Rating: 
Summary: Fun Book
Review: This book is based on the author's and her friends' experiences. Being pregnant for the first time, I was given this book from my sister-in-law. I loved it!! It was funny and informative. There are some things that I don't agree with in the book (exercise), but that was the author's experience, so I respect it! It made me think about things that I would've never thought about, since this is my first time. Overall, I think it's a MUST HAVE for first timers!
Rating: 
Summary: For the mathematically challenged
Review: The author's insistence that 40 weeks equals 10 months is not only blatantly wrong but should be embarrassing for Iovine, who has a college degree. After thousands of years of women being pregnant for NINE MONTHS, we shouldn't shelve common sense and believe the "Eureka" moment of this woman, who also ignores single mothers-to-be in her book, by repeatedly referring to "your husband" throughout.
Rating:
Summary: Great for women seeking ignorance
Review: If you want helpful, real and informative information about pregnancy and birth, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK! The book is based on one woman's negative and ignorant view of a beautiful and natural process. At one point she compares the mess of childbirth to a pig slaughter. It is disturbing to read absolute lies and medical misinformation. Her viewpoint on husbands are a flashback to the 1940's when the dad's were not involved in the pregnancy/birth process at all. This book preaches ignorance!It is shallow, immature and at some points completly WRONG in her misguided advise. It is sad to think that a first time mom will read this book and get such a negative perspective of what can be a happy, healthy and empowering time is her life. In short, this is THE WORST pregnancy/birth book I have ever read and I would not recomend it to any woman who seeks knowledge and truth.
Rating:
Summary: Vicki tells it like it is...
Review: I love this book. It was given to me 8 years ago when I had my first child. I found it to be light hearted and a wonderful comfort. Many times during my pregnancy I would pull it out and no matter where I turned it made me smile. Vicki Iovine states SEVERAL TIMES that she is not an expert and everything is from the point of view of a friend who has "been there, done that". I never really cared for the books with all the technical, medical mumbo-jumbo. They scared me more than informed me. I wanted a down to earth resource and I think this book is just that. As Vicki Iovine's children have grown she has written follow-up books and I have purchased every one. I would recommend this book to anyone who has just found out they were expecting.
Rating:
Summary: A rather disturbing view of pregnancy
Review: I found this book to be annoying at best, and rather disturbing on the whole. Absolutely NONE of the "10 lies about pregnancy" were true for me when I carried and gave birth to my two daughters. As a whole, I found it to more of the tripe that encourages women to view pregnancy as a disease that requires medical intervention, rather than a natural process that usually turns out well when intelligently managed in concert with an midwife or obstetrician. I would never give this book to a pregnant friend, since the overall sarcastic and pessimistic tone would likely fuel any anxiety she already had about the birth process. Frankly, I discreetly discarded this book quite soon after receiving it as a gift from my mother.
Rating:
Summary: narrow minded and highly opinionated
Review: This book justifies many of the behaviors that lead pregnant women to unnecessarily excessive weight gain, unsatisfactory marital relationships, and overprotected children. For instance, Iovine recommends little to no exercise during pregnancy because if something (god forbid) should go wrong with the pregnancy or delivery, you will always wonder if exercise caused it. While much of the developed world sticks to a healthy 25-35 lbs weight gain during pregnancy, Americans gain on average 50 lbs due to baseless fears spread by women such as Iovine. It sets the stage for future GIRLFRIEND whining. In addition to the unnecessary fears spread by Iovine, her language is crass and her humor is akin to tobacco-spitting, crotch scratching at a highschool football game. Do yourself a favor - throw this book out and buy an objective book which shares with the first-time mom their various choices and subsequent potential outcomes.
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Gem that Doesn't Take Itself too Seriously
Review: After having read countless books on pregnancy that either bored me to sleep or scared me to death, a friend sent me this one. While sitting up late at night wearing my giant maternity underwear and nursing some killer heartburn, I laughed until I cried reading some of Vicki Iovine's frank, on-target observations about the joys (and hassles) of pregnancy. Being pregnant is not always as beautiful and glamourous as Hallmark makes it out to be; however, most non-pregnant people (like husbands!) don't always understand the woes of the pregnant woman. This book pokes fun at all of the not-so-great aspects of pregnancy while also giving some great nuggets of factual information. I would highly recommend this to any pregnant woman with a well-developed sense of humor.
Rating:
Summary: Over-rated
Review: I found this book aggravating and a complete waste of time. The constant use of Girlfriend with a capital G was just plain annoying after about two pages, and the constant reminders that we couldn't possibly glean any of this information from anywhere else except our girlfriends-with-a-capital-G was just infuriating! I found the advice offered extremely outdated, and I can't believe this book still seems to be a best-seller. I particularly disliked the chapter on exercise, which was basically just a rant about how pregnancy gives you a right to do no exercise and eat lots of food. I also disliked the advice on dealing with your partner (always referred to as your husband, with no disclaimer at the start to say that this term was used to incorporate any type of parenting partner). Basically, the message I got from this book was that, sure, your partner has emotions and needs, but that yours are greater and you should feel free to completely ignore them and focus on yourself. (page 109 states in capital letters "Ignore your husband's needs and look after yourself") I'd be interested to know how loving and stable a relationship Ms Iovine has with her husband after that kind of behaviour. The half-baked, non-medically based ideas about why certain things happen to your body during pregnancy were also quite disturbing, as were the way alternative birthing methods were disregarded. I will admit to the occasional chuckle at a wittily worded sentence, but overall I found this book basically one woman's excuse to talk ceaselessly about HER pregnancies and HER opinions on how you should deal with your own. I don't know if you have this book in America, but here in Australia we have one by Kaz Cooke called "Up the Duff" which is a hundred times better. Not only has it had me rolling around with uncontrollable laughter as I relate to a particular anecdote, but it is also packed with up-to-date and USEFUL medical advice and information, as well as all the "girlfriend" stuff without the annoying capital Gs! I would certainly recommend this book way above Vicki Iovine's. I did not find Iovine's book reassuring in the way I felt Cooke's to be, and I rarely related personally to any of the anecdotes.
Rating:
Summary: A Hoot!
Review: I read this book from cover to cover in one evening when I was pregnant with my first kid! I was going thru morning sickness worse than I ever knew was possible - and this book was the first time I felt like cracking a smile in weeks! Hilarious! I ended up reading all of Vicki Iovine's Girlfriend Guides! This book gives some straight up advice, the kind you would expect your best friend to give you! Vicki Iovine tells it like it is! She even lets you hand the book over to the father once in awhile for him to read something he should take to heart!-and perhaps crack him up too!! This is a light hearted, yet real approach to what goes on during pregnancy. I found myself agreeing with her soooo much that I could have helped her write the book!! I highly recommend this book to ALL pregnant women - and those who have already had that first one too! This is THE BEST pregnancy book I've ever read!! Give this book as a baby shower gift - but make sure she gets it early in the pregnancy! - You'll be glad you got it (and so will your friend)!!! P.S. If you or someone you know has morning sickness badly - get this!! I am forever grateful to the friend that loaned me this book while I was "sick" those first 4 months!
Rating:
Summary: Finding Humor in Pregnancy Pain
Review: I read this book twice and both times I laughed out loud! It is not meant to be informative, but rather funny. I did learn a lot, but it was the "real" stuff about pregnancy that you don't read in medical books. I HIGHLY recommend this book for all pregnant mothers looking for a good laugh and some girlfriend truths.
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