The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between (U.S. Edition) (Paperback)

by Ann Douglas (Author) "So you're thinking of having a baby - of trading your relatively sane and orderly life for the chance to hop on board what can..." (more)
Key Phrases: infertility workup, pregnancy after miscarriage, infant loss, Mother Nature, The Unofficial Guide, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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)

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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 556 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764565168
• ISBN-13: 978-0764565168
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (173 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,886 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #77 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Pregnancy & Childbirth
  #77 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Family Health

• This item is part of The Mother of All Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

216 of 224 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The pre-pregnancy/prenatal/post-partum Bible!, January 27, 2002

By	Shaz "oi-you!" (Naples, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good reference and information, June 3, 2003

By	elanorh "secondseven" (Sheridan, WY United States) - See all my reviews

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.

80 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best pregnancy book I read, May 30, 2003

By	Tasla (Florida) - See all my reviews

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.