Rating: 
Summary: Plain Talk
Review: This book is probably better for pregnant women, since the information can be disconcerting for those who are not pregnant. I found the book refreshingly blunt while pregnant with my first child. (I also had the "What to Expect..." series. They were great books, but left me feeling like I had read a medical text. They also made me very nervous. If you've read them during your first pregnancy, you know what I mean.) Since I didn't have a lot of friends who had had babies in the previous 5 years, I found Iovine's book to be helpful and down-to-earth. She is very vocal about her opinion, but also included differing viewpoints from some of her friends. She didn't claim to be the end-all information source about pregnancy and she does make some disclaimers telling you to always talk to your doctor. Mostly, what she taught me was that almost anything can be normal during a pregnancy, and that everyone's experiences are unique. Honestly, I would read the What to Expect book first. Then this one.
Rating:
Summary: Loved It!
Review: Girlfriends unite! This is the one pregnancy book that I could get through without worrying if my baby is going to come out with two heads or not at all. Iovine's blunt talk about being pregnant and having a baby is quite a relief from other pregnancy books. While I wouldn't take all the information to heart - some of it is dated, even for the mid-90's - it was a fun, relazing read in the cesspool of pregnancy books. Again, I wouldn't follow some of the advise - drinking a glass of wine, borrowing old furniture, etc. read it as a way to smile through all the changes that are happening. Then make your husband read it - he'll wonder what's so funny anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: Funny at times, but this is not the book for everyone
Review: The stories can be interesting and even comical, but Iovine's ability to related is blurred by her lifestyle (not everyone has a music exec husband, or friends who net a paycheck equal or greater than the purchase price of a 6 bedroom, two-story mansion in CA). She's overly obsess w/ weight gain, and how "ugly and fat" pregnant women become; even suggests that anything less than the svelte trophy wife is unappealling to her husband (which Iovine assumes there must be one to be pregnant). Second time or more moms-to-be will probably enjoy, but if thiniking of/trying to conceive, or are a first time mom-to-be, this is best left until your child has been born (has more than the usual amount of things to depress a new mommy). Considering breastfeeding more than a couple of months? Or interested in anything other than a full-blown medicated birthing experience? This is NOT the book for you (will undoubtedly become quite angry and insulted by the author). Good for a laugh, but don't take much of her advice to heart as it is the antithesis of what many women view pregnancy as being about.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for fathers-to-be!!
Review: As with most first-time fathers-to be, I have bought some books on pregnancy and giving birth to use as reference. This book is not a reference book. But it does give you an insight into your wife's mind. After reading this, I really understand my wife's feelings and became more sensitive to hear complains, mood swings, etc etc. (Women who are pregnant should force their partner to read this.) It also helped me in compiling a what-to-bring-to-the-hospital list and what-baby-stuffs-to-buy list. Reading this book is more like talking to one of your female friends about pregnancy. Of course, you still need a real reference book beside this one.
Rating:
Summary: superb
Review: When I announced that I was having a baby, the girls that I work with said that I MUST get this book called The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy. I was a bit reluctant because I already bought a book on pregnancy. I finally got around to getting this book. Oh wow, what was I missing? I could not put this book down. I could not wait until I can pick this book up and sink into it. It has to be the best book I have ever read in my life. I sat and read it to myself and I was literally laughing out loud at some of the things that I would have been too embarrassed to discuss with anyone! I highly recommend this easy reading and I promise that you will be absolutely thrilled that you have read it. I feel so much better about EVERYTHING that has to do with HAVING A BABY!
Rating:
Summary: THIS BOOK IS THE BEST!!!
Review: **WARNING** if you have no sense of humor or are an uptight freak, do NOT read this book! It is not meant for you as you are not a real "Girlfriend"!! OK, to all those women out there who were "offended" at this book - GET A LIFE! LOOSEN UP!! This is NOT intended to be a medical reference book, it is NOT a personal trainers book, it is NOT a nutritionists book. It is meant to offer real life experiences in those stages of pregnancy and birth that noone tells you about. It is an exaggerated, humurous look at a very real stage of life. It is meant to inform and entertain!!! I LOVED this book! I buy it for every girlfriend I have when they get pregnant. It is funny, informative, and a must have.
Finally, to those who were offended because they are single moms-(By choice or not) what did you expect? Vicki is married, which is not difficult information to find. If she's writing about her own experience, what would you expect to find (duh)??? If you only buy 1 book while your pregnant, get What to Expect When You're Expecting. If you buy 2, this one should be the next one!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Save your $, borrow it from the library
Review: The reviews on here rave about this book. I do not agree. The book was amusing and funny (also a bit scary) but I certainly wouldn't follow the advice in it, unless you have a lot of extra $ and time to throw around. The advice and information wasn't very practical. If you want practical advice and a down to Earth conversation about pregnancy talk to your own friends, you're much more likely to have something in common with them than Vicki Iovine.
Rating:
Summary: good book!
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Iovine gives all of the information we need but are afraid or embarassed to ask, with a sense of humor. This book is geared to the married pregnant woman, so if that is not you a lot of the information will be irrevelant. She also strongly advocates the use of drugs during delivery. This is not a medical guide nor is it supposed to be, but it is a wonderful supplement to those you already have.
Rating:
Summary: I want to hate her but I can't
Review: As a former Playboy model and wife of mega-millionaire record mogul Jimmy Iovine, Vicki would normally invoke my scorn--what does she know about gaining serious weight gain and all the mundane problems of pregnancy? But Vicki--I really do think of her as my girlfriend--is so smart, witty, and self-deprecating that I love her in spite of it all. This is so much better than the plodding, humorless, guilt-inducing What to Expect books (the ones that tell you can enjoy the occasional scoop of non-fat frozen ice milk and be "extremely wicked" and have a thin sliver of pie once a week). Vicki seems to be telling us, even as we pack on the poundage--LIGHTEN UP! It only lasts nine (make that ten) months! While this may not be the only preg. book you'll need, it'll be the only one you'd read again after you deliver.
Rating:
Summary: Some good and some bad advice
Review: I would have never thought about needing to put my new son in snap on shirts (versus onsies) at the begining due to his belly button, but I do not like her attitude towards natural labor. She almost makes herself sound ignorant. At one point, she says something to the effect of why bother with natural labor, pain medication is wonderful.
Also, her husband's hands off attitude is disturbing. This may be an OK book for women who will allow their care providers to make all the decisions and not bother to learn about the risks of medical invention. But I would not recommand this book to a woman who plans on educating herself. The author's attitudes and opinions can be annoying.
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