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Summary: Greeat break from the others
Review: This book was a welcome break from the technical doctor written books, which while they contain some very helpful information, can be rather dry. The Girlfriend's Guide made me laugh at myself, and it was reassuring to know that I was not the only one thinking the things that were written here in the book like "What? a pint of Ben and jerry's ice cream is not what they meant by calcium??". Humorous, as long as you realize that this is not meant to be medical advice, that's why the subtitle is "what your doctor won't tell you". Even my doctor found it amusing. A must have for a tired mom to be.
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Summary: What a blessing
Review: This book was a blessing. Within the first couple of pages the author allowed me to clearly understand my husband's reaction (or absence of a suitable one) to the news and progress of our first baby. Not only do I see that I'm not alone, but also in some cases I'm not sooo badly off AND there is hope in the future. If only to get a 'Aha' moment as it relates to men and their reactions - buy this book.
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Summary: Kept me laughing the entire time
Review: I read this book when I was pregnant with my first child (I'm on #2 now). I loved it. Every other book I read either gushed about the wonders of pregnancy or scared the heck out of me. And let's be honest, pregnancy CAN be wonderful but is ALL of it wonderful? I don't remember anything mentioning that she was a qualified expert so those of you who complained about that makes me wonder if you really expected to get medical advice from a book titled "Girlfriend's Guide........" As for her "negativity", I suppose it depends on your sense of humor. I don't remember if it supported breastfeeding or natual birth but hey, if you're that strong in your belief then one book shouldn't change your mind or make you feel "unsupported". There's plenty of books that encourage both and just because she chose a different method doesn't make her wrong any more than it would make a breastfeeding/natural method mom wrong. (FYI-I breastfed and her lack of not doing so was never a part of my decision) All in all I think it's a great book but if you can't laugh at yourself then this book is not for you.
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Summary: Not a Substitute for "real" pregnancy books
Review: This book is very funny, and when you get into that stage of pregnancy where you are getting too serious and obsessive, this book is a welcome break from all the hard-core, more reference-type pregnancy books you may have been reading. This book is NOT a replacement for other books like "What to Expect When You're Expecting," but is a fun read when you are bored and need to smile or laugh about the whole experience. The only thing I could not identitfy with were Iovine's complaints about her husband. She writes as though all men are football-watching, beer-swilling fools who are simply waiting for your pregnancy to be over so they can have sex with you again. But other than that silly characterization of husbands, I found her book to be funny and fun to read. This is a book to "take a break" with, and by NO MEANS is meant to be the sole book on pregnancy that you own or refer to.
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Summary: Spare yourself!!
Review: This book was funny at times, but she focused on a lot of negative things. Her experiences with her pregnancies as well as her friends are definitely out of the ordinary. I'm sorry she didn't have the best experience with her pregnancies and maybe thats where she gets all of her negativity from, but this book is not even close to being my cup of tea! I received it as a gift, read through 80% in 48 hours before I got SOOOOO annoyed with the author that I got up and returned it. Instead I replaced it with a more meaningful, informational, yet still witty book "The Mother of All Pregnancy Books" The "Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" is not only something I wouldn't want on my shelves but I would never give it as a gift to anyone I call a friend either.
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Summary: Fun Read
Review: Being newly pregnant, I thought this was a fun book to read. I have technical books on pregnancy but it is nice to hear the perspectives of other "Girlfriends" in a blunt, humorous way. Highly recommend purchasing this as a used paperback book which I did through amazon.
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Summary: MY FAVORITE PREGNANCY BOOK!
Review: As the mother of four, I've read countless books on pregnancy. Vicki Iovine's side-splitting treatise on the subject is by far my favorite. It was a gift from heaven to receive this book from a friend early in my fourth pregnancy, my most difficult physically and emotionally. I didn't need more "how-to's" and medical explanations. I needed to be reassured that this out of the ordinary weirdness I was experiencing was in fact ordinary and that my fellow girlfriends had likewise cried at baby food commercials. At night when the feelings of unexplained sadness would hit, I would pull my Girlfriends' Guide out of the nightstand and begin to read. Soon I would giggle out loud and insist that my not-pregnant husband, "Listen to this..." The Girlfriends' Guide was a life-line for me. I turned to other sources for spiritual bolstering and medical expertise...this was my "I'm with you, sister" rap session with fellow moms about the REALITY of pregnancy. It is obvious to anyone who has a bone of discernment in her body that the author would not trade her pregnancies for anything in the world. She is simply looking at them through unjaded lenses, calling stretch marks---stretch marks, and hemorrhoids, well, hemorrhoids. I LOVE her honesty. (...) I was inspired by Vicki's vulnerability and transparency. Vicki, THANK YOU. Your humor and honesty were a constant source of encouragement to me as I had the privilege of carrying and giving birth to my little angel Charlize.
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Summary: Brutally honest, non-preachy information
Review: This book is an excellent source of information about all the weird things that come along with pregnancy, particularly those things you might be too embarrassed to ask about. (Honestly, my mother would faint dead away if I asked her if her nipples changed color or if she got gas when she was pregnant). You'll want to make sure you have other reference books handy, however (I love "Your pregnancy week by week" and "The mother of all pregnancy books"), as the author admits that she does not have the medical background to discuss everything that might be going on with the baby. However, this is a great reference for all the strange things that happen to your body and mind. It was so reassuring to know that I'm not the only pregnant woman who seems to have lost the capacity for rational thought. Not everything applies (for instance, Iovine makes it sound like all husbands think their pregnant wives are fat cows, and while I feel like a cow, my husband thinks I've never been more adorable), I truly appreciated her open-minded attitude about pregnancy in general. For those reviewers who think she's "down on pregnancy" - not all of us love being pregnant. I couldn't be more thrilled about becoming a mommy, but the pregnancy experience is not always a walk in the park. It was nice to read a book that didn't automatically assume that I would breastfeed, or make me feel like a terrible person if I choose not to. Overall, the advice is honest and straightforward, and delivered with a sense of humor. It was a lifesaver for me, since I only know 2 people who've had babies in the last 20 years.
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Summary: Is a Pregnancy Book Supposed to be so One-Sided?
Review: I found this book to be as equally disappointing as it was helpful. I have been preparing for motherhood for years before this conception, and have read 20-30 books on the subject, but never have I read one that angered and frustrated me so much! I, in no way, discourage the opinions of others, however, Vicki Iovine's constant mentions of Christianity and God were almost enough to make me toss this book. This religious overtone is something I have never heard in such a book, nor is it something that is particularly helpful. My biggest disappointment was the absence of positive talk regarding alternative birth options. Perhaps the author is a tad misinformed, but midwives and the concept of a conscious birth are of great relief and not so uncommon in this society. Not only does the author tell the reader, irrevocably, to have a medical doctor (usually a man, according to Vicki) perform the birth, give an epidural, and perform an unneeded c-section whenever mom requests for her personally reasons, but she does nothing other than bad mouth the alternatives. She actually tells us not to choose a midwife, because it is the role of Doctor that is revered as Hero in this country, and she kindly reminds the reader that midwives "were tried as witches in colonial Salem!" (pg 71). Perhaps someone should remind the author that closed minded Christians were fed to the lions in days past as well, but no one uses that method of persuasion anymore. Maybe she should leave her judgment at the door when she sits down at her typewriter. Everyone knows that this book is a huge seller, and I'm woman enough to admit that I have derived a nice bit of new information from this publication. But us progressive thinkers of the world should be informed of the ENTIRE nature of the book, and not just the blurbs on the back cover.
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Summary: Laugh out loud
Review: Every pregnant woman should have a copy of this book! I read it in just a few days and then shared it with all my pregnant friends. I laughed..I cried..it is a must have. I shared parts of it with my husband to "prove" to him that I couldn't be crazy if these same things I was experiencing were published in a book! It was reassuring to know that other women have gone through the same changes as myself. I highly recommend this book!
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