The Christian Mama's Guide to Having a Baby: Everything You Need to Know to Survive (and Love) Your Pregnancy [Paperback]

Erin MacPherson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

Filled with helpful tips, amusing anecdotes, and encouraging advice, here's one Christian mama's take on everything pregnancy -- from stretch marks to weight gain to figuring out how to rely on Christ through all of the uncertainty and joy of the next nine months. Pregnant women may discover that while they are thrilled about the baby, pregnancy can be another thing entirely. Instead of glowing they're glistening. There's morning sickness. And suddenly a favorite pair of jeans no longer fits. Erin MacPherson has created a comprehensive guide that's packed with information that every newly pregnant Christian mama needs including exercising while pregnant, a detailed guide to each trimester (including sleep, doctor check-ups, pregnancy sex), how to use your Bible as your pregnancy resource, and how to use this time of waiting to really draw closer to God through prayer. Filled with helpful tips (how do you quell that not-just-in-the-morning sickness?), humorous accounts (doesn't everyone crave peanut-butter-and-olive sandwiches?), and supportive spiritual advice (what does a godly pregnancy attitude actually look like anyway?). The Christian Mama's Guide to Having a Baby has the advice a mama-to-be wants to hear. Erin MacPherson assures, 'at the end of nine months, you really will be glowing.'

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Erin MacPherson is an editor and staff writer for a parenting and pregnancy Web site. She is a member of MOPS and writes for their Web site; she blogs at christianmamasguide.com. Erin lives with her husband and two children in Austin, Texas. This is her first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: GuidepostsBooks (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824948580
• ISBN-13: 978-0824948580
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #759,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Erin MacPherson lives with her husband and their two adorable children in Austin, Texas. She was an editor and staff writer for a popular parenting and pregnancy Web site for years, where she spent hours each week researching pregnancy, talking to obstetricians and midwives, and giving out tips and advice to new and pregnant mamas. Visit Erin at christianmamasguide.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Laugh Out Loud Funny April 12, 2011

By Jennifer Bogart TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

You've seen them, those chatty `girlfriends-guide-to-having-a-baby' type books. But you've wondered - are these books going to be unnecessarily crude? Raunchy? Worse? Well, Erin MacPherson has written a similarly light-hearted guide to pregnancy entitled The Christian Mama's Guide to Having a Baby.

Laugh-out-loud funny, MacPherson tackles the nitty-gritties of pregnancy in chronological order while providing the much-needed levity every pregnant mama needs to hang in there! Bonus sections include thoughts and advice to husbands from husbands who've been there (I loved this part!) Like many Guideposts titles, the faith emphasis isn't particularly strong in this title, but the author does acknowledge the difficulties pregnant moms face maintaining a godly attitude. She often directs moms towards their Creator as a source of support during the difficulties pregnancy can bring.

I enjoyed the fact that MacPherson does attempt to include some coverage of alternative caregivers such as midwives, birthing locations such as birth centers etc. although she hasn't personally experienced them. Having given birth at home four times I found her take on the medical aspects of pre-natal care and delivery to be fairly traditional and at times unfairly skewed in favor of medicated hospital births (she warns about the risks of preventable injuries that have occurred in home births, but what of all the common, preventable negative outcomes so common in hospital births?)

I'll admit, I'm a rabid natural-birther, so it's hard to please me on that front; I do suggest moms-to-be do some intensive research on the consequences and risks of common interventions (such as epidurals) before plunging into one. Complications following an epidural can too often lead to a c-section. Whew, okay, rant over! In all honesty, the author does a better job of presenting alternatives than most do.

That being said; there's few other times in your life that you'll need to be able to laugh at yourself than when you are pregnant. Not only does MacPherson provide those much-needed chuckles, but she also provides REALISTIC advice about how much baby gear you should actually buy, some tips on avoiding nausea (though she freely admits it may be likely that you CAN'T), and lots of other down-to-earth advice from the trenches.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely worth the read! February 20, 2011

By Annie

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really loved this book and I wish that it had been around when I was pregnant. It's refreshing to read funny pregnancy stories without having to put up with crass language. Also, it helps to know that you're not alone in your pregnancy induced insanity and that the Lord is always available to help calm it. If you're looking for an encouraging and entertaining source to help you survive your pregnancy, this is an excellent book! Even if you've already "been there done that," it's almost enough to make you want to go through it all again. I will certainly be purchasing it for all of my current and future preggo friends.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THE ONLY BABY BOOK YOU'LL NEED!!! March 30, 2013

By JoJo's Corner

Format:Paperback

I absolutely luv luv luved this book!!!
Its written in such a way that you feel the author is just one of your best girlfriends, giving you the most amazing pregnancy advice ever!!