Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman's Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers, and Moods [Paperback]

Shawn A. Tassone (Author), Kathryn Landherr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

Expectant mothers are virtual magnets for unsolicited advice. Mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, sisters-in-law, new mothers, friends, and even strangers offer what seems to be an endless supply of supposedly authoritative opinions on every aspect of pregnancy: A craving for spicy food denotes a boy. Carrying the baby low denotes a girl. Besides gender predictions, a pregnant woman is also apt to acquire an earful of advice about miscarriage, dietary habits and cravings, hair growth, weight gain, and childbirth. And, of course, everyone wants to touch her belly. In this engaging, humorous, and very informative book, Drs Shawn A Tassone and Kathryn Landherr - experienced gynecologists, a husband-and-wife team of physicians, and parents of four children - explore the most common superstitions and myths surrounding pregnancy. From their combined twenty years of work in a clinic, as well as their own parenting experience, the authors review the anecdotes and beliefs, from the slightly unusual to the stranger-than-fiction, and compare them with the scientific evidence. Moving through each stage, from the early weeks of pregnancy to delivery, they examine the legends about diet, gender identification, pre-term labour, the umbilical cord, initiating labour, and the size and movement of the foetus. As they detail the scientific perspective on these varied and often amusing beliefs, the authors not only entertain but provide a great deal of practical information, which will ease the fears and anxieties of expectant parents as well as clear up many confusing notions. If you are pregnant, you owe it to yourself to get this book. Better yet, suggest it as the perfect gift to all those well-meaning advice givers.

Hands Off My Belly! has won Gold for the Mom's Choice Award: Adult Books Pregnancy & Childbirth. The Mom's Choice Awards® is known for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. This annual competition recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media products and services.
MomsChoiceAwards.com

Hands Off My Belly! is an Arizona Book Publisher's Award Winner 2010 in Parenting/Family

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a book that EVERY pregnant woman, man or women who are planning to get pregnant needs to own. This will also make a great baby shower gift. All-in-all, this is one of the best pregnancy books out there. 
--Momsword.org

I learned a lot from this book, and laughed quite a bit, too. --Karen Neyer - Families.com

"I found Hands Off My Belly! to be a humorous and informative book that dispels many myths and superstitions in North American culture as well as other cultures around the world - I have read a couple of other popular pregnancy books and although they were also very informative I did not enjoy them very much as they reminded me of reading textbooks from my University days. Hands Off My Belly! provided the right balance of information, anecdotes and humour and I found it hard to put the book down. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hands Off My Belly! and recommend it to anyone trying to conceive and those already expecting." -- 4 Fabulous Families blog, November 7, 2009 "Laughter being the best medicine, Tassone and Landherr included some downright hilarious examples which provide a good belly laugh, yet also alleviate the sometimes irrational fears which can plague new moms-to-be." --Monsters and Critics.com, November 20, 2009

From the Back Cover

"Hands Off My Belly! is an absolutely delightful exploration of the myths that every woman - pregnant or not - knows she's influenced by at some level.  It's great fun finding which ones are yours"

           -CAROLINE MYSS, author of The Creation of Health and Why People Don't Heal

                                                 and How They Can.

"Hands Off My Belly is a comforting and informative guide through the fascinating myths and misconceptions of pregnancy.  The balance of Science and medical fact with humor, compassion, and common sense lends an actionable reference to the inner wisdom of every mother to be."

           -ANDREW WEIL, M.D., author of Why Our Health Matters.

"In our information glutted age, the great task is separating truth from fiction.  Where pregnancy is concerned, this problem has been solved with Hands Off My Belly!  This is the best book I know that guides women on one of the most meaningful journeys of life.  If I were pregnant, this would be my bible."

           -LARRY DOSSEY, M.D., author of Reinventing Medicine and Healing Words

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; 1st edition (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591027535
• ISBN-13: 978-1591027539
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Spiritual Pregnancy: Nine Months of Spiritual Transformation Before You Give Birth is coming out in 2012 to be published by Llewellyn Worldwide

Shawn A. Tassone, M.D. and Kathryn M. Landherr, M.D. are board certified Obstetrician Gynecologists practicing at La Dea Women's Health in Tucson, AZ. As a unique team of married physicians they bring a rare perspective to the topic of women's health. Dr. Landherr is a graduate of the Universtiy of Texas and completed her medical training at Texas A+M Scott and White Hospital. Dr. Tassone attended Regis College and completed his medical training at the Creighton University School of Medicine. They both finished residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Drs Tassone and Landherr have each completed a two year fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona under author and physician Andrew Weil, M.D. Dr. Tassone is also currently a PhD student in Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University and the Center for Mind-Body Medicine under James Gordon, M.D.

Please visit their website www.ladeawomenshealth.com for information on appearances, speaking, and upcoming books. The website for the book is http://www.thewomenshealthdoctors.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...because pregnancy should not make you public property!, November 26, 2009

By 

Mia Torr "miatorr" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman's Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers, and Moods (Paperback)

As a pregnant woman living in a busy community, and *especially* as a daughter to two parents who are divided from me by a huge culture and generation gap, this book was a godsend during pregnancy.

The authors had a genuine sense of humour as they debunked endless pregnancy myths; it did feel like I had someone who understood exactly what I was going through! My husband and I armed ourselves with the authors' scientific explanations to shield us against the dozens and dozens of well-meaning neighbours, friends and relatives who offered us every pregnancy myth under the sun when we were expecting our son.

This book is an excellent resource for pregnant women - an excellent shower gift - and even an excellent resource to give your superstitious mom so that she steps off, and you can grow your baby in peace. A+.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book for moms to be, October 18, 2009

By 

M. Talalay "Edamommy - Mom, Reviewer, Writer,... (Lutherville, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman's Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers, and Moods (Paperback)

These authors really know what they're talking about. I love that this book is written in a Q&A "myth buster" format because I heard 90% of the rumors they mention and then debunk with experiential, anecdotal and scientific evidence. Bravo!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, destressing book for moms-to-be!, September 14, 2010

By 

Amy Gatten (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman's Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers, and Moods (Paperback)

Really enjoyed the informative, clinical take on pregnancy from two ob/gyns. Thank you! Pregnancy's stressful enough without every other person's opinions. This is a straightforward book on the facts versus the myths, honestly telling you when to see the doctor and we'll all have to endure the Pregnancy Police each week of gestation.