The Pregnancy Countdown Book: Nine Months of Practical Tips, Useful Advice, and Uncensored Truths

I had a handful of pregnancy books and this one was super helpful to have on those busy days and weeks. When I didn’t feel like I could read a full chapter of the other books it was nice to still feel a little informed from a quick few pages in this book.

I love this book. I had purchased others but didn't really want to get to bogged down with too many all consuming facts on pregnancy. This one is short, concise, and fun to read. Really, this book is a page a day and helps make the pregnancy seem to go much quicker (if that's possible)! It's an enjoyable read especially for those who have little time to read. Hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

I truly enjoyed this book and read it religiously at each week and trimester. It is informative, to the point and answers all of your questions that you are embarrassed to ask a doctor or even a close friend. I recommend this book to all first-time mothers out there or if you know of someone having their first child, this is the perfect gift for them. It truly made my nine months (well, actually ten) fly by!

I really enjoy having this book in my "pregnancy library"; it sits on the nightstand beside my bed and once or twice each week, I review the milestones my baby is encountering. The book is not intended to be a medical text or comprehensive guide to all the biological changes that pregnancy causes, but don't we [pregnant women] already have enough of those? The book is fantastic in helping to visualize my baby's size and appearance, and also in helping me prepare for the delivery without turning me off by interjectng her stance on certain issues. Too many of the books available dedicated to pregnacy claim to give you all the information you need, but if you read word-for-word, you can easily discern the author's bias on many controversial issues (for example: "breast is best!" or the circumcision debate). I love that Magee simply informs you that you need to make a decision and doesn't make you feel guilty for making that choice! I also love the often-humorous quotes provided by real moms. I will certainly buy this book for all of my friends when they're having their first babies. It has certainly helped the past 34 weeks speed by!

The Pregnancy Countdown Book is a page-a-day guide chock full of advice for expecting parents. Author Susan Magee cuts right to the chase and avoids euphemisms--pregnancy is not "complex," it is hard--hard in the first trimester, hard in the middle, and hard near the end. Magee describes the rewards, but she doesn't try to sugar-coat anything. Many of the gems in this book deal with those things you needs to know but are reluctant to ask: foods and activities to stop when you are pregnant, proper sleeping posture, when to stop air travel, dealing with varicose veins, and how (and when) to break the news to friends and family. Tips include recommended products, resources, tricks, and websites. This is the kind of book that reassures a worry-wort, because the author and her MD co-author have been there and done it all, and they will remind you what to do at the right time. I was especially intrigued by Magee's attention to the relationship between the parents. She addresses the stresses that the mom and her significant other will experience, and how to relate to your partner during these 250 days. Bottom line: this is a value-packed offering and a highly recommended gift item.

Susan Magee lives in my neighborhood. She's the nicest and funniest person, always cracking us up. I was pregnant while she was working on her book and she made me laugh and gave me so much good advice. She was the only person who told me that we should take an experienced mom to Babies R Us to register and not to feel bad if we had to go back three times to figure it all out. She was the only person who told me that I should prepare for a C-section, just in case. I'm glad I listened to her. Despite my intention to deliver my daughter with a midwife, Maya was breech and I needed a C-section. If I hadn't read up about the procedure (Susan gave me the pages of her manuscript), I would have been terrified. She also warned me not to freak out if I didn't bond with the baby instantly. She said for many women, the experience of childbirth (plus surgery) is so overwhelming that it's hard to focus on the baby right away. Finally, she's the only one who prepared me for how hard it was going to be to breastfeed in the beginning. I remember she said, "You think that because the baby's life depends upon getting this food, that it would be easy. But it's not. So don't worry too much if it takes you and the baby a few weeks, or even a month, to get into the groove. You're not doing it wrong, it's just a huge adjustment for both of you and it's painful in the beginning." After Maya was born, I read Susan's book anyway. It's so funny and so true. It is really saying something if you aren't even pregnant and got a lot out of a pregnancy book. Plus she talks a lot about keeping your expectations low, how your recovery is going to be, and asking for help when you first bring a baby home. Do yourself a favor and get this book. It's really wonderful.