Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is my wife's and my first pregnancy, with twins actually, and this is the best of three books we've read (so far). It's an excellent first pregnancy book, with well organized chapters, that follow the stages of pregnancy from beginning to birth. The author covers the good and openly addresses the bad without terrifying the parents to be, something that reviews of other books warned about.
We've asked our Dr dozens of questions, and her answers have been very consistent with the advice and guidance in this book, which provides a lot of confidence in the details and research provided by the author and technical reviewer.
The multiples chapter was helpful, especially for us, covering birthing scenarios, extra testing needs, and the challenges of twin feeding. I read a twins book after this one, and most everything factual was review, just with a different persons stories and point of view. This books recommended increased caloric intake for twins is 600 calories, which our Dr. agrees with. Other books we've read has said 1000 for twins to which our Dr. says no way, too much.
The breast feeding versus bottle feeding section was biased towards breast feeding. There is a Pros and Cons comparison for breast feeding and bottle feeding, that is laughably biased. The bottle feeding pros and cons are just another opportunity to make you feel guilty about not breast feeding. In the multiples chapter the attitude towards breast versus bottle is more balanced because of the increased work load of extra babies, but that shouldn't be part of the comparison. I'd prefer she state the facts known about breast feeding advantages, and get on to the techniques without the guilt. I know she intends well, and the resulting conversations between my wife and I were a very positive outcome.
I have one small beef as a male. The Just for Dad's sections seemed to be targeted at a very stereotypical football watching, testosterone fueled neanderthals of a male, occasionally bordering on insulting. I know the author is trying to appeal to a broad male audience in these sections, in a helpful way, however I feel her center line of the average male is skewed towards the 1950s.
I can't help mention a suggestion, in the 4th month Just for Dads, where the Dad can help by volunteering for errands and chores that are starting to become physically difficult for the pregnant wife, and one of those chores is "mowing the lawn". Mowing the lawn? Any able bodied male that makes his wife mow the lawn is a jerk, and I feel sorry for the wife and kids. Sure in this day and age we aren't supposed to label mowing the lawn as a man's job, but the Just for Dads sections are delivered with a heavy hand of stereotypical male roles and expectations, so weird role reversal examples like this left me going wth? The advice and guidance in these Just for Dads section is well intended and probably helpful to the previously mentioned neanderthal, but I doubt you could get him to read these sections anyways. The information in The Just for Dads sections should be re-written to be applicable to the mom's support person, whatever gender or relation, to bring it into this century.
As a dad to be, I read it cover to cover, finding all the information important to me, and helping put alot of my anxieties to rest. Not all of course, but many. Easy to read chapters, full of useful information, and very little unnecessary fluff. I completed this book in just a few days, as the chapters flowed really well, and the pages just flew by. My wife tabbed a dozen sections she might want to return to as a reference (picture uploaded to the customer images).
I'm giving the book 4 stars and my hearty recommendation. Overall I am really glad I read this book first, and the accuracy and consistency with the other books I've read and our Doctor's advice has given me the confidence that I know what is coming next. And that's really what I needed. I almost gave it 5 stars, but the breastfeeding bias swayed my review.
Click Here to see more reviews about: The Everything Pregnancy Book: All You Need to Get You Through the Most Important Nine Months of Your Life (Everything: Parenting and Family)
"The Everything[registered] Pregnancy Book, 3rd Edition" is a must-have reference guide for mothers- (and fathers-)to-be. Packed with more material than the bestselling 2nd edition, "The Everything[registered] Pregnancy Book, 3rd Edition" offers safe, useful information on: diagnostic tests and ultrasounds; nutrition basics, vitamins, and supplements; working and exercising through your pregnancy; prenatal care and postpartum planning; and, breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding. With so many sources of information available, mothers- and fathers-to-be need a reassuring handbook to help them through the most important nine months of their lives. "The Everything[registered] Pregnancy Book, 3rd Edition" prepares parents and ensures a happy, healthy life before, during, and after baby.
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