The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy: Or Everything Your Doctor Won't Tell You

Rating:
Summary: Sly advice for the mom-to-be with a sense of humor.
Review: I can't remember laughing out loud so much reading a book about almost anything, much less pregnancy. Vicki Iovine's riotously funny (and occasionally outrageous) guide to the pleasures and challenges of pregnancy is a breath of fresh air on a topic too often treated either with mind-numbing gravity or sappy sentimentality. If you are looking for the definitive medical guide to pregnancy, keep looking, but for those who want an affectionate, raucously personal view of the pitfalls of pregnancy (including topics almost never tackled in more serious medical works like gas; say hello to your new breasts: say goodbye to your waistline; and how not to end up looking like a sausage casing in your clothing), Vicki Iovine's delightful book is a must read!

Rating:
Summary: Laughter is the best medicine...
Review: Loved this book, For my first pregnancy, Vicki and her friends answered all the questions I had, and taught me some things that would otherwise have been major surprises. Thanks for a great laugh at a time when I really needed it!

Rating:
Summary: Real life experiences! Very funny! Fun reading!
Review: This book is a great account of pregnancy for "real" people - not the textbook version of what pregnancy is like. I found myself agreeing with Vicki often with regard to typical pregnancy symptoms, husband's involvement, labor and so on. Plus she is very funny - you'll laugh all the way through.

Rating:
Summary: Laughter is great medicine; read this for your health!
Review: This book is so funny, it's a danger to all very pregnant women with less than perfect bladder control. Never mind though, throw caution to the wind and just enjoy yourself with this book's terrific wit. Enough of the clinical advice from other books already! This book really enhanced my pregnancy.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable and Funny! The Dad-to-be should read it too!
Review: Vicki Iovine does a fantastic job lightening the mood for pregnant women. She tells it like it is and lets you know you're not alone in the whole pregnancy ordeal. Of course this should not be the only reading you do about pregnancy, but when you're sick of all the medical mumbo-jumbo, pick this one up. I shared many chapters with my husband and he laughed along with me! I'll be picking this one up for my pregnant girlfriends in the future!

Rating:
Summary: It's Like Talking With Your Girlfriends About Pregnancy!!!
Review: This easily read book is an excellent resource for pregnant women. The factual information is written with a humorous twist; I haven't read a page without laughing! It's just like being with your girlfriends discussing the REAL issues pregnant women want to talk about but can only do so with their close friends. It's a must buy!!

Rating:
Summary: Moms, give this to your husbands!
Review: When my wife's friend the pregnancy Nazi declared this book to be "irresponsible" I knew it was the book for me. Vicki Iovine describes in plain English just what is happening to you. So when my wife's morning sickness forced her to sit down on the floor of the supermarket for a few minutes, she didn't feel so ridiculous because Iovine wrote about a friend of hers who had to lay down on the floor at Macy's. The chapters for husbands were great. Called something like "Why Does My Wife Keep Farting So Much" she really put things in perspective. What she does is offer (hilarious) real life examples of all the trials and travails of pregnancy. It's a lot easier to relate to than "you may feel somewhat nauseous." I'm not sure what other reviewers are talking about when they claim Iovine tells you NOT to exercise. She tells you to avoid HIGH IMPACT EXERCISE and concentrate on things like walking and swimming instead. That's sound advice. The book really reassured me and allowed me to get through my wife's mood swings and and anxieties with grace and humor. Any time she was feeling really panicked or that she was the only one who had negative or frightened thoughts, I would read to her from this book and it reassured her. Iovine's Guide to Surviving the First Year is also a wonderful book. Her philosophy is remarkably similar to Dr. Spock: You already know more than you think you do. So stop worrying about the experts, do what you think is right and rest assured your baby won't break if you give the occassional bottle, or put them down so you can go to the bathroom. Stop feeling so guilty and enjoy this time.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: This is a wonderful book for anyone who is pregnant. If you are pregnant and wnat to read a book about it that will also make you feel relaxed and good about being pregnant then this is the book for you to read. I really did like this book and I may even read it again. The end.

Rating:
Summary: An amusing tale, however upper class targeted.
Review: Vicki Iovine is a good writer, her words are catchy, clever, and enlightening. However, it's obvious that she has never had a C-section and that this is one area she cannot offer too much advice on. I found it a nice diversion to the physician written pregnancy books out there, very comical. Lastly I must add, it seems very upper class targeted. Most women don't have the money and time to lead the life, pregnant or not, that Vicki does and it shows in her writing. I do recommend it though, for a refreshing laugh during trying months. Don't expect too much medical knowledge though, and at least she states that several times in her book.

Rating:
Summary: Pregnancy is Not Pretty, But it's Pretty Funny
Review: Buy and read this book, but supplement with a "real medical" tome such as What to Expect If You Are an Expectant Nazi. Girlfriends Guide is for the more mature, easygoing, realistic mother-to-be. Uptight people without the maturity to see the humor and warmth in pregnancy may be offended (as evidenced by some reviews listed here). Shining through the flippant tone and humorous anecdotes comes Iovine's sincerity and best wishes for her audience. Sure, she has her opinions and they may not be everyone's, but most of the "real, medical" books on pregnancy are filled with opinions, too. So buy this book AND a "real" medical book and alternate. I promise, you'll come back to this one more often.