Your Pregnancy Bible new revised and expanded edition [Hardcover]

Don't let the size of the book put you off - yes it looks like a weighty tome, but it's crammed full of useful information. If, like me, you wanted to know absolutely everything that can happen, this book is worth buying. It's not funny, there are no characterisations or diaries, but it is a good companion - even from before you conceive. I especially like the week by week development of the foetus - lots of books miss great chunks of this, but this covers it all and has photos etc too. I've kept referring to it most nights when I'm in bed! It doen't patronise - which as a health professional, I was grateful for -but it doesn't assume you know loads either, which was reassuring. As with any pregnancy book, reading too far ahead can scare you, so be careful. It does go into a lot of complications and problems - but in my opinion, forewarned is forearmed. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to know a lot about what's going on inside them during pregnancy - and to those who want to get up to speed before conception. I wouldn't be without it.

Thorough...
This book answered every question a first time expectant mum could want answers to-- it has advice and information from preconception to the early days of caring for your newborn. It gave matter-of-fact information that did not speak down to the reader, but rather put things into simple, concrete terms which made this book a straight forward and enjoyable read. The book does not read like a magazine with 'real life stories from the trenches', but is more medical and clinical in tone so it is not for someone looking for a flowery book of 'feel good stories' about the joy of pregnancy.

Concise...
First off, to be as specific as possible, this book utilises the reference guide approach, breaking pregnancy down into the three major stages. There is a good mix of graphs, charts and practical, plain language information based on recent and ongoing research.

Second, the sections which focused not just on the physical changes a pregnant woman's body goes through, but also the emotional changes due to being pregnant, as well as whilst giving birth and then being a new Mum were well written and very helpful. The Pregnancy Bible does not just mention the psychological elements, but gives a very thoughtful and in-depth overview which I found interesting and hugely helpful in navigating my less than rational moments whilst being pregnant. It gave me a sort of permission to laugh at myself by reassuring me that what I was feeling was really very normal. I have found other pregnancy books lack this sort of anthropological insight into pregnancy (why it is that we do some seemingly very crazy things whilst pregnant), and when other books do attempt to discuss the psychological side of pregnancy, it is the same old song and dance about it being 'just down to hormones' written in multiple, albeit very creative ways.

Third and finally, the writing is clear and to the point, making this a good reference book if you have a specific question and works equally well as a general read for those who just want to know as much as humanly possible about (pre)conception, pregnancy and what to expect in those early days of Mummy-hood.

Reassuring...
One might describe this book as a sort of coach for the mum-to-be, explaining just about every pregnancy 'niggle' imaginable, all the while remaining positive and practical if you should find yourself experiencing an issue. For example, for those who are nauseous and vomiting all day long in their first trimester, The Pregnancy Bible explains that there is no need to worry that baby is suffering (A common worry by any mum-to-be) due to lack of nutrients. In short concise language, the book describes the nutritional demands of a foetus in the first trimester as being quite minimal and goes on to explain how recent research shows that the pregnant body is exceptionally clever and compensates for this very common first trimester problem. It goes into depth of explanation, but not overly so which I found to be excellent in quelling any fears I had.

Furthermore, I used this book tirelessly throughout my pregnancy, reading and re-reading vast sections of it and what is abundantly clear is that a great deal of care has gone into the writing of this book-- it uses very supportive, reassuring language which helps a woman to feel confident in her body's ability to successfully grow and nurture the growing life inside her.

Authoritative...
This is the definitive book of pregnancy and if I am being perfectly honest, after purchasing this book I really didn't need any other books or magazines to 'fill in the gaps' of this book's scope because there simply were not any gaps. It is a well rounded and concise reference, general and in depth look at (pre)conception, pregnancy and early days after the birth. I cannot recommend this book highly enough-- it is truly the definitive book on the subject and a must have for anyone thinking of having a baby.

Finally...
The Pregnancy Bible truly stands out as one of the very best amongst the books of its kind, demonstrating that the Pregnancy Bible doesn't disappoint and delivery on its promise, becoming any pregnant woman's bible for 9 months +!

This book really is a Bible. Obviously as I'm planning to start a family I needed to buy 17 books that all say the same thing, which luckily meant I was bound to get one that was good!! This one is more than good, I'd say it was great, it's easy to read and broken down into informative and well researched chapters. I've found some of the books to be a little too overwhelming and sometimes quite dated (Birth & Beyond - Dr. Yehudi Gordon) although very often their not that old. Some books also are very 'alternative therapies' and yoga based which is great to be aware of but if I can't get my feet behind my head now, there's no way I'm gonna be able to do it during pregnancy! This book makes you aware of such therapies and points out the positives and negatives without trying to sway you. Some books I've found can be quite frightening and negative but this one definately has a positive angle as well as informing you of the potential dangers. Complicated medical information is explained thoroughly using diagrams and examples without ever being patronising.
I'd say this book would be useful to all those planning or preparing for a baby, especially first time mothers. Two good good books alongside I'd recommend would be 'The Rough Guide to Pregnancy' - Kaz Cooke, for a great laugh and some good information and 'The Blokes Guide to Pregnancy' - Jon Smith, they say you shouldn't forget your other children when planning for a baby so I thought it best to get my husband a book so he didn't feel left out!! He says it's great and read half of it in the first two days.