Description:
It is a well-known fact (wink, wink) that no woman can survive the pregnancy experience without her own copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting. Truth is, most first-time mommies-to-be end up with two or three copies of this highly regarded guide to pregnancy, labor, and newborn care. Yet despite all of its helpful information about nutrition, bodily changes, and fetal development, it glosses over vital questions that enter every pregnant woman's mind: "How should I tell my husband, my family, my boss that I'm expecting?" and "Can I park in the handicapped spot?" or even "Can I cut in line at the public restroom?" Author Paula Spencer expertly faces the challenge of answering these and many other serious and comical questions that pop up during pregnancy in this equally smart and entertaining look at etiquette for the new mom--and does so with plenty of sense and sensibility. Spencer focuses on a great variety of touchy situations in chapters that include "Spreading the News," "Busybodies," "At Work, Birth Ceremonies," and "Life with Baby." What can be done about a doctor who constantly keeps the pregnant mom waiting? Spencer offers four different suggestions, starting with "Ask why this is the case." How can a pregnant mom voice a complaint without being rude (to smokers, for instance)? While Spencer does furnish a nicely worded request, she also suggests the mom simply find "a more hospitable place to eat with a pleasanter air." Along with providing hundreds of thoughtful, reasonable answers to many such questions, she also includes wonderful lists covering do's and don'ts for grandparents, naming traditions from a wide variety of cultures, contemporary baby shower themes, and a thorough chapter of smart gift suggestions. --Liane Thomas
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