family health

This book is wonderful! And since it's written by a woman and a mother, that immediately makes it more reliable to me than if it were written by a man. (Not that men don't write good books, but clearly they aren't writing from personal experience. Not for this topic.)

What I find particularly useful is the list of common pregnancy complaints listed alphabetically, rather than by month. Since no two pregnancies are exactly alike, it's reassuring to just be able to read about what you're experiencing, without the worry that something is wrong because it is ocurring either too early or too late.

The book is neither bossy nor condescending. It's like having good advice from a friend handy, that you can refer to at any time. I find myself reading things in other books, or in magazines and looking it up in The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, thinking, "What does Ann say about this?"

If you are only going to buy one pregnancy book, this is the one to get. Seriously. It really does have it all: miscarriage, birth plans, home birth, maximizing your chances of conception, ways to cope with common complaints, ways to make your dollar stretch when outfitting the nursery, etc. etc.

I see that The Mother of All Baby Books will soon be published. I can hardly wait!

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.

Half the world told me I had to read another bestselling pregnancy book, but no one thought to recommend this pregnancy book to me. Instead, I had to stumble across it in a bookstore. And yet this is the book that has proven to be the most valuable to me. When I want insider, mom-in-the-know info on how to cope with a particular pregnancy symptom or what labor is really going to feel like, I know I can get it from The Mother of All Pregnancy Books. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. Better yet, do your pregnant girlfriends a favor and tell them about this book.