Factual and thorough-- highly recommended
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I bought this book rather than the ubiquitous "What to Expect..." book and am happy with my choice. It's thorough and factual, not preachy, doesn't scare-monger, and presents all the information I'm looking for in a straightforward manner. I love the drawn-to-actual-size diagrams (though after a while that becomes impossible!). I also really appreciate the "when to call your doctor" chart at the end of each month, which tells you which symptoms are normal and which are potentially more worrisome, which is a big help in the no-need-to-panic department. (It also helps my husband relax, because when I complain about some symptom or other and he gets the scared look on his face, I can show him the book and say, "See? It's normal, don't worry.")
I saw this book referred to in another book as "dry"; well, it's certainly not cutesy, like so many other pregnancy books try to be, and it doesn't have humourous anecdotes about hormonal pregnant women throwing dishes at their husbands or flirting with their o.b.'s-- there are other books for that. This is the straight goods, without a lot of extraneous commentary thrown in, which, really, is all I cared about, especially when I first found out I was pregnant and had no idea what I should be doing or what I could anticipate. I also like that it has the Mayo Clinic name on it-- I feel like I can trust the information much more than any of the other pregnancy books I have, where the sources are potentially less reliable (or at least less known).
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Excellent Pregnancy Book!
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When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I purchased several pregnancy books. This is definitely the most thorough book, and from a trust-worthy source. It is not biased and is easy to read. From the title, I had expected the book to be primarily about nutrition and exercise, however, the book contains detailed information on all aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and the newborn baby. The book's organization isn't always great, but keep looking - all the information you are looking for is there!
I also purchased "The Mother of All Pregnancy Books" (Ann Douglas), which is also an excellent book but not quite as thorough as the Mayo Clinic book. "The Mother" is written in a very friendly tone, but does not ignore any of the hard facts. It also contains all Canadian information, which I found very relevant. Another good book is "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" (Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley, Ann Keppler). This book does not contain very much pregnancy information, but has a VERY extensive section on childbirth. It also has many informative diagrams for birthing positions, something that the Mayo Clinic Guide lacks. Finally, I purchased "Your Pregnancy, Week by Week" (Dr. Glade B. Curtis, Judith Schuler). Of all the books I purchased, I would not recommend this one. The information at times is a bit outdated (according to the books listed above), and some sections have a very authoritative tone (sort of like "this is how it is done..."). And besides, the Mayo Clinic Guide also contains an excellent week by week breakdown (with some diagrams), so there really is no need to purchase "Your Pregnancy Week by Week".
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An Excellent Book.
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The book was great. It contains all the important facts about pregnancy, not shrouded by opinion. It just contains facts that you can use to your advantage to achieve a healthy and sucessful pregnancy. The editing is supreme. I learned about the book through the news, when I saw the debbonaire editor promoting it. His excessive charisma drove me to get it, and I havn't regretted it for a second. The book was excellent.
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Best of the Pregnancy Books
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This book does not scare you or make judgements, it just gives you hard facts so you can make your own informed decisions. I already had several other pregnancy books when I bought this one, but it is the only one I would recomend to a friend.
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The best pregnancy book I've read
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I already had the "What to expect when you are expecting" book when my sister gave me "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy". I was so impressed with the details on a week by week basis. The pictures of the different development stages of the fetus during pregnancy are by far better than the ones in the "What to expect ..." book. They are much more realistic. The book also has a wonderful section called the decision guide about all the different tests and possiblilities that helps me make my decisions in a non biased manner. Each month it also provides a list of issues that you may experience including if and when you should notify your doctor. Now I don't have to wonder if I am being a worry-wart over a trival issue or not. This will be the reference book I will use for the rest of my pregnancy! I also plan on giving this book to all my pregnant friends!!
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