Rating: 
Summary: Very complicated guide on prenatal exercise
Review: Birgitta's book is a must have for anyone who's expecting, or who will be soon! Hers was the book I referenced and followed the most throughout my pregnancy (and now in postpartum). I recommend it to every friend who's pregnant or trying...I had my son in November of 2000 and exercised using the book as a guide right up until the day before I delivered (I was 2 weeks late) I walked out of the hospital in my pre-pregnancy clothes, feeling heathier and more fit than I had ever felt before. A week later, I weighed less than I did before I became pregnant. Birgitta's comments on endorphins were RIGHT ON! My delivery was intervention and drug free. Most of all, it was not painful (until 9 cm - transition time), and even that was bearable, quite a change from my first delivery, where I was out of shape and requested an epidural at 4 cm. During this, my second labor, I briskly walked the halls until 7 cm, jumped into the shower until 8-9cm and stood by the bed for the rest. It took me 6 minutes to push my EXTREMELY HEALTHY 9 pound, 15 ounce, 22.5 inch son out, with NO EPISIOTOMY! I TRULY BELIEVE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS HAD I NOT BEEN IN SHAPE. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE STANDARD ISSUE TO ALL EXPECTANT MOMS!
Rating: 
Summary: This book should be standard issue for all mothers to be!
Review: Birgitta's book is a must have for anyone who's expecting, or who will be soon! Hers was the book I referenced and followed the most throughout my pregnancy (and now in postpartum). I recommend it to every friend who's pregnant or trying... I had my son in November of 2000 and exercised using the book as a guide right up until the day before I delivered (I was 2 weeks late) I walked out of the hospital in my pre-pregnancy clothes, feeling heathier and more fit than I had ever felt before. A week later, I weighed less than I did before I became pregnant. Birgitta's comments on endorphins were RIGHT ON! My delivery was intervention and drug free. Most of all, it was not painful (until 9 cm - transition time), and even that was bearable, quite a change from my first delivery, where I was out of shape and requested an epidural at 4 cm. During this, my second labor, I briskly walked the halls until 7 cm, jumped into the shower until 8-9cm and stood by the bed for the rest. It took me 6 minutes to push my EXTREMELY HEALTHY 9 pound, 15 ounce, 22.5 inch son out, with NO EPISIOTOMY! I TRULY BELIEVE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS HAD I NOT BEEN IN SHAPE. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE STANDARD ISSUE TO ALL EXPECTANT MOMS!
Rating:
Summary: A lifesaver!!!
Review: Great book! Very informative. Although research is limited in exercise and pregnancy, the book references up to date information that is available. This will be a gift book for any of my friends that become pregnant.
Rating:
Summary: Birgitta Gallo's Expecting Finess
Review: Great book! Very informative. Although research is limited in exercise and pregnancy, the book references up to date information that is available. This will be a gift book for any of my friends that become pregnant.
Rating:
Summary: Very complicated guide on prenatal exercise
Review: I bought this book when I was 4 months pregnant and was somewhat disappointed in the exercise descriptions presented in the book. There were too many exercises presented without a description of what type of routine to follow. I felt like some of the exercises would place you at risk if you were not in top physical shape or if a trainer was not present to monitor your safety. Also the author did not indicate how many or which specific exercises you should do in a beginning session and how the exercise routine should progress from the first trimester to the last. The exercises should have included different fitness levels and I felt uncomfortable while attempting to do some of them. There were too many chapters on other pregnancy topics that one can find in any prenatal care guide. I had hoped the book would contain more stretching/yoga exercises which are so helpful and calming during pregnancy. Overall I felt that this book would be a better source for someone who is in top athletic shape not for your average person. Also the book jacket describes the author as a former bodybuilder with no children of her own. I would recommend some of the other fitness experts prenatal exercise books because they were by women who had actually experienced pregnancy and childbirth.
Rating:
Summary: Expecting Fitness
Review: I want to compliment on this desperatly needed book. The book is excellent. It is medically accurate, motivating and on point. I couldn't put it down. - Michelle Kosik MD
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing new under the sun....
Review: I wasn't sure who this book was for. If you are moderately-to-very out of shape you won't really see yourself in these pages. Everything from the tone to the models to the testimonials (all from folks in excellent condition at the start of their pregnancies) seem tailor-made for the extremely fit crowd. However, if you are a regular exerciser, there's not much here that will be news to you. It's not a terrible choice for those who haven't done much strength training before, and there is some good info on adapting (or abandoning) some of the standards during pregnancy. There is a bit of annoying name dropping to get through-apparently, if someone trains B-list celebrities (Jane Seymore??), obviously that's credential enough... It's worth a look, but I wish I hadn't spent the $. Better to pick this one up at the library.
Rating:
Summary: This book was GREAT!!
Review: Just wanted to say how happy I was for purchasing this book EXPECTING FITNESS. In my opinion, it was the book I referenced and followed the most throughout my pregnancy. I recommend it to every friend who's pregnant or trying... My experince was not as most mothers had. While I was hoping to go earlier and have a leaner baby, I went two weeks late (as the book warned) and had a 10 pounder with a total body weight gain of 22 pounds! YIKES! He WAS lean and strong however, and I had the best blood chemistry any of the nurses on the floor had seen (they checked his blood sugar every two hours for the first day). I walked out of the hospital in my street cloths, feeling healthier and more fit than I had ever felt before. A week later, I weighed less that I did before I became pregnant. I am a sweep rower and rowed my last race at 5 months pregnant (we won by the way). My rowing club graciously loaned me an erg that I used religiously until the day before I delivered. I'm back on it, rowing hard to get my seat back!
The comments on endorphins were RIGHT ON! My delivery was intervention and drug free. Most of all, it was not painful (until 9cm), and even that was bearable, quite a change from my first delivery where I was out of shape and requested an epidural at 4cm. During this , my second labor, I briskly walked the halls until 7 cm , jumped into the shower until 8-9 cm and stood by the bed for the rest. It took me 6 minutes to push my 9 pound, 15 ounce, 22.5 inch son out! I TRULY BELIEVE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS HAD I NOT BEEN IN SHAPE. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE STANDARD ISSUE TO ALL EXPECTANT MOMS!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Guide and Resource
Review: This book has exactly what I was looking for in a pregnancy related exercise guide. I am an active woman, and I had been disappointed by other books that were vague or only gave 'beginning' exercise information. I think this book is appropriate for beginners or athletes - basically for anyone who wants to remain fit during pregnancy. I appreciate the amount of detail and background information on muscles used during and after pregnancy as well as the role of hormones which helps the reader to unerstand why the exercises are important. The author seems to be operating with the latest medical advice regarding excercising in pregnancy. She also identifies the key exercises needed to assist in a smooth delivery and gives several different options for doing them (at a gym or at home and in several different positions in case your pregnancy is high risk or you are bed ridden).
Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: This book would have been quite different if it had been written by a woman who has actually experienced pregnancy and childbirth. While much of her research seems clinically accurate, there is no experiential connection on the part of the author. She doesn't know enough about what feels good and what feels wrong when you're pregnant. In addition, the author warns against certain Yoga positions (like downward dog and other inversions), which are not only a safe, standard part of prenatal Yoga practice, but feel really good when you're pregnant. Having not had the experience of pregnancy, the author is not adequately familiar with the extent of the abilities of a pregnany woman who is fit to begin with, and therefore spends much of this text warning against activities which are quite safe and beneficial during pregnancy.
| 
