Pregnancy for Dummies

This book was a god send when I was pregnant with my first. It’s very comprehensive, explained in simple terms, and the layout makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. I gave my copy to a friend, so I will definitely be buying a replacement when we start working on baby #2.

I'm 36, overweight, hypertensive, and having my first baby. I wish Pregnancy for Dummies had been the first pregnancy book I had purchased. I purchased three others before I finally got this - in my third trimester - after I rented the DVDs. This book is very straightforward and has sense of humor. I took a childbirth class chock full of info on natural childbirth, breathing, relaxing, etc. This book was a great companion to the class - a basic primer. If you need additional information, go ahead and buy a couple more books (25 is probably overkill, though. It's a baby, not a thesis). Two of the books I purchased prior -- What to Expect When You're Expecting and the Mother of All Pregnancy Books were loaded with every horrible thing that can happen at every stage of pregnancy. Loads more information on genetic problems than you need in a normal pregnancy. Heaven forbid if you eat a Twinkie at 22 weeks!! I thought they were both alarmist. My AFP test said I had a higher chance for Down's Syndrome. I went to my amniocentesis test convinced that even if the baby tested fine that the amnio itself would cause me to miscarry. Long story short - the baby is fine and the amnio wasn't a big deal (just don't look at the needle!). I think today that most women understand they need to stop drinking and smoking, take prenatal vitamins, eat some vegetables, and see an OB. If they don't know already, then I can't imagine they'd be buying any pregnancy books anyway.

This book was recommended to me by my OB/GYN, and I found it to be very helpful when I would freak out in the middle of the night... I particularly appreciated the fact that all the scary-but-rare stuff was put in one chapter at the end, so you could look it up if you needed to, but you didn't have to encounter it when you were looking for more routine information. Too many other pregnancy books have the scary-but-rare information throughout, so you spend time worrying needlessly.

(Australasian edition)I bought and read a lot of different pregnancy books, but this is the one I kept referencing back to (and finding the answers/info!) again and again. I can't praise this book highly enough - this is the first time I've reacted strongly enough to a book to volunteer a reader review. During the last 9 months expecting my first baby, there was never once this book couldn't answer my questions or doubts, big or small. It is easy to read in digestible chunks as you progress, but also more importantly easy to use as a reference source for those quick questions e.g. hearburn (nformal), tingly fingers (can happen, normal), PUPPS rash (can happen, normal), night sweats (can happen, normal), when bleeding is to worry or not, etc. Very reassuring and informative. Although I was only fucussed on the progressing pregnancy and later the delivery/birth, surprisingly I still found myself regularly scouring this book's pages post-delivery e.g. breastfeeding, baby healthcare, immunisations, etc. A wealth of tips and resources. As well as presenting just 'medical' or 'physiological' accounts, the book also presents *practical* info, e.g. what to expect at the hospital, what to pack/bring, baby items to have ready at home, the first days after delivery (normal or caesarean), first days at home, etc. It's like having a combination of your own private midwife, and Mum, on call 24/7. Indispensible - you'll be no dummy when you've read this book!

Pregnancy for Dummies is an excellent resource for the journey of pregnancy. It is extremely well organized, including a chapter on things to think about and prepare for before you get pregnant as well as a chapter on what to do with the baby once he/she is here! It is also very well written... with humor and anecdotes. I believe it is written by two OB/GYNs - a man and a woman who has had children of her own. Like the others below, I too found it superior to "What to Expect" which was pretty dry, and in a Q & A format that might not appeal to everyone. I'm not sure why the reader below freaked out about scheduled inducing, but you have to remember the book is written by doctors... inducing is convenient for them as well as perhaps the parents! Anyway, you won't go wrong with this book.

I purchased or was given three pregnancy books and this was by far the best. The others were written by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (my husband is an OB/GYN) and What to Expect . . . I did not like the organization or content of What to Expect . . . and the ACOG book was a little skimpy on the practical questions I had. Pregnancy for Dummies was funny and answered all my questions with medically appropriate advice, according to my husband whose medical opinion I highly respect. It is light-hearted at times, which I liked a lot, but still provided serious and complete advice - not for those without a sense of humor though! All in all, a very good choice, especially for first time mothers.