A good, general guide to pregnancy
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I thought this was a great book to start off with. Dr. Sears and his wife lay out the general information in an easy to read format. While this is not the only book in my prego-library, I do find myself going back to it over and again. I don't think there's one be all end all book. Yes, there is a lot of repetition in the various Sears' books but each seems to build upon the others.
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great for an uneventful pregnancy, but...
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As long as your pregnancy is progresses "normally," and you are able to birth "naturally," this book probably provides adequate information for you. However, it does not deal very extensively with the many complications that come up during pregnancy, and does not deal much with birth defects and fetal problems, other than to assure you that such things are very uncommon and therefore you shouldn't worry. I have had a very difficult pregnancy, and more than a few times the condition or complication I was experiencing wasn't even mentioned in the book, not even in the appendix. Also, Dr. Sears insists on using gestational age dates, which is not how most doctors date pregnancies, and I was always reading about something that was supposed to happen at, say, 19 weeks, and having to add and subtract weeks to figure out how it pertained to me. That was irritating. I liked the reassuring tone of the book, and I liked the flexible, commonsense approach to nutrition and weigh gain, which was a pleasant change from What To Expect (Yikes! That Best-Odds Diet is for superwomen.) All in all, it is an okay book, and probably fine for women with uneventful pregnancies, but there are better and more comprehensive books out there if you want more detailed and objective information on tests and problems.
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Great if you go natural
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I bought this book because "What to Expect" was out of stock. This book takes you through your pregnancy in an easy to follow month by month format. The authors of the book also include some stories of their pregnancy's as well as those of others. There is also a glossary that explains briefly some complications and conditions of pregnancy. I, however, feel that this book pushes the message that birth should be unmedicated unless medically necessary. They feel that pain relief should only be given in extreme cases like c-sections and to help a slow labor progress. There is a section covering cesareans but it isn't too detailed on what to expect and they really only give medical reasons for needing one. They even feel that if a breech baby can be delivered naturally that it should be done. It seems that they don't really consider the health and well-being of the unborn baby. Inductions aren't really talked about either. The only spot I remember them being discussed is if your labor is progressing very slowly or if it has been over 24 hrs since the water has been broken. This book also covers the overlooked issues such as environmental factors that affect pregnancy, pregnancy at an older age, special tests that may be needed, and whether or not to go through genetic counseling. They also cover miscarriages and how to cope and how to decide when to start trying again. All in all if you have a normal healthy pregnancy that is progressing well and you plan to have an unmedicated birth this book will guide you along nicely. However, if you are facing a cesarean, have a high risk pregnancy, or carrying multiples I would recommend you find another book. Also if you are looking for a book to cover both pregnancy and child birth either buy, "The Birth Book", or get another book altogether.
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Great Book if You're High Risk and Counting the Days
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Currently pregnant, this is my second round with this book.
This pregnancy was determined to be high risk from day one. What I like best about this book its organization. Unlike any other in my huge stack of PG books, this book breaks down its chapters to cover separate months of the pregnancy. This is very helpful to me in that it gives me a sense of accomplishment with every new chapter. It also helps me to focus on what's happening right now in my body, which is particularily great on days when having to comprehend the whole picture is overwhelming.
Since I've had to severely limit my activity early on, information on exercise, sex, and travel aren't much use to me, but I like that the authors delve into many of the more subtle symptoms and issues of pregnany.
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Excellent!
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I recommend ALL Sears books. He is positive, and very balanced. Most pregnancy books are directed towards a medical route, but, Sears always give you both a holistic perspective as well as medical. As an example, I had a home birth and my cousins all had hospital births and this book supports both and gives you information regarding both. He has 8 children, his wife is a nurse. All of their books are wonderful!
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