Not long ago books on pregnancy and delivery could barely fill their allotted bookstore shelf. Women were having babies; they just weren’t reading about it. But all that has changed. Judging by the huge and ever-expanding number of titles on this subject, pregnancy now requires a stupendous intellectual effort in addition to the old-fashioned attributes of health and fertility, since it will now take at least nine months to complete one’s prenatal reading.

This fall, there are several new titles on this subject. The four considered here are an indication of the wide range of approaches to this oldest of topics.

Your Pregnancy Week by Week (third edition), by Glade Curtis, MD, is as close to indispensable as books of this kind can get. It is an illustrated no-nonsense owner’s manual for those in possession of a pregnant body that provides all the answers to questions that commonly arise, as well as a few that almost never do. Glade Curtis, who is experienced in fatherhood as well as in “obs and gyns” writes in a clear and friendly style that cuts straight to the point. Since the book’s structure corresponds directly to the age of the fetus (there is one chapter per week, up to 40 weeks or full term) the reader’s progress through this book mirrors her progress through her pregnancy.

The refreshing thing about Glade is that he has opinions and he states them flat out – no politically correct waffling, no apology. A detailed section on things to take care of before conception opens the book. These range from the strictly sensible – X-rays and inoculations – to the controversial. In the latter category, Glade advises women to get down to their ideal weight before becoming pregnant. There are sound health reasons for doing so, but fat is a feminist issue now, which means he is going out on a limb.

The book includes many charts and lists on nutrition, heart rates, weight gain, and so on, as well as diagrams illustrating the size of the fetus at each stage and its development. It even has a user-friendly format with large type, bold headings, and big pages. (When you’re pregnant even tiny physical obstacles loom large.) I’ve had two kids and I honestly couldn’t think of a single thing this book left out. It’s a must-have for expectant parents.

Morning Sickness: A Comprehensive Guide to the Causes and Treatments by Nicky Wesson is one of those books that women can only pray they won’t need during pregnancy. But for those who do, and an estimated 90% of women experience some “morning” sickness, it will be a godsend. Pregnancy illness, as Wesson points out, is given scant attention by the medical community because it is considered “normal.” There is also that lingering slur that it is an “hysterical” symptom that exists largely in the minds of its female sufferers. But as anyone who’s been there knows, it can make your life a living hell for as long as the full nine months.

Wesson is the mother of six children and knows whereof she speaks, but the tone here is not personal. Her book covers a wide range of pregnancy illness from first trimester nausea to violent, protracted vomiting. She also provides the first, to my knowledge, history of morning sickness, beginning in ancient times when it was first written about on papyrus. Charlotte Brontë, I learned, died of pregnancy illness in 1855 as did many women who became dangerously dehydrated. Women no longer die of it, since the administration of intravenous fluids has been perfected, but there are still few solid remedies for the discomfort. In addition, the thalidomide tragedy 30 years ago has made both doctors and patients wary of medication during pregnancy. Thalidomide was a supposedly harmless sedative prescribed for pregnant women that caused thousands of serious birth defects.

Wesson considers the various remedies and treatments for morning sickness carefully and individually, providing an authoritative guide to everything from vitamin supplements and herbal remedies to homeopathy, acupuncture, and aromatherapy. Unfortunately there is no surefire remedy. Morning sickness remains a very unpleasant side effect of pregnancy.

On a much lighter note, Vicki Iovine’s The Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy: Or Everything Your Doctor Won’t Tell You, is a lighthearted look at pregnancy that regards it as something like a secret handshake that puts you “in the club.” Only women who’ve lived through it understand, according to Iovine, and she dubs them “Girlfriends.” This book – the collected wisdom of the Girlfriends – tells readers the things no one else will, which is unfortunately the stuff no one really wants to hear. A great deal of the information also falls in the grey realm of opinion, even though it is presented here as fact. Iovine’s attitudes are often dated as well as a bit loopy, even taking into account that she has had four children in six years (which could blow anybody’s mind) and lives in Malibu (the home of loopiness). For example, the Girlfriends, according to the author, don’t worry about money. “We just like pregnancy, and rarely do we care about the practical aspects. Financial worries are the exclusive domain of fathers-to-be.” They also do not believe in consulting their husbands on medical matters or telling them the truth about sex after delivery. “All Girlfriends must agree to tell their husbands that they absolutely may not have intercourse for three months [postpartum]” even if the doctor says it’s okay after six weeks.

However, on the plus side, this book can be very amusing and the topics Iovine launches into (“If the baby is in my belly why is my butt growing?”) are bound to give pregnant women several much-needed giggles. Toward the end of the book, there is also some very sound advice to be found, buried among the silliness. Iovine takes the reader step by step through the gestation process, providing practical suggestions and detailed information at every point.

Child-bearing, of course, used to be a mysterious business understood perfectly only by a divine deity, and imperfectly by midwives and medical practitioners. And until fairly recently that was okay with just about everyone, especially men, who knew little of such things and were quite happy to remain that way. It seems they’ve changed their minds. Pregnant Fathers: Entering Parenthood Together is by Jack Heinowitz, a father and family therapist who has devoted his professional life to helping men become good fathers. Heinowitz objects to the unimportant role men play during pregnancy in our society. The expectant father is supposed to set aside his burgeoning feelings so he can be diligently attentive to his partner. And yet, he is also undergoing a profound, although not physical, experience preparing for parenthood.

Heinowitz’s intention to strengthen the association between fatherhood and masculinity is to be applauded. There is no question the world needs more dedicated, involved fathers. He rightly attributes male parenting problems to their family of origin and exhorts fathers-to-be to clean house, emotionally speaking, before the new arrival messes it up for good. There are several psychological exercises, formats for soul-searching, and lists of important things to think about in preparation for fatherhood. This book speaks to a male reader, which I am not, so I cannot say how men will receive this kind of advice or if they will do the touchy-feely exercises Heinowitz has developed for would-be great Dads. The psycho-therapeutic approach is definitely not for everyone and in addition, much of the material has already been dealt with in many of the self-help books around. But Heinowitz also provides some more macho suggestions. There are several first-person narratives from men who are eating right, working out as well as reading and thinking in anticipation of fatherhood. This does seem a bit self-centered, and as a mother I resent the use of phrases like, “As Jeff, three months pregnant explains …” and, “Lee, who is midway through pregnancy…” Like it or not, guys, pregnancy remains an exclusively female condition, at least so far.

Still, there is a lot here that expectant fathers should be aware of and often aren’t. There is good information about childbirth education classes, birthing options, and sex during pregnancy. There is also some informed and very sensible advice on coping with the difficult postpartum period. Those who need a gift for an expectant father could turn to this book. They just may not get a “thank you” in return.