What to Expect

I am fully guilty of running to google far to many times, especially when I was pregnant or when looking for advice as a new mom.  I remember both my fertility doctor and my obgyn telling me that if I had a question or concern to not look it up on the internet but to call them instead.  It's so tempting to search online, but there is so much information out there and you can find anything to validate something you're nervous about, and easily go down a path of finding scary information, and I'm sure often either not true or incredibly rare.  
At my first appointment with my obgyn when I was pregnant, the nurse gave me the book What to Expect When You're Expecting.  It was so helpful to have a book that contained a ton of information and that was reliable.  What to Expect When You're Expecting is a long-time running book on the New York Times best selling list and is the bestselling pregnancy book, recommended by doctors and moms alike.   It was the only pregnancy book that I read in it's entirety and looked back at in multiple times.  I think this book is a must read book for any pregnant mama!  

I was given the book What to Expect the First Year and it too was super helpful.  It is separated by months so it was nice to read about whatever month Addilyn was in and then a month or two ahead to know what to expect.  There is also a huge glossary in the back where you can look up things like sicknesses, sleep issues, postpartum experiences and just about anything you can think of.  
I didn't know until recently that there was a What to Expect the Second Year, and I have about a month left where we fit into that category!  I like that this one isn't set up by months, because every kid develops at different rates and hits milestones at different times.  There's different chapters that cover topics like sleeping, behavior and talking.  It has a section at the beginning that says "at ___ many months, most toddlers can _____, half of toddlers can _____, some toddlers may be able to ____."  It nice to be able to look as see where your child is and what things you might want to work on as they get older. 

I like there is SO much information out there when you are pregnant and when you are a mom.  It can be extremely overwhelming and can take some of the joy out of being pregnant or being a mom, when you're so consumed with conflicting information and opinions.  I loved having a book that was informative, easy to read and a reliable source to have as I navigated pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood.  I know if I'm pregnant again I'll be using these books for sure!  And I think they should make one for the third year because toddlers? That is some unknown, wild territory for sure!
  I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.