Rating: 
Summary: Read it again when the baby is a few months old.
Review: I read this book before my 1st daughter was born and is scared me a little. I re-read this book when she was a few months old and it helped a lot. It was comforting to know that the things I was going through were normal. I re-read it again after my 2nd daughter was born and it made me laugh and be ready for what was on its way.
Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: All of Vicki's books are a good read, they seem to tell you things how they are and not how they should be. These set of books are my staple shower gifts...
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing and Depressing & not first first timers
Review: I was very excited to get this book because I enjoyed the Girlfrinds Guide to Pregnancy very much. I understand the approach, it's not a medical guide. Neither was the first, and I found it amusing and helpful.
This one left me depressed. I started reading it when I had just brought my baby home. And it left me terribly upset and fearful for this awful future. It wasn't postpartum, it was the book. It's such a downer. It made it seem like I would never sleep again, and never find any joy in motherhood. 18 months later I can tell you the book made it sound a lot worse than it was.
I think Vicki is very funny and very talented. This book might be very entertaining to seasoned Mom's who get the joke, or have enough experience not to be daunted. I think a book of anecdotes by Vicki would be priceless.
But first time Mom's Steer clear! The encouragement so abundant in the first book is lacking here. Vicki steers towards worse case scenario a lot, and although she states clearly it's different for everyone, it all sounds horrible by the end. First time Mom's, pass on the girlfriends and find a warmer kinder book. You need encouragement not worse case horror stories.
Rating: 
Summary: Great fun for an experienced mom!
Review: If you are a brand new mother this book may scare you since some of the humor may be missed. If you are on your second or third or fourth go-round you'll find this book a light-hearted fun read. When you've got a baby and a toddler in the house this book can lighten your mood and give you some reassurance and good ideas as well. Another must-have for parents of babies is The No-Cry Sleep Solution, since sleep deprivation makes everything less fun.
Rating:
Summary: Really Helped Me Through Those First Few Weeks
Review: I loved this book! I read the Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy and enjoyed it, but I think I liked this book even better. Those first few weeks home with a newborn are tough and when I felt too tired or cranky to be around others, I took a sitz bath and read a chapter and it truely made me feel better. I realized that all mothers go through the same things and that I was truely blessed to be a mom. The humor and girlfriend tone of the book was perfect. It is not necessarily a reference book, but it is a required reading for any new mom!
Rating: 
Summary: Pre-partum depression
Review: This is a tricky book to read. It is funny, but in a very sarcastic and cruel way. No denying it has made me chuckle, but after reading a few pages I end up with a very bad aftertaste. On one hand it is scary for me, a first time mother-to-be in her late thirties, to read about all the horrors that are in store for me. On the other hand it is very discouraging to read that I'll never get my body back, no matter how hard I try. After I found myself not watching what I eat just because of all the discouragement I have received from this book, I decided to stop reading it altogether and to write this review. If you want a more compassionate, loving, respectful and yet light and fun book about life after the baby is born, I would very much recommend Tracy Hogg's Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. Comes loaded with useful advice and caring thoughts for both mother and baby.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for moms with lousy husbands and cranky babies
Review: I bought this book after reading the first book regarding pregnancy. I found the humor amusing, however, I could not relate to much in this book. My husband isn't a total dud and my baby doesn't make me miserable. Maybe if I were married to a clod and had a cranky baby I would have enjoyed this book more. This book can do more harm than good if the reader buys into the theories of postpartum depression and exercise. Read with caution.
Rating:
Summary: Funny in parts, but not someone I'd consider a Girlfriend
Review: I chuckled during parts, but soon became weary of her cynicsm, and unrealistic advice. I would and have never thought an ex Playboy Playmate to be the type to relate to an every-day, real, normal person that most women would consider a "girfriend". Her chapter on "Getting Your Body Back" gave the same unrealistic dietary advice found in "What to Expect when You're Expecting". When you're dehydrated, hormonal and exhausted, the last thing most women will go for is a tuna mixed with yogurt (god forbid mayo), or a piece of chicken. Who is she kidding? That's not "girlfiend" advice. She was 112 when she got pregnant and went up to 150 lbs. Most women WISH they started at 150 lbs when they got pregnant. The worst part of this book is that halfway through it I was depressed because she made the whole postpartum experience sound so miserable.
I guess, we'll never sleep again, never retain HER pre-prego body, our husbands our useless items, we'll be unhappy and depressed for months, and our lives will never be the "same". No thanks. Not as funny as her first, and definitely not very helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Light Humor
Review: Once we found out that my wife was pregnant we went out and got an arm full of books on pregnancy and child care and this was one of them. We first concentrated on the pregnancy books (obviously), but once our child was born we started in on the childcare books. The book in this series dealing with pregnancy was by far both my wife's and my favorite of all the pregnancy books we bought. It was full of humor and smart comments that took some of the edge off any of the worries we had. With that being said we were both looking forward to reading this book being the next in the series, unfortunately we were a bit disappointed. The book was a bit of a let down on the humor side, almost like she used her best material in the pregnancy book and now she is rushing these to market to capitalize on her fame. Just to be clear we understood that this book was just going to be a humorous rant type book so the negative items she details did not get us depressed or change the way we feel - it was just part of the humor. This series is not a detail filled, everything you need to know type book, it is best if you approach it as what it is, a nice humor filled time killer to make you laugh. We did both think there were a few helpful and interesting facts, but again this is not Dr Sears. Be warned that her sense of humor is one that could be construed as a bit on the negative side - focusing on weight loss, sleep loss and other unpleasant and difficult items. If this type of tone in a book would effect you then you may want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for witty, tongue-in-cheek book to read for fun then this does fit the bill, but for big laughs go with her book on pregnancy.
Rating:
Summary: Not MY Girlfriend
Review: OK, she can be funny--so two stars for a cutting sense of humor. She's funny as she mocks everyone who disagrees with her style of child rearing. She's funny as she explains how VERY unhappy you will be after giving birth. She's funny as she reminds you time and again that men are only useless sperm donors(as the back cover of her book says so clearly, "Husband, what husband?"), so don't expect the father to get off the couch for you. Basically, she's funny as she describes how very miserable your child will make you. My son is five months old, and I love being a Mom. I did natural childbirth--hey, it's not for everyone, but Ms. McCarty thinks that means I'm some kind of freak. I love spending time with my son. Some people get the baby blues, but according to her if you don't hate life within three hours of labor, you aren't really a "Girlfriend". My husband is a fantastic father, who not only changes more diapers than I do (*gasp*) but actually takes fathering seriously, and was an invaluable support for me during the postpartum recovery period. Since he's not a jerk, I can't be a "Girlfriend". If you are having a very difficult time adjusting to motherhood, if your partner is an unsupportive clod... it should make you feel better. If you are struggling and overwhelmed and ready to take most of what she says with a large grain of salt, it might cheer you up. It is NOT a good read if you want to remain positive about your first child entering your life. Vicki Iovine is an expert, has a monthly column in Child magazine, makes the rounds of the talk shows. But I have to question her qualifications. Since when did being a Playboy centerfold make you a "Girlfriend"? What makes a snide high-powered media insider a "Girlfriend"? Life in the fast lane living with rock stars makes you a "Girlfriend"? Sorry, but out here in the real world, we work full time at home or at a job, don't live in Malibu, don't live in your world, Vicki. And we seem to enjoy motherhood a lot more than you do.
| 
