Pregnancy & Childbir Rev

Rating:
Summary: Most Informative book on Pregnancy
Review: After having several miscarriages I am constantly looking up information. The reviews that were bad were most likely from people whose pregnancy had no problems. I work in one of the highest rated educational hospitals, and see the top High Risk OB/Gyn, any question I have I can find in this book.

My friends have all recommended the books that are popular, all of which I have - these are all for perfect pregnancy people whose questions consist of 'why am I having slight cramping'; and 'why do I have a blue line going from my belly button'. That can be answered from the more popular books - none of which have helped me like Pregnancy and Childbirth has helped.

The book Pregnancy & Childbirth is a factual book that explains what you are going through, how to ask the right questions and gets you a bit more informed so that if there is a problem you have the ability to understand why it is happening and what the doctor is telling you. Often most doctors speak in medical terms that need to be explained, this book helps.

I think that if you are an older mother and even if you aren't it covers, Rh Neg-blood type; Leukocyte transfusions; Antibodies in you blood that can kill your embryo/fetus and what can be done to change that in your system. It coveres a large number of vitamins and what the effect of taking it can be.

Pick up the book and flip through it, go in the index and come up with questions that you have - see if your questions can be answered just by doing that. Then you will know if this is the book for you.

But, this IS a good book - and a factual one, and one with more intellectual reading. Best of luck on your pregnancies.

Rating:
Summary: Worst Pregnancy Book Ever--Hands Down
Review: Hi I read this book during my first two pregnancies and HATED it so much I finally threw it away! First off Hotchner has never had a baby!!! And yet she has so many preconceived ideas about pain relief during childbirth, breastfeeding etc. She is insulting and condescending throughout. I marked many particularly obnoxious passages and read them aloud to my husband and he was as shocked as I was. She says things like "some women are too mentally weak to handle the pain of childbirth without medication" or "some women are uncomfortable breastfeeding due to mental illness or unresolved issues from childhood." Ok these may be slight exaggerations but they capture her tone accurately. Plus as another reviewer mentioned, Hotchner discusses how your husband might cheat on you when you are pregnant--shocking and ridiculous to be included in a pregnancy book! She also goes into WAY too much gleeful detail about what can go wrong in a pregnancy, in a VERY dire tone. Please do not buy or read or support in any way this horrible book!!

Rating:
Summary: Most Informative book on Pregnancy
Review: I found this book to be incredibly informative. I loved the detail Hotchner provided. Reading it did not make me anxious, as other reviewers have indicated, even though I read it during my first pregnancy. I appreciated the fact that Hotchner took an overall conservative approach. I wanted to err on the side of caution in how I cared for myself (and my baby) during pregnancy, and this book helped me do that. I found it an exciting read and a helpful resource.

Rating:
Summary: Tons of (mis)information
Review: I loved this book. It was full of lots of detailed information, much more detailed than other books of similar subject. It has an excellent section that tracks the development of the fetus so the mother-to-be can follow along, and in the early weeks of pregnancy, it even breaks it down day by day in some cases! I had at least a dozen books that I read cover to cover, but this is the one I kept going back to, because it was the one that consistently had the information I needed. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is really "into" their pregnancy experience!

Rating:
Summary: A balanced presentation of every topic of preg & labor
Review: I read Tracy Hotchner's previous edition of "Pregnancy & Childbirth" and found that she covers every, and I mean every, topic that pertains to pregnancy, labor and delivery. For each and every topic presented, she first explains the topic and then presents its' pros and cons. Ms. Hotchner occasionally allows a little bit of a personal bias be evident in her presentation of a subject. I, however, always found that I appreciated her biases and tended to concur with her cautions, etc. I agree that "Pregnancy & Childbirth" is the "bible" of pregnancy books. It is so informative and I found tidbits of information in Ms. Hotchner's book that I have not found in many, many of the other popular and technical books I have read on the subject.Stacy McCullough, RN, BSN, PHN, ACCE, FACCE (labor & delivery RN, and certified Lamaze educator)

Rating:
Summary: lots of information, but not necessarily accurate
Review: Overall, I felt that this book was ok. I really liked the Homebirth and Choices in Childbirth sections. However, some of the book's information contradicts standard advice, such as what makes breasts sag, and how to prepare breasts for breastfeeding, and the author makes no effort to cite this advice. Also, if you have a low-carb lifestyle, or make any effort at all to watch your carb intake, you'll have to ignore all the advice on nutrition. Drinking regular soda, full of high fructose corn syrup, is actually advised as being rich in carbohydrates! I suppose it is, but not the kind that you want to be consuming.

Also, the advice on medication during pregnancy was not useful. I'm sure that every pregnant woman would prefer not to take any medications, but unfortunately, many otherwise healthy women do have issues that require treatment. For instance, I would be in very bad health without any allergy medicine, and although the book leads you to believe that all antihistimines are extremely dangerous, that is simply not true. My midwife approved a mild nose spray for my allergies that is condsidered safe.

I would use this book as a supplement to other information, but I think it is not accurate enough to be used as your ONLY book for pregnancy. And, please, check out any information that sounds strange.

Rating:
Summary: Pregnancy & Childbirth
Review: This is THE book I buy for all my newly pregnant friends and family. It is FULL of information that is helpful in understanding what is going on with your body during pregancy. She gets down and dirty about things you would never want to ask anyone such as more comfortable sex positions, feelings, and those fluids you're not sure about. It is a wonderful guide to all sorts of questions including how to write a birth plan so that it truly reflects your needs. It is a very readable and well organized book. Absolutely my favorite pregnancy and childbirth book because of its sound and practical advice from pre-conception to birth.