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Summary: She's the girlfriend we all WISH we had...
Review: The one who will tell you the TRUTH - not to scare you, but because she loves you.When pregnant for the first time I think I must have purchased $100+ worth of "guides". Vicki's was the only one worth having. When I underwent some scary preliminary prenatal test results and was hysterical for nearly 3 weeks, Vicki figuratively "held my hand" through it all. When the big serious tomes were scaring the heck out of me, Vicki's book related a similar instance she and friends had gone through and how RARELY the tests were indicative of anything. I literally HIGHLIGHTED those passages and read them numerous times per day until we got through the scare. Vicki will always have a place in my heart after that. She was also the only one to give PRACTICAL advice about what I would really need in the hospital - forget the pretty nighties, remember to pack thick white socks and plenty of 'em - check! She told the truth about many things that even my mother had forgotten about or didn't want to mention. For months after my son's birth I really did say aloud "well I read about this in the Guide..." or "Well Vicki had warned me about that..." Some of my friends thought this must be some SERIOUS study guide I had undertaken reading! It was so EASY to read it was fun. I was sorry to see it end. I now have two pregnancies under my belt so to speak and I still enjoy reading through her Guide. It's like revisiting old friends. Old "girlfriends" I suppose. This "Guide" goes into my children's "keepsake trunk" so someday I can tell them how Vicki got me through!
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Summary: A refreshing, humorous approach to pregnancy
Review: Pregnant for the first time, I purchased a lot of pregnancy books to prepare me for the big event, including this one. My other pregnancy books are wonderful in the respect that they are medically descriptive and seriously explain body changes, baby's development, medical procedures, etc. This book is NOT like that; it takes what the title implies: a girlfriend's viewpoint of what's probably going to happen to you. This book is a refreshing complement to more serious pregnancy books. I think it's a great diversion for when you're feeling overwhelmed with medical facts. I would not look to this book as a medical guide any more than I would anyone else who is not a doctor (and Vicki Iovine does NOT claim to be doctor; she is very upfront about that). However, this book is WONDERFUL for preparing you for how you may feel throughout your pregnancy, all the crappy stuff that may happen to you while pregnant, what you may REALLY need once the baby is born, and more. While I didn't agree with everything Vicki wrote, I have definitely enjoyed reading her book during my pregnancy; it's one of the few that I pick up and re-read sections of again and again. I would highly recommend this book to those of you who have a sense of humor and are looking to supplement your "serious" (and medical) pregnancy books with a more lighthearted perspective of pregnancy.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious, True and Smart
Review: I'm a huge fan of Vicki Iovine--from her books to her newspaper columns, I think she's one of the sharpest observers of women's lives and family issues today. Tackling pregnancy gives Vicki a huge new stage to work her magic, and this book is funny, intelligent, factual, sharp and cautionary. Also, filled with love. I also enjoyed the Dad's point of view in "I Sleep At Red Lights: A True Story of Life After Triplets," by Bruce Stockler.
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Summary: This is not supposed to be a reference book!!!
Review: For all of the women who were "insulted" by Vicki Iovine's book, GET OVER YOURSELVES!!!! I am 36 weeks pregnant and I found this book to be fantastic - a great source of humor. She's not a doctor, so of course it's based on her experiences! She is not at all negative about pregnancy, she's just telling it like it is - and the fact of the matter is that there's nothing really glamorous about being pregnant. Don't get me wrong, you can look great while pregnant (provided you take care of yourself, eat healthy, drink TONS-and I mean tons- of water, & walk a lot), but c'mon, weird things happen to your body and it's sometimes a real drag. Also, I think it's great to have a little humour about the whole thing, because reading all of the other reference books will make you cry because you feel guilty having ice cream or a cup of coffee. AND - for the woman who says that Vicki Iovine doesn't support excercise in the book, it's a lie. She's cautioning against maintaining the same level of exercise that you did when not pregnant. She promotes safer exercises such as walking and swimming - both wonderful for helping to keep in shape, to keep swelling down and to help you body and joints feel good. I stopped running at three months, because the strain on my knees wasn't worth it and started walking. I think this book is great. It's a wonderful complement to the "what to expect" book. But, don't buy it if you want a reference book because she's not claiming to be an expert. Also, don't buy it if you take yourself too seriously to look at some of the more humorous, unflattering aspects of pregnancy.
Rating:
Summary: If you have a sense of humor, this one's for you
Review: If you're the type who thinks your pregnancy is so special, so sacred, or so precious that having a few laughs about the changes in your body will upset you, then don't get this book. If, however, you already have a serious book or two (such as Dr. Sears's "Birth Book") and are looking for a light read, I highly recommend this book. The tone is upbeat and fresh, the advice is given lightly without being preachy, and it's just a fun look at all the ins and outs (so to speak) of what promises to be a crazy nine months! Also, this book helped my husband get involved in what to expect more than any other book because it's non-threatening and fun. As I read, he'd get curious about what I was laughing about and next thing we knew, it was on HIS bedside table instead of mine! I don't know why other reviewers found parts of this book offensive. I found it very easy to disregard any opinions of the author's with which I didn't agree. The very nature of her approach is personal, so whatever didn't apply to me I ignored (after the inevitable laugh that I found in every paragraph) I have yet to find a book about this topic that is so perfect that I agree with every word. Besides, how else do we form opinions, but by hearing those of others? This book is great for the newly pregnant woman who has a sense of humor!
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Summary: wonderful book
Review: i got this book from a secret pal, and it was the best gift i could have gotten. it was a wonderful true and funny book. it is nice to see that lots of other women have gone through the same stuff that you are going through. i loved the book and i now give it as gifts to friends that are going to have babies. easy and fast reading are one reason i think this book is so great. make sure you get the other books in the series also.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Reassuring!
Review: There are women who say that pregnancy was the most fullfilling and wonderful time of their lives. And then there are the rest of us. This book is wonderfully reassuring to all of us who have ever thought, "I will NEVER do this again!" Most pregnancy books focus on the development of the baby, whereas this book focuses on the Mother. The advice in this book is not nearly so important as the fact that the book just makes you laugh, which is truly a gift during those trying days of morning sickness or those 3 a.m. trips to the bathroom. I would never have survived the emotional and physical roller coaster of my first pregnancy without this book, and I highly recommend it to all of my pregnant friends. The only book that beats Vicki's Pregnancy guide is her guide to the First Year of Motherhood!
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Summary: Laugh out loud!!
Review: As a thirty-something pregnant with my first, I had every book under sun. This one made me laugh so hard that my already compressed bladder had to struggle! This book is great for a funny look at pregnancy. For example, it instructs husbands in no uncertain terms that a gift should be given to his wife upon the delivery of the child. The section on urgency of bathroom use made both my husband and I laugh, because I too had been ready to fling myself from a moving vehicle to "go." For the most part the book made me laugh. When it got a little more "serious," like in the section on maternity clothes, it wasn't very helpful (or funny). This book is a great break from the standard books on pregnancy. If you are looking for factual info, look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but Outdated
Review: I thought this book was mildly entertaining somewhat outdated. Her chapter on maternity clothes was pretty much worthless unless you are living in 1985 and hope to carry on the fashions of that era. Her opinion on your own mother's advice applies more to my GRANDMOTHER'S advice rather than my own Mom. She also seems to have some issues with both her Mother and her husband, and in my life (as well as many other women I know) those two people rank much higher than my girlfriends on my list of people who support, love and understand me. Despite all that much of her advice seems right on the money and offers quite a few laughs. Her list of what to take to the hospital and what to have on hand for your newborn are worth the price of this book alone.
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Summary: Excellent read!
Review: This book is a wonderful break from all the technical books I'm sure you've been reading. The author tells you what even your best friends don't dare say. You have got to have a sense of humor when reading this book. Don't let anything horrify you, it's all a part of the miracle.
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