The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby

Rating:
Summary: Go for the second edition instead
Review: This book is an excellent reference guide, but the second edition is even better. Unlike the first edition which is structured on a trimester-by-trimester basis, the second edition features a week-by-week pregnancy guide. The entire book has been meticulously updated, including the prescription and over-the-counter drug charts. There's also tons of new content, including lots of helpful information on prenatal depression, the use of herbal products during pregnancy, and more info of interest to partners. So I'd recommend that you spring for the second edition rather than the first edition.

Rating:
Summary: Second edition is AMAZING!
Review: I debated about whether or not to buy the second edition of this book because I already own the first edition and I own The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, too (a book written by Ann Douglas, one of the authors of The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby). But I can tell you that the second edition is a huge improvement over the first edition, and that's really saying something, because the first edition was pretty exceptional (we're talking mega-comprehensive).

So why would you want to own two pregnancy books by the same author? Because they are two completely different books. The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby gives you a highly comprehensive medical look at pregnancy, structured in a week-by-week format. The Mother of All Pregnancy Books give you a much chattier insider guide to pregnancy: the kind of stuff that your sister or your best friend would tell you if you were having a heart-to-heart the night the pregnancy test came back positive. The two books cover totally different turf, which is why I bought them both.

Other books that are pregnancy must-reads, in my opinion: The Expectant Father (for fathers); The Pregnancy Journal (if you want to keep track of your baby's changes/growth day by day); and Pregnancy Fitness (for staying fit during pregnancy).

Rating:
Summary: The most complete pregnancy book ever
Review: I am pregnant with my fifth child right now and trust me, I have read every baby book out there A-Z. I never thought I'd be able to learn anything new, especially being the baby making pro that I am : ) but I was wrong. I was so delighted to find this book - it is jammed pack with some much information. Granted, all the information is not pertinent to my particular pregnancy (thank goodness) but this book has an answer for just about anything -is it okay to color my hair while pregnant? What does it mean if I have spotting? It is all here in a beautiful, easy to understand, well written book. What I really love is that the book is thick. I love a really thick baby book for these inevitable insomnia filled nights we have while pregnant.

Rating:
Summary: A pregnancy reference book, not for light reading
Review: I think that selling this book with the Girlfriend's guide is a good idea, not because the 2 are similar, but because they are so different. Now 2 weeks from the end of my second pregnancy, those 2 books have lived on my nightstand throughout both. I literally bought the Unofficial Guide because I like the format (have used Unofficial Guides for vacations etc.). I find it easy to reference and although the information doesn't go as indepth as some of the others it does provide stats and links to other sources (particularly on the web).
The Girlfriends Guide is light reading and something that should be read cover to cover (also one of my favorites). But this book is for the quick answer to any question you might have (without annoying the heck out of your OB nurse or midwife). I have also thrown this book at my husband on several occasions when using it as proof that I am not crazy. Both are great picks for pregnancy reading.

PS. while on my soapbox---I hate "What to Expect when you are expecting" it is entirely too negative and full of threats of all the things you shouldn't do and should be worried about. That book makes it difficult to enjoy pregnancy.

Rating:
Summary: A guide for a woman having a baby.
Review: As other reviewers have noted, this book is stuffed with useful information from pre-conception to basic care for newborns. Tests and procedures are explained in detail, and the book does a good job letting you know how much (or how little) to worry about potential problems. This may not be a book you read from cover to cover. Rather, you may want to refer to sections as needed. The book's index makes quick reference easy. I find this style more useful than the chatty syles of other pregnancy books.

The downside to this book is that it is geared solely to mothers. While the information is useful to a father, the book makes no effort to address questions or issues that might only concern a potential father. The book often assumes that the mother will go through her pregnancy with a partner, but the partner often seems like an afterthought. I have not found any section that discusses a partner's concerns (except where they would be the same as the mother's). For this reason, I feel that an otherwise good resource falls short.

For potential fathers, I recommend using Mr. Brott's "The Expectant Father" as a needed supplement to the "Unofficial Guide."

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous resource
Review: This book is full of useful information that you can easily reference when you need to. It's a must for first time mothers.
Debbie Farmer, parenting author of 'Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat'

Rating:
Summary: Classic pregnancy reference guide has been updated
Review: I have been eagerly awaiting the second edition of this book and I'm not disappointed. I think the second edition is even better. It features a week-by-week pregnancy guide; the entire book has been meticulously updated, including the prescription and over-the-counter drug charts; and there's a lot of new content, including helpful information on prenatal depression and the use of herbal products during pregnancy. What hasn't changed is the friendly and reassuring tone and the great anecdotes from women and their partners.

Rating:
Summary: Week-by-week format makes this edition even better
Review: I really enjoyed the first edition of this book, but I think the decision to move to a week-by-week format in the second edition makes the second edition even better. The pregnancy section of the book is broken down into week-by-week chapters that talk about what you're likely to be going through during that particular week -- e.g., "What's going on with your body" (physical changes), "What's going on with your baby" (how your baby is developing at this stage of pregnancy), "What's going on with your head" (all the things you may be thinking about at this stage of pregnancy: announcing your pregnancy at work, dealing with pregnancy mood swings, feeling guilty about being less than perfect for the 280 days of pregnancy, etc.) I intend to recommend this book to my prenatal fitness clients as well as friends I know who are having a baby.

Rating:
Summary: A thorough and down-to-earth reference
Review: This book hits almost everything a pregnant mom needs to know about carrying and delivering her baby. It's not preachy at all; it simply lays out the facts and lets you draw the conclusion that works best for you. It has an extensive preconception section (which I didn't use, as I bought the book after I got pregnant), a week-by-week guide to fetal development and changes in your body, and tips on preparing your home and lifestyle for the new arrival. All in all, it's a great book, and I would encourage any mom-to-be to check out the new edition being released this January.

Rating:
Summary: Good but very similar to "Mother of all Pregnancy"
Review: I bought this book after finding out I was pregnant. I had already bought and read "The mother of all pregnancy books" and I loved her style of writing so I thought I would get this one as well. Surely it would have some different information? Not really, a lot of the quotes from the mothers and fathers are used in both books and even some of the writing seems to be almost exact.
This is a GREAT book, it has pretty much all you'll need unless you have a special pregnancy that requires more specific books. But just know that you dont need this and "The mother of all pregnancy books"