Having a Baby

I read this book while I was pregnant and it helped a lot. I had problems with the pregnancy and the book helped, it was not technical and it felt "real and right" honest and straight, right from the heart from these women. Some of the other readers mentioned they having money, and yes money does help but all in all they were down to earth and sounded like mothers who were concerned and cared about thier pregnancies. I would LOVE to get an update on the women. If anyone knows if Averil is still with that great looking husband of hers that would be nice, I hope they are they made such a nice family, but with divorce rates it would be no surprise, Dannielle is divorced, I hope the rest of the marriages survived, please write a review if you know, I would love to know. Its a good book and you will laugh and cry with the ladies as live through pregnancy and birth, a wonderful chapter about miscarriage too, that may help women through the loss and know there is hope for another preganancy very soon. I like the book and I think you will too! Updated book would be great!

Some other readers have expressed distaste and disgust at what they refer to as "spoiled rich ladies" However most of these women worked and their thoughts and feeling about being pregnant are universal with what all women feel. I believe they bared their souls with the intention of helping others through conception delivery and after the baby is born. I most enjoyed Averil and Dannille Steel's accounts of thier lives. I would really love to learn how Averil's future was. Apparently she followed the birth of her little girl with twins. I hope she and her husband Tim are still together. {check out his picture in the book-very good-looking!!} Also as a romance write Ms. Steel can be dramatic and expressive but she really is honest and forthcoming, her chapter on miscarriage was excellent, sad but full of hope and promise. These women probably have more money than most women, but I am sure given the opportunity us ladies would do the same thing. Hire help! I know I would. This book helped me through the pregnancy of my son, my husband even read parts and he has not read a book in 10 years. When I was having a threatened miscarriage Dannille's words soothed me and when thankfully the pregnancy continued the rest of the book helped me a great deal. Rich or poor we ALL love and adore our kids and we are all moms just doing the best we can. Thanks ladies for a entertaining educational book. I love to know how you are all doing now!I would recomend this book-Especially for first time MOms!!!

This is a a delightful book to read while you're pregnant. It follows Danielle Steele and six of her friends during their pregnancies -- it's like seven separate stories compiled in one book. The moms were invited by Danielle Steele (the novelist) to participate in a prenatal exercise class -- the moms include Averil (a young, wildish New Yorker married to a doctor), Mary (owner of a skin care salon), Katherine (a bubbly, active, happy psychologist) Susan (a lawyer), Jan (a TV newswoman) and Diana (a practical mom married to an opthamologist). Some are first time moms; some are not. Some work outside the home; some do not. Some are nervous ninnies; others are not. Some had morning sickness and excessive weight gain and other problems; others breezed through the nine months. Each of the twenty-nine chapters in the book covers one aspect of pregnancy or childbearing (finding out, amniocentisis, sex, going home, postpartum depression, etc.) and has entries from each of the seven women about their experiences with respect to that topic. Reading this book is like talking with seven of your friends about their experiences during all aspects of pregnancy. It's not a scary book -- some of the women drank, smoked, didn't follow the prescribed prenatal diet regime -- and all of the babies turned out just fine, the moms were happy, and every single one of the seven was reassuring about how you WILL lose the baby weight (it seemed to come off a little too easily for some of the women). The best part -- the eight pages of pictures of the moms, their babies & their husbands.

This is a wonderful book for the first time mother. I found that I was referring to this book every time something new happend in my own pregnacy. It is a comfort as well as a joy to read. Its also great because there are things in this book that all your friends who have had babies fail to tell you. Its not the "pregnacy is scary" book. I really enjoyed the different writing styles as this is window into the life style of different womens pregnacy as well as creative ways to handle the stress of pregnacy.

This is a terrific book! The stories of these 7 women having their many babies gives the reader an idea of some of the different possibilities for pregnancies and how each birth is different - as well as that each baby is unique. Great for every woman who is pregnant to show how there is a wide range of how it all can happen. I really enjoyed the writing style and all the stories. really worth reading