Product Description

Your doctor gives you medical advice. Your mother buys you baby clothes. But who can give you the real story when your pregnant.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1106 in Books
• Published on: 1997-05-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Independent, The Information, 25th September 2002
"Nearly All the new mothers I've talked to mention this book, ... An upbeat rundown on what to expect,"

Synopsis
Your doctor gives you medical advice. Your mother buys you baby clothes. But who can give you the real story when you're pregnant? Your best friends of course - at least the ones who've been through the exhilaration and exhaustion, the agony and ecstasy of pregnancy. Now, four-time delivery-room veteran Vicki Iovine helps you through the next nine months the way only a best friend can. Here is straight talk about those little things that are too embarrassing to ask about, practical tips and hilarious tales on anything pregnant. From learning that you're expecting ('Oh my God, how do I get out of this?') to the day your newborn arrives ('You mean I have to take it home with me?')

, Iovine gives you the low-down on: What really happens to your body - from morning sickness and wind to eating everything in sight; what to expect when going from being a babe to having one; common fears and paranoia - from turning into your mother to leaving the baby on the car roof; the many moods of pregnancy - or why you're so irritable/distracted/tired/lightheaded (well, more than you usually are); the pregnancy experts - from your mum to his mum, they think they know everything and they don't hesitate to tell you what you are doing wrong; how to have sex during pregnancy, should you so desire - bearing in mind you'll have no interest afterwards; looking and feeling your best - cautionary style tips from your best friend, who really would tell you if your perky new-mum haircut makes you look like a pinhead whale.

From the Publisher
Your best friends of course- at least, the ones who've been through the exhilaration and exhaustion, the agony and ecstasy of pregnancy. Now, four-time-delivery-room veteran Vicki Iovine talks to you the way that only a best friend can- in the book that will go the whole nine months for every mother-to-be. Here is straigh talk about those little things that are too embarassing to ask anyone about, practical tips and hilarious tales on anything pregnant.

Customer Reviews

A humorously written rant
I bought this book for my wife but we both ended up reading it, and as it happens I read it first. Both of us contribute to this review:
(note: this is our first pregnancy)

An expecting mother's perspective:

I read the reviews before I read the book itself, and was surprised at the number of negative reviews it had received. Yet here I am, after having turn over the last page of the book, and not found a single justification for my giving Mrs. Iovine the benefit of the doubt. 'The Best Friend's Guide to Pregnancy' is patronising, cynical and pessimistic, insiting that not only will pregnancy ruin the mother's figure, social and sex life, but not mentioning WHY we women go through all of this- the end result seems to have no value to Iovine. On top of this the author assumes that all men are of the non-supportive, squeamish and un-involved sort. She, essentially, exhibits plain sexism throughout her book insisting that men are worthless in any way during pregnancy, which is blatant rubbish for plenty of men. Cut them some slack Vicki, we stopped burning our bra's long ago, and some of us LIKE having men in our lives.
Essentially a waste of money, I would NOT recommend this book to anyone.

An expecting father's perspective:

My first impression was that the whole tone of the text was one of general complaining about everything. I felt as if the author was lied to about what she should expect before, during and after her pregnancies and she was so upset about it, she decided to write a book in order to inform other women and prevent them from believing lies, like she did.
I discussed this with my wife (who hadn't read the book yet) and she told me that this is sometimes a form of humor that women use and that men don't get (eg. The Vagina Monologues). So I kept on reading.
The 'ranting' does ease off about half way through the book (I suppose she had began to calm down by then) and I found some parts informative and interesting since they're written from a woman's perspective.
However, various spelling mistakes (with the most common being 'thing' instead of 'think') and the author's self contradictions made me feel that my original assessment of the motives behind the book were correct.
The author cautions women that they will get fat, they will become ugly, they will get cellulite, they will get stretch marks, they will never be the same again and then she bangs on about how she got her figure back after each pregnancy. But she only says so towards the end of the book.
One thing that made me angry, was that she claims 'there is no award for enduring the pains of a natural birth, nobody will judge you if you opt for pain relief (eg epidural)' and a bit later she goes on to say that if you've had an epidural you'll be drinking champagne and be the life of the party when the family comes to visit you at the hospital, instead of a wreck that can barely stay awake if you opt for a natural birth. Furthermore, the author insists for some reason that because a pregnancy is 40 weeks, its not 9 months, but 10, because as we all know, every month is 4 weeks (and therefore 28 days) long.
Before this part of the review turns into a rant of my own, I will say that it is an interesting book to read, you do observe one woman's perspective and experiences with childbirth but it is very opinionated and self contradicting.
My advice is, if you want something different to read, and if the humour of complaining appeals to you, then by all means get it. You will probably enjoy it. But it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Horror Stories !!
With friends like that, who needs enemies. Before reading this book, I was blissfully unaware of my impending changes from human to monster as Vicki describes. Now I find myself not wanting to go through the whole nine(ten) months of hell (although it's too late for that!).

The book provides some interesting reading and does prepare you but in the worst possible way. I've got to go a buy another book, to make me and my "little ricicle" feel better about the HAPPY TIMES AHEAD.

very entertaining
I thought this book was great. It made me feel more relaxed than most books i've read on the subject and it made me laugh. Occasionally i wanted a bit more practical info but mostly it was exactly what the doctor ordered.