Customer Reviews

Big, Beautiful, and Pregnant: Expert Advice and Comforting Wisdom for the Expecting Plus-Size Woman

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am pregnant with my first baby and have been worried sick about my weight. I found this book, cowritten by a doctor and a plus-sized mom, to be an excellent resource. It answers my many weight-related health/medical questions, offers encouragement that my pregnancy can be absolutely healthy and successful, and gives me the sense that I have every right to relax and enjoy this special time.

Chapter One is a general overview about the kinds of issues plus-size women might face during pregnancy (medical, emotional, nutrition, finding support, etc.). The rest of the book expands on these themes. I especially liked the chapter on prenatal health care and how plus-size women can make sure they are receiving supportive, unbiased care from their ob or midwife. There are many first hand stories from plus-size women in every chapter, but the accounts in this one especially struck a chord with me. The Medical Question and Answer chapter addresses every last weight-related pregnancy question you could ever have. I like that it is divided by trimesters, since it definitely seems like every trimester brings with it a new set of worries. The advice is honest, but at the same time positive and encouraging. You are pointed towards the steps you can take to reduce your risks for experiencing any health problems. Another chapter gives plus-size advice specifically about labor and delivery.

If you are looking for an extremely informative book for plus-size pregnancy, look no further. Bottom line -- an enjoyable book that will make you feel better about your pregnancy!

I am glad that I purchased this book - if for nothing else than to support writers and publishers trying to reach the quite large crowd of ... ahem... large, pregnant women!

We're trying to conceive number 4 after a 5 year break from having babies. I am bigger than ever and for the first time I am having a hard time conceiving. I am also anxiety riddled by the thought of getting pregnant and having my obesity affect the pregnancy.

Thanks to this book, I am not scared. YES there are some extra things to consider. YES I may have to lose a few pounds if I am not regularly ovulating. But NO I shouldn't stop my dream of a fourth and final child because I am large. THANKS to this book, I now 5have a better understanding of the things I should worry about, the statistics, and the diet I should consume.

While there is a lot of info in this book that's also found in general pregnancy books, I do think that a large woman should have one that discusses in detail every aspect of pregnancy from the large-woman's viewpoint. So I do recommend this book!

No matter whether you're mainstream or more natural-minded, large or not, I highly recommend The Natural Pregnancy Book: Herbs, Nutrition and Other Holistic Choices by Aviva Jill Romm as well as her postpartum book. They're meant for everyone, not just "natural" parents.

And please do yourself a favor and DON'T order that Pregnancy Week By Week book! You don't need the extra fear it instills when you're worried enough about your pregnancy.

I really enjoyed this book. It hads lots of good info about staying healthy, eating right, & exercising during pregnancy. It also did not beat overweight women up for wanting a child or becoming pregnant. I love the fact that an ob/gyn and a plus-sized mom contributed. The book outlines truthfully the risks of pregnancy to overweight women & their babies, but gives practical ways to minimize the risks. It was upbeat, and a fast, easy read that I will probably return to many times.

This is a thorough, upbeat pregnancy book for plus-sized women. The medical advice is easy to understand and very informative.There are lots of practical tips for things you can do to make your pregnancy healthy and to feel good about yourself. The nutrition advice is excellent. Overall, a great read about everything you would ever want to know about plus-sized pregnancy!

The nurse practitioner at my practice recommended this book to me. I am so happy she did. Big, Beautiful and Pregnant is a compassionate , plus-size friendly book that gives great advice about prenatal medical issues, nutrition and exercise, childbirth, postpartum life, and shopping for plus-size maternity clothes. After reading the book I know exactly what to do in order to make this pregnancy a healthy one. I think any plus-size woman can benefit greatly from this book.

I am 39 years old and found this book to be a wonderful pregnancy resource. The tone is completely encouraging and empowering for a plus-sized woman of any age/weight. As far as prepregnancy info, one chapter outlines common fertility problems plus-sized women may encounter and methods for correcting them. Unlike the previous reviewer, IMO, this chapter was unbiased and informative. The rest of the book dealing with pregnancy, childbirth, etc. is filled with so much good information -- very reassuring and the stories from plus-size women help make the preggo facts come alive. I actually gave it to my midwife to read and she loved the book too.

Highly recommend this book. By the way, Jenny Craig is never mentioned! lol

I got this book for my second pregnancy, quite by mistake, while looking for resources on nutrition for pregnant women. "By mistake" because I didn't realize it is for plus-size women, until after I'd read half of it (I started with the nutrition section on), and according to the charts I fall in the underweight cathegory.
I can't praise enough how well the nutition and exercise information is organized. It has great simple suggestions on portioning and tracking your own intake. The excerces are enough to address all needs of a pregnant woman - cardio, strengthening, stretchning, and relaxing, but are not many, so it is easy to memorize them and incorporate them in a busy daily life.
The book is written in a very positive and supporting style. It has lots of answers for the concerns of plus-size women, but the explanations are so thorough, that I have found them very useful myself (for example, what are all the tests that an expectant mom will go through, risks, etc.).
There is not much info about the development of the baby, but considering the fact that many pregnancy books focus more on the baby than on the mother, I don't consider this a disadvantage of the book. Afterall, the focus during pregnancy should be on the mother: if she's feeling relaxed, eats healthy, and exercises, in most cases she provides all that the baby needs.

My husband and I are ready to start a family and a friend had recommended this book so I picked it up. It had a lot of great information about diet, exercise and medical and societal complications plus-size women may have to deal with. I was able to pull a few questions out for my husband to ask his physician when he sees her next and some great tips about exercises that will help strengthen muscles.

I was a little disappointed that the book doesn't touch on Miscarriages at all (mentioned once-something along the line of as you move into the second trimester the risk for miscarriage reduces) as this is something that my sister has dealt with. There was also not as much in-depth baby development as I was hoping for so I need to find another source for that.

Overall, I felt I got my money's worth, but If you're healthy (besides the obvious weight) and have a good relationship with your OB/GYN, this book can leave you wanting a bit more.

As a plus sized woman, I was put off by all the pregnancy books for "normal sized" women that barely touched on any aspect of a plus sized pregnancy. I found this book refreshing and informative. It made me realize that even though I wasn't officially "showing" to the world till my 7th month, that my pregnancy was just as special and wonderful as any other woman's pregnancy.

I purchased this book about a year ago and until today it just sat under my coffee table collecting dust; but let me tell you I am glad I finally picked it up and read it! It has tons of useful information for plus-size women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. It is filled with practical solutions for a healthy pregnancy. I purchased another plus-size pregnancy book as well and I found the information in it to be very general, much like any other pregnancy book. I could definitely tell that the authors have the experience they claim to (Dr. Cornelia with working with plus-size pregnant women and Ms. Tourville with being a plus-size mom). It was very easy to understand and fun to read. If you are torn between this book and another plus-size pregnancy book, this is the one to buy.

The only regret I have is not picking it up and reading it sooner!