

By Nikki Bradford

In clear, compassionate language, Bradford decodes medical jargon. She defines hospital equipment, treatments, terms, and procedures; gives suggestions on how to work with medical staff; tells parents what to expect of their children developmentally; discusses the importance of therapeutic touch; explains how to help siblings deal with their feelings about their new "preemie"sibling; and gives practical advice on how parents can cope, physically and emotionally, from the time their baby comes home through age five. Firefly Books Ltd., www.fireflybooks.com, $19.95.

Based on the premise that young children are linguistic geniuses, this book explains that it is logical for children to be exposed to written language at the same time that they are learning spoken language, from birth to age six. The book instructs parents on making reading pleasurable, increasing your baby’s intelligenc, enhancing academic success, school-proofing your child, building a unique bond between you and your baby, and more. The Gentle Revolution Press, www.gentlerevolution.com, $24.95.

This forty-page, photograph-filled book is meant to be read by parents to their children to explain the process a premature baby, or "preemie," goes through before and after birth. The book sketches the survival and growth of a preemie named Carrie, often showing the perspective of her brother Michael, who, like all siblings, must now share his parents’ attention. The book is perfect for a preemie to understand his or her own birth, for the sibling of a preemie to understand the difficulties a preemie and its parents face, or for any children curious about babies and their births. All ages. Fairview Press, www.press.fairview.org, $9.95.

This is an easy-to-read, concise reference for day-to-day infant and toddler care. The book helps parents understand their child’s development, from the child’s changing abilities to challenges he or she faces. Dr.Spock encourages parents to trust their instincts and provides reassuring advice on raising healthy and happy children. Pocket Books, www.simonsays.com, $5.99.

This book empowers women by teaching them how to be confident during their pregnancy. Women will learn to understand their bodies and to be better able to prepare it for birth through the utilization of midwifery traditions of noninvasive techniques for pregnancy wellness. Learn how to reap the benefits of massage therapy, herbal remedies, healthy eating, safe exercise regimens, and a rewarding delivery room experience. Celestial Arts/Ten Speed Press, www.tenspeed.com, $16.95.

This humorous manual provides clueless beginner parents with sound information on caring for their new arrival. Complete with maintenance schedules and troubleshooting charts, you will be able to feel confident feeding, bathing, changing, swaddling, holding, transporting, entertaining, getting your baby to sleep, and spotting any abnormalities or attending to any signs of illness. Broadway Books/ Bantam Doubleday Dell, www.broadwaybooks.com, $9.95.

This National Bestseller offers a comprehensive guide to taking charge of your reproductive health through the use of Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). FAM is a scientifically-validated form of contraception and/or pregnancy achievement, and it involving daily observation of the fertile stage of ovulation, cervical fluid, and cervical changes. FAM can help couples avoid the risk, expense, and invasion of high-tech fertility treatments, reduce conception time to three months, quickly identify impediments to pregnancy achievement, and recognize approaching menopause years before it comes. Quill/Harper Collins, www.harpercollins.com, $23.95.

By Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandy Hathaway

This 42-week pregnancy planner and appointment-keeper for the wall provides expectant mothers with a special place to fill in questions for their doctor. The planner also contains space for your physical-transformation pictures and your child’s weight gains, and each page contains helpful reminders about everything from healthy foods to morning sickness. This cute and helpful calender makes for a great keepsake as well. Workman Publishing, www.workman.com, $10.95. v