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Summary: The pre-pregnancy/prenatal/post-partum Bible!
Review: All you have to do is visit your local bookstore to see how many books are devoted to pregnancy, infertility, and post-partum, etc. This is the ONLY book that successfully covers them ALL. Ann Douglas has given us the COMPLETE guide to having a baby- the first 4 chapters alone are devoted to preparing the body for pregnancy, along with the feelings that go along with "Are we really ready to have a baby?". This book is chock full of charts, statistics, and best of all, advice and testimonies from 100 couples Douglas interviewed. Not as clinical and stringent as "What to Expect"...., yet a little more serious than the "Girlfriend's Guide...", "Mother of All Pregnancy Books" is the be all end all of pregnancy books. Topics covered are as follows:
*What does it really cost to raise children?
*Watch your weight- but not too carefully
*Create a "sperm-friendly" vaginal environment
*The major causes of infertility
*Finding Dr. Right
*The pregnancy nutrient check
*The top-ten 1st/2nd and 3rd trimester worries
*What's normal and what's not
*Pregnancy complaints from A-Z
*What pre-natal testing can- and can't- tell you
*Husband coached birth, or doula (a gir's best friend!)
*What labor is REALLY like
*When pregnancy isn't perfect (e.g. preemies, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, intrapartum death, molar pregnancy, etc.)
*Your post-partum body- what to expect
*The post-partum survival guide Did I lie? This book covers it all. The biggest complaint my friend had regarding Vicki Iovine's "Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" (which I loved) was how casually the topic of miscarriage was handled (my friend, who is now due the same week as me, has experienced 2 miscarriages). Ann Douglas, however, has experienced infertility, miscarriage, AND stillbirth (and has 4 kids). The caring and frank way she deals with grieving over the loss of a baby (even suggesting spending time with your baby's body, dressing it and taking your picture with it to cry and grieve over later) was touching and impressive all at once. WARNING: If you're particularly emotional, or can't handle one more added worry at this point in your pregnancy, you might want to skip this chapter, for fear of adding to the ever-growing bag of morbid worries to may already have. But, it's nice to know the subject is covered if, God forbid, the worst happens. If you are considering having a baby, or even if you're already pregnant, YOU NEED THIS BOOK. Browse through it once and you'll be impressed, I guarantee.
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Summary: The Mother of All... is it ever!
Review: This book is wonderful! And since it's written by a woman and a mother, that immediately makes it more reliable to me than if it were written by a man. (Not that men don't write good books, but clearly they aren't writing from personal experience. Not for this topic.) What I find particularly useful is the list of common pregnancy complaints listed alphabetically, rather than by month. Since no two pregnancies are exactly alike, it's reassuring to just be able to read about what you're experiencing, without the worry that something is wrong because it is ocurring either too early or too late. The book is neither bossy nor condescending. It's like having good advice from a friend handy, that you can refer to at any time. I find myself reading things in other books, or in magazines and looking it up in The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, thinking, "What does Ann say about this?" If you are only going to buy one pregnancy book, this is the one to get. Seriously. It really does have it all: miscarriage, birth plans, home birth, maximizing your chances of conception, ways to cope with common complaints, ways to make your dollar stretch when outfitting the nursery, etc. etc. I see that The Mother of All Baby Books will soon be published. I can hardly wait!
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Summary: Pregnancy primer perfect
Review: After two miscarriages, I was at a loss and needed a book that dealt with my fears and multitude of questions. A friend gave The Mother of All Pregnancy Books as a gift when I found out I was pregnant the third time.
What an insightful and thorough book... and honest and humorous. Ann Douglas knows what she's talking about, it helped me through my pregnancy step-by-step. The section on losses was a huge help and going through all the phases of the whole pregnancy was great. I now give it to my girlfriends who are pregnant. Truly one of the best pregnancy books out there in my opinion. Kim
(Mother of a beautiful baby girl)
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Summary: Comprehensive and down to earth
Review: A terrific book introducing pregnancy from conception through third trimester. I appreciated the down to earth style, rich with information, including interjections from real people that directly related to the topic at hand. Recommended, especially for the first time prospective mother, before or during the first trimester and beyond.
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Summary: Great info for preconception and during pregnancy
Review: I would recommend "The Mother of All Pregnancy Books" over any other general pregnancy book on the shelf due to its thoroughness on the subject. The only reason I would not give it five stars is because of the typos in the first half of the book. I did not notice any editing problems in the second half of the book, but I saw more typos than one would normally see in a supposedly edited book, including a mixed-up chart. While these are distracting, they still do not prevent me from recommending this book. While most other pregnancy books start chapter one with, "Congratulations, you're pregnant," Douglas does not assume all readers have already had a positive pregnancy test. As a matter of fact, the first four chapters explore whether the reader is really ready to have a baby, a pre-conception wellness plan, fertility awareness methods and what steps to take when facing infertility. Douglas covers a lot of information but does so in a way that is not overwhelming. This book is actually enjoyable to read. Instead of bombarding the reader with a lot of information, Douglas uses charts and examples. She also follows the "Dummies" books' example by having callouts such as "Mom's the Word," featuring advice and insights from real moms, and "From Here to Maternity," featuring resources for more information. I found these helpful. The book covers every worry a mom can face during pregnancy, labor and delivery. Chapter 11 even covers problems during pregnancy, from how to survive doctor-ordered bedrest to grieving the loss of a baby. The appendix includes many web sites where readers can get more information on a variety of topics relating to conception, pregnancy and babies. Mothers-to-be and hopeful mothers-to-be (and fathers, too) will not be disappointed in this book.
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Summary: Why didn't anyone tell me about this book?
Review: Half the world told me I had to read another bestselling pregnancy book, but no one thought to recommend this pregnancy book to me. Instead, I had to stumble across it in a bookstore. And yet this is the book that has proven to be the most valuable to me. When I want insider, mom-in-the-know info on how to cope with a particular pregnancy symptom or what labor is really going to feel like, I know I can get it from The Mother of All Pregnancy Books. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Better yet, do your pregnant girlfriends a favor and tell them about this book.
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Summary: Excellent start to your baby reading material
Review: This is the first book i've read on pregnancy, and i'm sure it will not be the last in this vast see of pregnancy books. It is so well layed out in terms of easy to read information, with charts on symptoms, problems that can go wrong and other info. The author writes as if she's sitting down at your kitchen table chewing the fat, in a simple and non alarmist way about the joys and dangers that can occur with births. Excellent resource!
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Summary: Impressive
Review: As an RN and a hopefully soon-to-be Mom I was looking for an all-inclusive book on pregnancy that wouldn't talk down to me or be over my head. I think this book does just that. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" claims much and I think gives too much. Even as an RN I thought that book was over my head and not organized well, where as "The Mother of All Pregnancy Books" gave great information. It has an awesome section on pre-pregnancy which I think is becoming more and more important as people try to plan the timing of their pregnancies more. I would recommend this book over "What to Expect..." any day.
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Summary: Great and not so great.
Review: For someone TTC this book is not that great. There are a few chapters on preconception. But I made the mistake of reading through later chapters...during pregnancy. Although it is good preperation to read ahead, it sort of depressed me. There are a few chapters that focus on all the worries of pregnancy and all of the terrible side affects (morning sickness, soreness, etc.). It put a slight damper on my prospects of getting pregnant. I'm realistic about pregnancy, but the book isn't an upper.
I do think this book will be GREAT when I am pregnant and need to refer to the text about my worries and problems. For those trying to concieve I suggest "Taking Charge of Your Fertility," it is by far the best book I've read yet. I recommend it to every woman that is fertile, TTC or trying to prevent pregnancy.
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Summary: Best Pregnancy Book Ever!
Review: I have really enjoyed this book. Much more so than "What to Expect When You Are Expecting". This book is written in a friendly, easy to read tone and is organized well. Any question that I had was answered in here. I highly recommend this book!
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