From the Hips: A Comprehensive, Open-Minded, Uncensored, Totally Honest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Becoming a Parent [Paperback]

Rebecca Odes (Author), Ceridwen Morris (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 22, 2007

Drawing on the experiences of hundreds of real parents and the expertise of doctors, midwives and other birth and baby pros, this indispensable resource is filled with the most accurate and up-to-date information about having and caring for a baby, including:

Decisions, Decisions:
A judgment-free breakdown of every major choice, including prenatal testing, natural vs. medical childbirth, circumcision, breast or bottle feeding, and work/life options

The Endless No:
What not to eat, take, and do when you’re pregnant-get the real facts behind the prohibitions

I Want My Life Back:
Anxiety, regret, ambivalence, and other rarely discussed postpartum emotions

Parents and partners:
A look beyond the one-size-fits-all approach to family, with strategies for minimizing perfect-parent pressure and managing your real-life relationships through the changes

Sorting Through the Voices:
A user-friendly guide to the dueling gurus, trendy techniques, and conflicting theories that confuse new parents

A forward-thinking book that includes a wide range of voices and approaches, From the Hips reflects the many ways of being pregnant and parenting without suggesting that there is one right way.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Neither Odes nor Morris is a doctor, but as eager authors and recent mothers themselves, they aim, in this chick-friendly guide, to dish out Internet-accessible information and you-go-girl supportive advice. Their approach is to consider the authorities with a mere grain of salt, while seeking a supportive environment in which to nurture one's pregnancy and child-rearing. And while sorting through the opinions along the way, from choosing a health-care provider, coping with loss, birthing strategies, breastfeeding and sex, and baby-care basics, among other topics, the authors provide on most pages plentiful belly-shaped bubbles containing lively quotes from "anonymoms." Hear the mothers from the trenches express what they really feel, from one mom who enthuses, "The belly—I loved everything about it, and it makes people—strangers, even—feel enthralled with you") to the sadly modern refrain of another, "Sometimes I bury myself in work so I don't feel the sadness, fatigue and stress of having the baby waiting for me at home." The authors' are upbeat and well informed, and their useful back-of-the-book references address sensitive specific needs such as adoption and surrogacy, teen and older parents, and breastfeeding controversies. (May)
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Review

“Incredibly important reading for anyone about to have a baby…From the Hips gives you what you need to make informed decisions, shares experiences from other parents that will make you laugh, and reveals many of the secrets our mothers didn't tell us.”

–Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bee Moms and Wannabe Dads

“What every new parent needs–a ton of expert advice, presented with humor and zero negativity, from two moms who instantly feel like your best friends. This is the one pregnancy guide that new parents will actually want to read."
 
–Leslie Morgan Steiner, editor of Mommy Wars and The Washington Post's online work/family column, “On Balance”

“From The Hips is a deeply refreshing, honest look at the profound changes we undergo during pregnancy and beyond. Ceridwen and Rebecca unabashedly go into areas that other guides shy away from, offering support to every kind of prospective mother. Being pregnant and having a child is alternately the most beautiful, complex, difficult, rewarding experience a woman can imagine. This book gives it straight and from all sides, without judgment, and with irreverent humor and candor from its authors.”

-Gwyneth Paltrow

“Supportive, positive, real, and rarely preachy…Finally a reference guide for parents that treats us like we have brains.”
- Bust Magazine

The honest talk about epidurals and C-sections, including anonymous quotes from moms, is must-read info for anyone planning a hospital birth. In fact, the book is full of frank advice about most of today's biggest hurdles for pregnant women, from going back to work to breastfeeding in public... At every step, it addresses not just what you'll be going through physically, but what you and your partner might be addressing emotionally, too. Cheers to this realistic take on the lifestyle change that is pregnancy and parenthood.
- Pregnancy Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; First Edition edition (May 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307237087
• ISBN-13: 978-0307237088
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Hip & Thigh Workouts
  • #18 in Books > Medical Books > Medicine > Internal Medicine > Obstetrics & Gynecology

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, refreshing, non-judgmental June 29, 2007

By Liz Chalmers

Format:Paperback

I am a childbirth educator and mom of four. I've read almost every pregnancy and childbirth book that's out there. From the Hips is my new favorite. It's easy to read, amusing, and packed with well presented options with none of the preachy, prescriptive tone of so many parenting books. For example, birth options--hospital/birth center/homebirth; midwife/OB--are explained factually and fairly leaving the reader to decide what feels right for her. I love the many "Anonymom" quotes sprinkled throughout the book--makes it feel like a community effort.

My only criticism of the book is the riotous use of color--it's fun but at times too intense and intrusive. Not enough of a distraction to lower my 5 star recommendation though.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The book we've all been waiting for May 24, 2007

By NWDC

Format:Paperback

This book is GREAT. I was getting so fed up with all the standard issue pregnancy/birth books (and I have read or skimmed too many to count!). They all seemed either alarmist & overly technical or just too cutesy. This one is neither. It strikes the perfect balance between informative and enjoyable. There's a ton of info here (the authors either cover the subject in detail or they provide links to other experts/websites/books if you really want to go deep on a topic like, say, asthma in pregnancy or something). And there is a ton of good, solid doctor-approved medical advice.

But what is particularly refreshing, i think, is the tone of the book. It is really nonjudgmental and makes the mom (or mom-to-be) feel both informed and REASSURED. And From the Hips isn't gimmicky like some other books, which try to give a formula for successful parenting. I especially appreciated the section on baby's sleep (an ALL-consuming issue for me as a new mom!). So many sleep books TELL you what to do and make you feel bad if your kid doesn't fit their quick fix solution.

The authors are clearly really funny, warm women who have BEEN THERE. They take their subject very seriously but are also capable of laughing at themselves and at this insane ride we call parenting.

I for one am going to get it for my newly pregnant friends and new moms. A perfect baby shower alternative to the ubiquitous BabyGap onesie

I hope these guys write a book on toddlers next...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a breath of fresh air July 23, 2007

By A. Wallace

Format:Paperback

Upon reading this book for the first time this evening, I am so relieved. I am in my first trimester of my first pregnancy and, after getting "What to Expect" for my first reference, I was left feeling overwhelmed and inadequate right from the start. From the Hips is fun, frank, informative and well organized. This book is so much better than the others -- it even inspired me to write my very first review on Amazon.