Rating: 
Summary: Friendly but not Wise
Review: Her writing style has a good flow, and you feel like you're right there with a bunch of understanding moms. But, well, then she starts sounding too all-knowing and unnecessarily funny. Listen folks, what made me really mad (when I really couldn't afford to get any more emotional), was how she manages to nonchalantly state that giving birth at hospitals are the best. Thus, if you were interested in more natural-type birthgiving procedures or Active Birth, the first half of what this book says might sound rather uneducated.Also, the section about resuming sex was not really assuring for me. I think many women need more time, and more sensitive support than what the book may vaguely suggests. Overall, as funny and well-meaning as she probably is, I didn't find her sensitive enough when I naturally expected her to be so. A "Girlfriend" alright, but depending on your experience and personality, she may be too overwhelming for you to have around. Yes, after childbirth and everything you want some affirmations, some practical info, oh lord, you're desperate. My recommendation: Do yourself a favor and read "Laughter and Tears" by Libby Colman.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent followup to guide to pregnancy
Review: This book is great, it's an excellent follow-up to the girlfriend's guide to pregnancy. Keep in mind that this is all based on the author's opinions and experiences. She is not a medical doctor, and you should not take this book as medical or expert advice. Take it the same way you would a conversation with your girlfriend,
Rating:
Summary: totally entertaining but get your actual facts elsewhere
Review: I totally enjoyed reading this book- I have a newborn and this book was great reading while I was breastfeeding for hours in the middle of the night. The first page alone of the "Top ten Biggest Shocks of Childbirth" is so funny and so totally right on! I have no idea how I would have felt reading this before experiencing the trauma of labor though. She does tell the truth like no other book does regarding the pain and the bloody mess of it all, but there are much better books to read to prepare you for labor (like "Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn by Penny Simkins).
My main problem with this book is that it is mostly her opinion on stuff, and she doesn't really back it up with actual facts. Her take on stuff is valid up to a point, but you really need to read other books with actual facts in order to get the big picture. Her take on breastfeeding and nighttime parenting skills is not so helpful. The Drs. Sears books on those subjects will be much more helpful. I think if you read this book before you read a lot of better more informative books, you might get discouraged about some aspects of motherhood. Take this book for what it is: an entertaining discussion of one woman's opinions on the first year of motherhood- not an actual helpful "guide".
Rating:
Summary: Girlfriend, this is THE book for you!
Review: I'm a big fan of Vicki Iovine's book series, having snickered my way through her Guide to Pregnancy for the last nine (or 10!) months. She tells it like it is, with candid humor and tongue-in-cheek banter, which will keep you entertained for hours. Oh yeah, read this book BEFORE you give birth because you'll never have time to after the baby arrives! While this book proclaimes it's for the first year of motherhood, I found that the majority of information really pertains more to the first few months. A lot of it addresses issues you will have immediately after your Little Lamb arrives. Still, it's well worth it, and really, when you're in that ninth month of pregnancy, it's 3am and you wonder if that baby's EVER going to make an entrance, don't you want to read something that will help you laugh your way through this adventure, rather than just scare you? Plus, I'll bet you've read all those scary natural childbirth books already. Let it go, Girlfriend, and kick back with a real side splitter.
Rating: 
Summary: Girlfriend to Girlfriend...
Review: This book is NOT meant to be an exhaltation of motherhood nor is it meant to suggest that once you become a mother, your life is over. It's meant to be a resource of straight NO BS information and advice. You can take it or not but one thing is for sure, they'll be no pussy-footing around here. The author tells you like it is and she attempts to throw in a bit of humor, which at times is needed to maintain any shred of sanity. I found this book to be both enlightening and humorous. I don't agree with all of it but it was refreshing to hear someone tell it like it is. I did not find that this book made me nervous or afraid since I read it when I was pregnant. It actually made me feel better about my fears and concerns about not knowing what to do to stop my baby from crying or thinking I'm not a good mother because all I want to do is sleep. It gave me some comfort to know someone else who had been through it and had healthy, well-adjusted children felt at times like she was loosing her mind. If you want straight up, no BS advice about what the first year of motherhood is really like with a little humor thrown in, this is the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Read too late
Review: This book would have been better if I had read it before I had my son. I had to skip half of it since I didn't read it until he was about a month old. I loved the girlfriend guide to pregnancy, so I thought I would love this. But-- it wasn't very helpful.
Rating:
Summary: totally entertaining but get your actual facts elsewhere
Review: I totally enjoyed reading this book- I have a newborn and this book was great reading while I was breastfeeding for hours in the middle of the night. The first page alone of the "Top ten Biggest Shocks of Childbirth" is so funny and so totally right on! I have no idea how I would have felt reading this before experiencing the trauma of labor though. She does tell the truth like no other book does regarding the pain and the bloody mess of it all, but there are much better books to read to prepare you for labor (like "Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn by Penny Simkins).
My main problem with this book is that it is mostly her opinion on stuff, and she doesn't really back it up with actual facts. Her take on stuff is valid up to a point, but you really need to read other books with actual facts in order to get the big picture. Her take on breastfeeding and nighttime parenting skills is not so helpful. The Drs. Sears books on those subjects will be much more helpful. I think if you read this book before you read a lot of better more informative books, you might get discouraged about some aspects of motherhood. Take this book for what it is: an entertaining discussion of one woman's opinions on the first year of motherhood- not an actual helpful "guide".
Rating:
Summary: Do NOT read while pregnant!
Review: I cannot stress this enough. Pregnancy, at least the later stages, is anxiety ridden enough to focus this much on the negative aspects of childbirth. Not that the author is trying to pull you down, quite the contrary, but for someone who hasn't yet been through labor, it can be terrifying. My husband actually had to take this book away from me in my 35th week because he didn't like how it was affecting me, I was an anxious wreck. Save this one for AFTER you give birth. You'll be thankful you did.
Rating:
Summary: Not worthwhile if you read after delivery
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the "pregnancy" book, but this one just didn't seem as funny. I didn't expect it to provide tons of advice, and maybe it's the post-partum stress I'm going through, but this book didn't seem to be worthwhile unless you read it prior to delivery. By the time you have time to read after having the baby, you've already learned all the stuff in this book.
Rating:
Summary: enjoyed the book
Review: I loved the Girlfriends' Guide to Surviving the First Year. I don't know if I would have apprectiated it when I was pregnant, but now my baby is 4 months old and finally someone was telling me like it is - the joy and trepidation, inadequacy and triumph, how my world is rocked but this is the new normal and it's so much better than before. This book gave me the "permission" to stop trying to get back to the old me before enjoying this and to love the new me and my new life, and the new little wonderful life that is my son.
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