Disappointed

I bought this book along w/ What to Expect, etc, the first time I was pregnant. A few days earlier, I had learned for sure I was pregnant at my Dr's office: I called my husband to tell I was on my way home and since he knew what I had gone in for, I told him the news over the phone. This whole thing being new to me- to both of us- I wish I had waited to do it in person; it knocked the wind out of him and left him speechless! Needless to say, I regretted not waiting, but what was done was done. So I pick up this book, and I find that the authors advise women not to tell their husbands over the phone, but over a candlelit dinner. I'm assuming that many women buy pregnancy books after they tell their partners; and this is also not the 50's. What else should I do, tell a stork tale? I acknowledge I had a specifically personal reaction to this, but I truly found it a narrow, old fashioned and obnoxious comment, and perhaps symptomatic of a lack of modern perspective- and that's not what I was looking for. I didn't expect to be judged by a pregnancy book! Many of us are doing this for the first time and don't always get it perfect- getting pregnant and having a successful healthy pregnancy can be hard enough! I did try to give this book a chance, but after 2 weeks of perusing it I didn't find anything special here that wasn't available elsewhere; I bought just about every other book and returned this one.

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It's Ok

I didn't get the hype about this one. I had no issues with the content. I just didn't find anything that made this book better than the others on this subject. It gave typical month by month analysis of what you could expect during your pregnancy and gave a lengthy postpartum section. I definitely preferred What to Expect and I'm pregnant by Leslie Regan to this book.

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If you're looking for a natural childbirth/pregnancy book, this is it.

After reading several popular pregnancy books, including the "What to Expect" books and the "Girlfriend's Guide" books, I stumbled on the various Sears' books. I bought the Baby Book first and quickly ordered the Pregnancy book. I really wish I'd just started with these books first, and here's why.

Many pregnancy guide/books/advice I've found in the mainstream has been so profoundly negative, I've been turned off talking about it to many friends, or reading popular culture books or magazines on the subject. Sure, maybe being pregnant and delivery is going to be the worst 9 months of my life, or maybe, I can make it my own experience entirely. Without being prejudiced by tales of horror and pain and fat suffering, I can make my own choices on how to be pregnant (ie. choosing to make sure I don't eat everything in sight just because I'm "eating for two", but eating nutrient-rich choices in moderate amounts, etc).

The Sears' provide clear guidelines and outlines for 9 months of pregnancy, month-by-month. (Skip around; they acknowledge no one's going to have their textbook pregnancy in chapter order!) The tone is sensitive, warm and caring, like talking with an elderly aunt or old family doctor. The advice is natural and simple with out being "natural childbirth"-elitist and failing to acknowledge the common sense of modern medical guidelines and talking with your doctor. Neat topics through the book include general health (including oodles on morning sickness), detailed nutritional information, handling work & family, what to get to prepare for baby, nursing, etc.

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