I’ve looked at a lot of baby related books, many of which are full of conflicting information. “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and “The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy” are probably the two most popular. If you’re buying for a friend, I would recommend “YOU: Having a Baby” or “Baby Bargains“.

The “You” book was written by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, the same guys who brought us “You: The Owner’s Manual” and “You: on a Diet”.  I highly recommend both of those books for helping people understand how their body works and what they can do to make themselves healthier. Their books feature funny anecdotes, great illustrations and plain talk about sometimes complex bodily systems. Their book on pregnancy is much the same way. And it includes a workout and meal plan, like so many of their other books.

“Baby Bargains” is a great buy for a Mom (or Dad) to be that needs or wants to save money. You can find tips on saving money on cribs, maternity clothes, bottles, diapers and more. While it’s readily available at most libraries, it may be worth buying for an expecting couple so that they can refer back to it again and again throughout their pregnancy and baby’s first year.

My one complaint about “Baby Bargains” is that the most recent version shamelessly plugs their other book “Baby 411“. While that book is written by a pediatrician and does have helpful information in it, I got tired of hearing about when trying to find information on saving money. I have heard that local pediatricians recommend the book “If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay: How to Know if Your Child’s Injury or Illness Is Really an Emergency“, so that may be worth checking out.