When I want to learn something, I do two things. First, I get my hands on books and read. And read. And read. Here is a partial list of the books I read while pregnant:
What to Expect When You're Expecting
Your Pregnancy Week by Week
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
The Breastfeeding Sourcebook
The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth
Hypnobirthing
Mothers Who Think
And Baby Makes Three
The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book
Baby 411
Baby Bargains
From the Hips
The Essential C-Section Guide
The Happiest Baby on the Block
Assorted baby name books
Then, I take classes. Before Babyface was born, I really wanted to be prepared. So in addition to our Hypnobirthing class (I told you I was a hippie), My Heart's Desire and I took several others. Infant first aid and CPR was informative and I hope we never have to use it. We took a Babycare skills class, which was what to do with your newborn at home. It taught us the basics of eats, sleeps, poops, and cries as well as what's weird but normal and when to call the pediatrician in the middle of the night. I signed up for a breastfeeding class but Babyface arried before the class and by then I was getting plenty of personal attention from nursing pros.
After Babyface was born, of course I wanted to take more classes! I was really lucky to find a wonderful parenting class. I've really gotten a lot out of the weekly parent/infant class at the hippie school. All of the babies in the class are around the same age and it's been wonderful to see the babies, parents, and teacher almost every week. I learned about respecting Babyface, conscious cooperative care, and how much can be learned from observation. I've been able to be a much calmer parent. I also took an infant massage class, which I liked and Babyface loved. And yes, he does get regular massages. This spring I signed Babyface up for a parent-assisted swim class (really, it could be called Hey Babies, This is Water) which he liked but the time wasn't ideal so we didn't make it to a lot of them.
Next month the parenting class breaks for summer. I'll definitely miss our group and am planning to return in the fall. I looked into what other classes were offered this summer and nothing sounded awesome. So we're going to take a break from classes for a little while. I'm part of a playgroup and enjoy getting the babies and parents together. I also have some mom friends and acquaintances I would like to see more often. It'll be a great summer!
I recently read Meredith Mileti's Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses and Judith Hendrick's Bread Alone. The protagonists were both married women who get unceremoniously dumped for their husband's colleagues. What follows the crisis is food, drinking, and old friends. In these books, there's no match for a man's midlife crisis plus a sexy underling. While these books were predictable, they were enjoyable in a beachy way. And yes, they both include recipes.
When I want to learn something, I do two things. First, I get my hands on books and read. And read. And read. Here is a partial list of the books I read while pregnant:
Let's start with two books about the French Revolution. 
I read Arcadia by Lauren Groff, which I liked a lot, despite it being a bit over-hyped. I thought it was good, not great. I got it from the library after a little wait. Worth a library wait, I wouldn't have bought it. It's the story of a boy born in a commune and his life as he grows into adolescence and adulthood. It's very well written. 
Brian Wansink's nonfiction book Mindless Eating really opened my eyes to the things I put on my plate. It was so interesting to read and learn about unconscious food choices and habits. And just like advertising, everyone thinks they are immune. I've made some real changes at home and at work. 
Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace by Ayelet Waldman offers an honest and sometimes hilarious look at motherhood. It also had me thinking about my own parents in a different way. 