When my wife was pregnant I did a few Google searches, skimmed a few articles and thought – “how hard can being a dad be?”.
Yeah, while I may have thought “I’ve got this” in reality I was panicked! Thankfully, like dad-wizdom was only an Amazon click away. Below, we’ve listed 5 of the best pregnancy books for dads.
They’re funny, easy to understand and will teach you all a thing or two.
Like some ancient scrolls, the right books can take you from super scared to superman in just a few short pages.
Don’t Feel Like Reading? The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-be would be our top pick – it contains everything you need to know to be a super dad. Click here to check it out on Amazon.
5 of The Best Pregnancy Books For Dads
We spent 14 hours reading these books and other reviews to pull together our recommendations below.
1. What to Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding: A Reassuring Month-by-Month Guide for the Father-to-Be, Whether He Wants Advice or Not
By Thomas Hill
While What to Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding: A Reassuring Month-by-Month Guide for the Father-to-Be, Whether He Wants Advice or Not certainly isn’t the male equivalent of What to Expect When You’re Expecting it is packed with humor, is easy to read (at just 142 pages this might be done in a single sitting) and gives you a great introduction to understanding what’s coming at you over the coming weeks and months.
2. The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-be
By Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash
Next up on our list is The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-be, a more sensible guide to fatherhood.
If you only plan on reading one dads guide to pregnancy then make it this book.
Honestly, it’s one of the best best pregnancy books for dad!
Packed full of fantastic information including sections on:
- Pregnancy
- Life after baby
- Finances
- Choosing baby names
Honestly, what’s not included in this book isn’t worth knowing! Bott and Ash provide some really useful tips throughout and even include recipes. While the book is one of the more sensible pregnancy books for dads, it’s packed full of cartoons which helps keep the tone of the book very light hearted.
3. Don’t Just Stand There: How to Be Helpful, Clued-In, Supportive, Engaged, Meaningful, and Relevant in the Delivery Room
By Elissa Stein and Jon Lichtenstein
While many of the other books on our list focus on what to do once the baby is here and how to be the best dad and partner in the world, “Don’t Just Stand There” focuses instead on your first challenge as a father – being there for your partner during delivery.
At just 100 pages, this book focuses on just the high level overview of delivery and wont dive into any of the gory details. That said, there’s certainly enough information packed into the pages to put you ahead of the majority of dads-to-be and Elissa Stein and Jon Litchenstein do a fantastic job of laying out exactly what you need to do to provide just the right level of care for your partner.
4. Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads
By Gary Greenberg and Jeannie Hayden
As with many of the books on this list, Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads is a lighthearted read that does a great job in preparing you for fatherhood. Packed full of silly illustrations that help outline everything from swaddling your baby for the first time right through to changing diapers and baby proofing the house. While this certainly isn’t a deep dive into parenting, it’s an excellent primer with plenty of laughs along the way.
By Harlan Cohen
If you want to know exactly what’s coming at you over the next nine months then make sure you read “Dad’s Pregnant Too!”. The book is packed full of easy to understand information, trivia and Q&A’s on everythinng from doctors appointments and mood swings right through to baby gear shopping and pregnancy sex. You’ll also gain insight into how your baby will be progressing with a week by week development guide.
Need more reading top picks? Make sure that you checkout our list of best books to read before getting pregnant.
The Bottom Line
So there you have it, 5 of the best pregnancy books for dads all capable of taking you from panicking parents-to-be to the confident, strong papa that your little one will want you to be.
Last update on 2022-12-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Ellen Fetters
Ellen Fetters, is a former Children's and Young People's Nursing Practice with an BSc from the University of Sunderland. After completing her SCPHN - HV she then worked as a Health Visitor within the local community.
In 2017 Ellen left nursing to launch Parenting Click, an online parenting resource aimed at creating happier families through better parenting.
She lives with her husband, beautiful baby girl, and two darling dogs. She spends her free time writing, running and learning how to become a better parent.