National Reading Month Book Recommendations

March is National Reading Month, and since Flourish is prioritizing rest, we thought it would be a great idea to share some of our favorite books to recommend to clients! We hope you’re resting and reading along with us, prepping for the change in seasons and finishing out winter with a rejuvenated bang.

1. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Compete Guide by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley, Ann Keppler, Janelle Durham and April Bolding

Feel informed and empowered with this thoroughly updated, full-color pregnancy guide, which recognizes that “one size fits all” doesn’t apply to maternity care. Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn provides the comprehensive guidance you need to make informed decisions about having a safe and satisfying pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period–decisions that reflect your preferences, priorities, and values. This sixth edition includes: 

• CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19

• Updated dietary guides for breastfeeding and surrogacy

• Birth plans including doulas and caesarians when necessary

• Tips on how to reduce stress 

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn is inclusive; it reflects today's various family configurations such as single-parent families, blended families formed by second marriages, families with gay and lesbian parents, and families formed by open adoption or surrogacy. This pregnancy guide speaks to today's parents-to-be like no other.

2. Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy by Dr. Myra J. Wick

Pregnancy can be an adventure — full of thrilling moments, unknowns, decisions and joy.

Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy is the ultimate guidebook for navigating the road to parenthood, with everything you need to know along the way to help you have a healthy pregnancy and baby. This inclusive, updated manual is packed with research-backed advice for every part of the journey, from conception to postpartum and the newborn weeks.

Inside you’ll find the latest expertise from Myra Wick, M.D., Ph.D., a mom of four — along with contributions from many other pregnancy specialists at Mayo Clinic. Month-by-month chapters walk you through the physical changes you can expect as your baby grows and develops, milestones to watch for (feel those kicks!), and key steps in prenatal care. You’ll also learn about diet and lifestyle choices to give you and your baby a healthy start, exercises to stay active and strong, and treatments that can actually help with morning sickness. Other key guidance includes:

• Health issues that may arise, including depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum, with tips for managing stress and recognizing when to reach out for help

• A symptoms guide offering explanations and suggestions for many of the most common changes in pregnancy

• What to know about current genetic screening and prenatal testing options

• Detailed breakdown of the process of labor and childbirth, so you know what to expect and what’s possible

• Practical information on the transition to parenthood, feeding your newborn, the cost of childcare, and getting through those first few weeks with your baby​

• Extra focus on pelvic strength and health during and after pregnancy, which are important to prevent or treat disruptive and potentially long-lasting effects of pregnancy and childbirth

Every pregnancy, and every parent, is unique. That’s why this guide is designed to be accessible to all, with information and advice for parents and families of all backgrounds and identities. Easy-to-understand language and colorful medical illustrations help bring Mayo Clinic expertise to every reader. For anyone beginning (or continuing!) the great adventure of parenting, this book is an essential companion.

3. Nurture by Erica Chidi Cohen and Jillian Ditner

An all-inclusive pregnancy and birthing guidebook that gives soon-to-be mothers and their partners the information they need to make decisions, feel confident, and enjoy the beauty of creating new life. This empowering book includes dozens of important topics that every modern mom needs to know, such as fetal development, making choices for a hospital, home, or birth center labor and delivery, the basics of breastfeeding, tips on what to expect postpartum, and more.

Nurture is packed with helpful resources, including supportive self-care and mindfulness exercises, trimester-specific holistic remedies, nourishing foods and recipes for every month of pregnancy, and expert tips for every birth environment, accompanied by more than 40 charming and informative illustrations, charts, and lists.

Erica Chidi Cohen is co-founder and CEO of Loom in Los Angeles. She began her work in San Francisco, volunteering as a doula within the prison system, working with pregnant inmates. She went on to build a successful doula and health education practice in Los Angeles and has been featured in Women's Health, Vogue, Goop, The Cut and Marie Claire.

4. Like a Mother by Angela Garbes

A candid, feminist, and personal deep dive into the science and culture of pregnancy and motherhood.

Like most first-time mothers, Angela Garbes was filled with questions when she became pregnant. What exactly is a placenta and how does it function? How does a body go into labor? Why is breast best? Is wine totally off-limits? But as she soon discovered, it’s not easy to find satisfying answers. Your obstetrician will cautiously quote statistics; online sources will scare you with conflicting and often inaccurate data; and even the most trusted books will offer information with a heavy dose of judgment. To educate herself, the food and culture writer embarked on an intensive journey of exploration, diving into the scientific mysteries and cultural attitudes that surround motherhood to find answers to questions that had only previously been given in the form of advice about what women ought to do—rather than allowing them the freedom to choose the right path for themselves.

In Like a Mother, Garbes offers a rigorously researched and compelling look at the physiology, biology, and psychology of pregnancy and motherhood, informed by in-depth reportage and personal experience. With the curiosity of a journalist, the perspective of a feminist, and the intimacy and urgency of a mother, she explores the emerging science behind the pressing questions women have about everything from miscarriage to complicated labors to postpartum changes. The result is a visceral, full-frontal look at what’s really happening during those nine life-altering months, and why women deserve access to better care, support, and information.

Infused with humor and born out of awe, appreciation, and understanding of the female body and its strength, Like a Mother debunks common myths and dated assumptions, offering guidance and camaraderie to women navigating one of the biggest and most profound changes in their lives.

5. Real Food for Pregnancy: The Science and Wisdom of Optimal Prenatal Nutrition by Lily Nichols

Prenatal nutrition can be confusing. A lot of the advice you have been given about what to eat (or what not to eat) is well-meaning, but frankly, outdated or not evidenced-based. In Real Food for Pregnancy, you will get clear answers on what to eat and why, with research to back up every recommendation. Author and specialist in prenatal nutrition, Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE, has taken a long and hard look at the science and discovered a wide gap between current prenatal nutrition recommendations and what foods are required for optimal health in pregnancy and for your baby's development. There has never been a more comprehensive and well-referenced resource on prenatal nutrition. With Real Food for Pregnancy as your guide, you can be confident that your food and lifestyle choices support a smooth, healthy pregnancy.