Product Description

The ultimate guide to conception, birth, and everything in between.

Unlike all those otherbossy, tell-you-what-to-do titles, this funny, entertaining guide presents expectant parents with all the facts on such perennial hot topics as pain relief during labor, episiotomy, and circumcision, and empowers them to make informed personal choices. It's packed with tools you won't find anywhere else, including:

• Charts highlighting the risks of using various over-the-counter drug productsduring pregnancy
• Lists of the ten best -- and worst --baby products
• A set of emergency childbirth procedures
• Forthright discussions of difficult topics like infertility, high-risk pregnancy, and pregnancy and infant loss that other books are loathe to tackle

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6799 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 556 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780764565168
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"...my summer reading has been filled up..." -- Eastern Eye, August 2003

"A book that lives up to its name.... Incredibly comprehensive yet easy to follow." -- Chicago Tribune, June 16, 2002

A book that lives up to its name, author Ann Douglas has packed a remarkable amount of text, charts and tables into this 500-plus page volume that covers nearly every aspect of pregnancy, from considering pregnancy (is there ever a "good" time to do it?) to nutrition, exercise, breast-feeding and the top 10 worries for each trimester.
Incredibly comprehensive yet easy to follow, Douglas, author of a number of pregnancy books, also covers infertility, high-risk pregnancy, miscarriage and infant loss. Charts and tables show how chronic disease, as well as prescription and non-prescription drugs, can affect a pregnancy. Wondering if you're too old to conceive or give birth? Douglas discusses the facts of pregnancy past ages 20, 30 and 40.
"The Complaint Department" chapter discusses nearly every conceivable ache, pain and medical issue that can arise during pregnancy and how to deal with them. Facts and figures, as well as quotes that are pertinent to each topic, are dispersed throughout. A huge listing of organizations and Web sites that deal with everything from breast-feeding to adoption rounds out this volume. Very little is discussed when it comes to postpregnancy and baby care; that will be covered in the author's upcoming book, "The Mother of All Baby Books." (Copyright 2002 Chicago Tribune Company, Chicago Tribune, June 16, 2002 Sunday)

"...my summer reading has been filled up..." (Eastern Eye, August 2003)

From the Inside Flap
"The must-read pregnancy book! Ann Douglas has created the most comprehensive guide to pregnancy we've ever seen." - Denise and Alan Fields, authors, Baby Bargains

"At long last, a new pregnancy bible for women of my generation and younger has emerged in the form of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books. With humor, sensitivity, an easy, no-jargon style and a million "extras" that the leading pregnancy books on the shelves don't cover, Ann Douglas holds nothing back. Not only do I love this book, but I will use it as a valuable tool in my own work as a women's health author." - M. Sara Rosenthal, author, The Pregnancy Sourcebook

"An extremely comprehensive and even-handed volume that provides just about everything but the baby! The Mother of All Pregnancy Books is an amazing resource and Ann Douglas is a reassuring and savvy guide." - Cecelia A. Cancellaro, author of Pregnancy Stories: Real Women Share the Joys, Fears, Thrills, and Anxieties of Pregnancy from Conception to Birth

"'Mother' knows. Start reading this treasure trove even before you get pregnant so you can make it through every jam-packed page before your baby arrives." - Paula Spencer, author of Everything ELSE You Need to Know When You're Expecting: The New Etiquette for the New Mom

"Finally, a pregnancy book that includes essential pre-pregnancy concerns, such as planning and physical and emotional preparation! Ann Douglas has written her masterwork Mother of All Pregnancy Books in the same unpretentious, concise style as her Unofficial Guide. She also stays true to her goal of informing parents and prospective parents as completely as possible, so they will be well-equipped to sort through the pros and cons of their own life choices as they see them. Not one to forgo difficult issues, her chapter entitled 'When Pregnancy Isn't Perfect' is one of the best I've read, both for its sensitivity and for its emphasis on coping and prevention. This is a book that will serve women and their families well." - A. Christine Harris, Ph.D., author of The Pregnancy Journal

"This is truly 'the mother of all pregnancy books' -- an intelligent resource that covers every pregnancy-related topic imaginable in a fun, reassuring way. Ann Douglas has done an exceptional job of arming parents-to-be with the facts they need to make the healthiest possible choices from preconception through postpartum. A must-have!" - Susan Newman, Ph.D., author of Parenting An Only Child: The Joys and Challenges of Raising Your One and Only

"The Mother of All Pregnancy Books is a comprehensive and incredibly informative resource about pregnancy (and what comes before and after!). Ann Douglas tells all in her witty style, entertaining readers along the way. Unlike other pregnancy books, Douglas combines thorough research and reporting with the human touch, offering her own experiences and insight while educating her readers at one of the most important times in their lives. This book is not to be missed!" - Elisa Ast All, Editor-in-Chief, Pregnancy magazine, Baby Years magazine, and iParenting.com

"If you're looking for an all-in-one 'Tell me everything, and tell it like it is' book for your pregnancy, The Mother of all Pregnancy Books is it. Not only is this hefty volume filled with facts about fertility, pregnancy and birth, it also contains hundreds of anecdotes from moms who lived -- and maybe even loved -- pregnancy. Author Ann Douglas knows her stuff, and is wise but not preachy friendly but not overbearing. Keep this book close at hand for instant guidance through the highs and the lows of this extraordinary time!" - Nancy Price, ePregnancy.com

Here's a book that's packed with up-to-date information and practical advice on almost every aspect of pregnancy--from prenatal testing to proper nutrition, from infertility procedures to financial planning, from bedrest to breastfeeding. Yet despite its breadth and depth, the text is not dry or dull. Instead, Ann Douglas's reassuring style and insightful anecdotes make readers feel like they're chatting with a savvy, smart, sympathetic friend. - Tamara Eberlein, coauthor of When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads" and "Program Your Baby's Health

From the Back Cover
Congratulations! Pregnancy is one of life's most incredible journeys. If you're expecting your first child, or even your fourth, you may be wondering about those exciting changes happening to your body and what to anticipate when you have a baby. The Mother of All Pregnancy Books walks expectant parents step-by-step through hot topics most pregnancy books shy away from. Packed with all the facts on preparing your body for pregnancy, breastfeeding, pain relief during labor, circumcision, the top ten worries for each trimester, and more, this comprehensive, forthcoming guide is a must-have for the most important nine months of your life!

Warm and entertaining, The Mother of All Pregnancy Books offers a hefty dose of reassurance for difficult subjects, such as infertility, high-risk pregnancy, miscarriages, and infant loss. Inside, you'll find helpful charts and tables to bring you up to speed on the latest information, a glossary of pregnancy and birth-related terms, and a sneak peek at life after baby! The Mother of All Pregnancy Books will be your bible to birth, babyhood, and beyond!

"Here's a book that's packed with up-to-date information and practical advice on almost every aspect of pregnancy—from prenatal testing to proper nutrition, from infertility procedures to financial planning, from bed rest to breastfeeding. Ann Douglas' reassuring style and insightful anecdotes make readers feel like they're chatting with a savvy, smart, sympathetic friend." —Tamara Eberlein, co-author of When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads and Program Your Baby's Health

"The must-read pregnancy book! Ann Douglas has created the most comprehensive guide to pregnancy we've ever seen.

Customer Reviews

The pre-pregnancy/prenatal/post-partum Bible!
All you have to do is visit your local bookstore to see how many books are devoted to pregnancy, infertility, and post-partum, etc. This is the ONLY book that successfully covers them ALL. Ann Douglas has given us the COMPLETE guide to having a baby- the first 4 chapters alone are devoted to preparing the body for pregnancy, along with the feelings that go along with "Are we really ready to have a baby?". This book is chock full of charts, statistics, and best of all, advice and testimonies from 100 couples Douglas interviewed. Not as clinical and stringent as "What to Expect"...., yet a little more serious than the "Girlfriend's Guide...", "Mother of All Pregnancy Books" is the be all end all of pregnancy books. Topics covered are as follows:
*What does it really cost to raise children?
*Watch your weight- but not too carefully
*Create a "sperm-friendly" vaginal environment
*The major causes of infertility
*Finding Dr. Right
*The pregnancy nutrient check
*The top-ten 1st/2nd and 3rd trimester worries
*What's normal and what's not
*Pregnancy complaints from A-Z
*What pre-natal testing can- and can't- tell you
*Husband coached birth, or doula (a gir's best friend!)
*What labor is REALLY like
*When pregnancy isn't perfect (e.g. preemies, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, intrapartum death, molar pregnancy, etc.)
*Your post-partum body- what to expect
*The post-partum survival guide

Did I lie? This book covers it all. The biggest complaint my friend had regarding Vicki Iovine's "Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" (which I loved) was how casually the topic of miscarriage was handled (my friend, who is now due the same week as me, has experienced 2 miscarriages). Ann Douglas, however, has experienced infertility, miscarriage, AND stillbirth (and has 4 kids). The caring and frank way she deals with grieving over the loss of a baby (even suggesting spending time with your baby's body, dressing it and taking your picture with it to cry and grieve over later) was touching and impressive all at once. WARNING: If you're particularly emotional, or can't handle one more added worry at this point in your pregnancy, you might want to skip this chapter, for fear of adding to the ever-growing bag of morbid worries to may already have. But, it's nice to know the subject is covered if, God forbid, the worst happens. If you are considering having a baby, or even if you're already pregnant, YOU NEED THIS BOOK. Browse through it once and you'll be impressed, I guarantee.

Good reference and information
I read this book after several others, so didn't inhale it like I did the earlier pregnancy books I'd purchased -- but I have found it very helpful and interesting (I must admit I haven't even read the 'conception' sections though, as that was a 'done deal' when I got the book).

The information is practical and doesn't use medical jargon. Charts etc. are used to lay information out in an easily-scanned and readable format.

The book is not arranged so much in a month-by-month format (although that does underlie the organization). It is *NOT* What to Expect When You're Expecting -- it's its own book, to be evaluated on its own terms.

I particularly appreciated the practical medical and nutrition advice and explanations, as I work in the nutrition field - it was nice to see things explained so reasonably (I have read other books which can be frightening in their approach to the 'nutrition' question). There are practical tips, such as the best ways to take iron supplements (with a meal, and/or with citrus, for better absorption and less of the sometime side effects) .... And good descriptions of some of the common complaints of pregnancy, as well as their causes (and whether there's anything a woman can do to avoid them).

I also appreciated the information in the back, about potential problems with pregnancy. Let's face it - none of us want to have a difficult pregnancy, and we all want to have healthy babies. But the fact remains that sometimes that's not going to happen. I'd far rather have some idea what the complications might be, than lie panic-stricken on the exam table several months into a 'blissful' pregnancy, completely blind-sided by something that's come up.

People who don't want to read or know about that information, can simply skip that section. But I think it's a great section to have on hand, because if something troubling does come up - you'll have an extra resource to explain in layman's terms what you and your partner (and child) may be facing.

best pregnancy book I read
I probably bought 15 pregnancy books while pregnant with my first baby last year and this was by far the best one. Concise (even though long), organized, well indexed and all around well rounded. I recommend the mother of all baby books as well and will be buying the mother of all toddler books when the time comes.