Review – The Mother of All Pregnancy Books

Ann Douglas’ Comprehensive Guide to Conception, Pregnancy and Birth

Jun 30, 2009

This resource-packed handbook provides comprehensive, down-to-earth information in a unique format and covers everything from pre-conception to life after delivery.

Most pregnancy manuals are organized by month, while The Mother of All Pregnancy Books takes a different approach. This thorough guidebook tackles pregnancy-related topics one by one, including pre-conception and conception, how to focus on a healthy pregnancy, pregnancy worries, labor and birth, common complaints as well as other serious pregnancy complications.

Heart of the Book in Chapters on Pregnancy Health, Typical Worries and Common Complaints

Chapter 6, Operation Healthy Baby, details exactly how expectant mothers can focus on eating healthy, getting proper exercise, advice for staying alert at work as well as provides a frank discussion of sex during pregnancy. One of the most helpful elements of this chapter is the numerous tables Douglas provides, on a variety of topics from proper weight gain and floor exercises to a thorough list of common over-the-counter medicines and their use during pregnancy.

Douglas’ chapter The Worry Zone is perhaps the books most useful. Organized by trimester, it presents the most common concerns experienced by all mothers-to-be as they progress through the nine months of their pregnancy. The style of this chapter is Q&A, which gives Douglas the chance to address specific issues, give advice and explain away familiar misconceptions. This particular chapter also offers very precise suggestions on infant safety and how to prepare a home for a new baby.

One of the most difficult aspects of pregnancy is the variety and frequency of both small and larger discomforts and ailments. Chapter 8 addresses these issues from A to Z, indicates when they are most likely to occur during a pregnancy and explains when it’s necessary to seek medical attention.

Douglas’ Book Includes a Straightforward Discussion of Pre-Natal Testing

Genetic testing is a part of modern obstetric medicine but it is easy for first-time parents to become overwhelmed at the range of tests available as well as confused as to what is necessary and what may only be a choice.

The Mother of All Pregnancy Books devotes an entire chapter to a discussion of the type of testing available to new parents, as well as the possible advantages and disadvantages. Douglas treats this subject with the respect it deserves, providing objective information so expectant parents can make the decision that is right for them.

A Handbook Taking the Reader through the Delivery Room and Beyond

Many, if not most pregnancy manuals wrap up with week 40 or only devote cursory attention to the actual labor and birthing process. But The Mother of All Pregnancy Books follows the reader into the delivery room and even beyond. Among other things, Douglas discusses pre-natal classes, pain control, midwives, circumcision, episiotomies and birth plans. A particularly useful section of the chapter on birth is a comprehensive list of the signs and symptoms of going into labor.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of informative and helpful pregnancy guides available for expectant mothers to choose from. Yet Ann Douglas’ The Mother of All Pregnancy Books rises to the top through its unique but comprehensive format and intelligent approach.

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