If you're like me, when you got pregnant you probably went out and bought an armload of pregnancy and baby books! :)

I bought three pregnancy books all in all, and my husband gave me a fourth. I'd like to share some of my reviews on the pregnancy books that I have.

1. What to Expect When You're Expecting. I think this is the first pregnancy book that most expectant women look for. If you want this book, here's some advice: don't buy it brand new at a bookstore! Booksale and the other second-hand bookstores always have copies of this on their shelves, often at half or less than half of the price.

What to Expect ... is okay. It errs on the side of being a bit too alarmist: the recommended diet is pretty strict, and there's a lot of focus on what things are bawal when you're pregnant. For a first-time preggy woman like me, this book did not ease my fears and instead made me worried about the million-and-one things that I might be doing wrong, or that might go wrong with my pregnancy. It does have a lot of information, though, so if you don't mind the alarmist tone, it's still a helpful book.

2. Pregnancy for Dummies. Of all the pregnancy books I bought, this was my favorite. What I liked was that it was very commonsensical, and it wasn't alarmist. Unlike What to Expect ... which scares you by going over all the terrible things that can happen when you're pregnant, this book is much more relaxed, tells you not to worry too much, and has a very positive, upbeat tone. If there's any criticism I have about this book, it's that it errs on the side of too much liberality. It was written by two OB-GYNs who seem to think that "if it hasn't been proven dangerous, it probably isn't." Still, I would recommend that you get this book, and then just do additional research on the side to balance out the liberality of this book.

3. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide. Super-useful book, this one. This book was like Childbirth Class in a book. I found it on sale in National Bookstore, and I'm glad I found it before anyone else did. The book focuses less on the 9 months of pregnancy and more on labor and childbirth, and it is filled to the brim with information about the latter.

I attended childbirth class, but this book was still very useful because if there was anything that I forgot from childbirth class, I could just look at this book to double-check. And if you aren't attending childbirth class, this book will certainly be helpful.

Be warned, though. There's a lot of information to go through in this book; I actually haven't read every single page. But especially now, in my last few weeks pregnancy, I've found myself consulting it as a reference more and more.

4. Blooming Pregnancy. Of all the pregnancy books I own, this was the thinnest volume and had the least amount of information. But there's a very personal tone to it: reading it is like having a conversation with a friend who's been pregnant before. The book covers some of the basics--making sure you eat right, eating several small meals each day rather than 3 big meals--and then shares some personal stories that helped the author with her pregnancy. Her discussion of natural childbirth was interesting. The way she tackled grandparents and siblings was heartfelt. And the chapter where she talks about her experience of stillbirth was moving. Throughout the book, there are also tips for expectant fathers which are sensitively-written.