The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby | Douglas, John R. Sussman

The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby | Douglas, John R. Sussman | Can't be pregnant without this book

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The Unofficial Gui...

	The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby Douglas, John R. Sussman Wiley, 2004 - 864 pages average customer review:based on 85 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The inside scoop for when you want more than the official line

Having a baby is one of life's most joyous-and overwhelming-events. The choices you make now will affect your baby's health long after it is born. How should you change your lifestyle now that you are pregnant? How can you be sure that your baby is developing properly? What should you expect at each doctor's visit? And how on earth will you survive labor?

Now thoroughly updated with more than 200 pages of new and completely revised material, including week-by-week pregnancy tips, The Unofficial Guide?TM to Having a Baby gives savvy parents-to-be like you a foolproof appraisal of what works and what doesn't-revealing things even your doctor won't (or can't) tell you, with unbiased recommendations that are not influenced by any company, product, or organization.
* Vital Information that other sources can't or won't reveal-including the very latest research on prenatal and genetic testing.
* Insider Secrets on how to weather the physical and emotional highs and lows of pregnancy, with tips on health, exercise, sex, and career management.
* Money-Saving Tips that help you save on baby gear and maternity wear.
* The Latest Trends in new childbirth methods, including Doula care, pain management, and alternative birthing options.
* Handy Checklists and Charts to track your baby's development, identify potentially dangerous medications and drugs, and record the milestones in your pregnancy.

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You may want to buy the first (1999) edition of this book rather than the second (2004)

The first thing I did when my copy of the second (2004) edition of "The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby" arrived was open the table of contents to find the much-lauded "The Dirt on Diapers and Other Baby Gear" chapter I'd read about in other Amazon reviews. I couldn't locate it! There were other chapters I could have sworn I'd find in this book, but didn't. I was perplexed and thought for a while I'd ordered the wrong book. After fishing around Amazon and ordering another (older) copy of "The Unofficial Guide" I discovered that there were some pretty big differences between the 2004 and 1999 editions.

The good news is that most of the wonderful info in the 1999 edition of this book made it into the 2004 version. The bad news is that the organization of this material in the second edition is a bit screwy. Both books present pretty much the same information on conceiving and fertility issues in the beginning. After that their paths diverge sharply. The first edition is organized largely around topical, easy-to-find chapters and chapter sections like "Choosing a Caregiver and a Place to Give Birth" (Ch. 5) and "Morning Sickness" (in Ch.8). Most of this info appears in the 2004 edition, but it's integrated into the book's extensive week-by-week pregnancy outline and can therefore be easy to miss if you aren't reading chronologically or scouring the index.

To illustrate, each of the second edition's pregnancy week-by-week mini-chapters detail "What's going on with your baby," "What's going on with your body," "What's going on with your head," and conclude with a "Hot List: This Week's Must-Ask Pregnancy Questions." This last section is where a lot of the first edition's topical info ended up and it's not always clear - without the aid of the index - where to find specific questions answered. For example, the first edition devotes an entire chapter to what you do and don't need to buy for your new baby (the wonderful "Dirt on Diapers" chapter). In the second edition the authors bury this information in week 30's "hot list." Sure, a lot of women in their seventh month would probably be wondering about what to buy for baby, but what if you wanted this information earlier? You'd need to scan the index for keywords like "cribs" and then flip to the appropriate (often arbitrary) week of pregnancy. Likewise, the first edition lists "Following a Vegetarian Diet" in the table of contents under the large-scale chapter heading "Lifestyle 101: Making the Best Choices for Your Baby." The 2004 version, on the other hand, addresses the topic in "Week 7." This arrangement of material can make for some frustrating reading.

In addition to these organizational issues, the first edition contains some helpful chapters missing from the 2004 version. For example, the 1999 book discusses "Breastfeeding and Bottlefeeding," "Your Next Pregnancy," and gives a "Crash Course in Baby Care." Yes, the second edition touches on these issues, but not in much depth.

My advice is to buy the 1999 edition of this book and if you feel like some of the info might be dated, check out the 2004 version from your local library. The first edition gives you more information and presents it in a well-organized and easy-to-follow format. Used copies of the 1999 version also cost a lot less:) If you're looking at the 2004 edition on Amazon, click on "Also available in: paperback used and new" to see the 1999 edition.

Added later: The further I get in my pregnancy the more annoyed I become with the 2004 edition of "The Unofficial Guide." I'm finding that certain important keywords like "Braxton Hicks contractions" are mentioned in passing but never fully defined. The chapter on month three is entitled "Anxiety Alley" and "week nine" focuses on miscarriage - a great way to heap even more stress and worry on a pregnant woman. And some of the medical info in the 2004 edition (as well as the 1999 version) simply doesn't gel with current American health care system practices (ex. most OB/GYNs prefer to see you at 8 weeks rather than the day after you get a positive home pregnancy test). If I could change my rating of this book to 4 instead of 5 stars I would.

A friend gave me a copy of "The Baby Center Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Birth" and I've found it to be a great alternative to "The Unofficial Guide." While it does offer a week-by-week pregnancy overview, it also provides focused chapters - organized by trimester - on common symptoms, tests, proper nuitrition and exercise. What "The Unofficial Guide" tries to do organizationally in the 2004 edition, "Essential Guide To Pregnancy" actually gets right. Certain components of Ann Douglas's book are great - but for everyday reference I'm now sold on "Essential Guide to Pregnancy."

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Can't be pregnant without this book

I loved this book. I received it free in a new patient package as Dr. Sussman was in practice with my OB. I had already purchased "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" which I thought was a ridiculous satire on pregnancy. I had been given "What to Expect..." which was ok, but nothing compared to Dr. Sussman's book. I am now purchasing it for my sister-in-law, without reservation.

This was my Baby Bible throughout pregnancy!

This book was THE book I turned to above all other books (especially that preachy, disorganzied "What to Expect" book).

This book is set up primarily as a week-by-week guide, which is a format I found very helpful. I was able to open it up once a week and find out "What's Going on with My Body", "What's Going on with My Baby", "What Might be Going Through My Head", and a topical subject for the week. Each week I knew what body parts my baby was growing, what my body was about to do to me, and more. It was perfect for my first-time curiosity and excitement!

The information was accurate, thorough, and honest WITHOUT being scary (like so many other books).

I couldn't have survived my pregnancy without this book.

The only thing it's missing? Pictures. But it's a fair trade-off since we get so much valuable information and not a bunch of fluff!

I HIGHLY recommend this book!

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Our single favorite guide

While not quite living up to its promise of "For when you want more than the official line", it did come close. Of the six pregnancy books I read when my wife was pregnant, I think this is the best single book. However, I think the _Girlfriends Guide_ / _The Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy_ pair is better than this one alone. We ended up, however, buying all three, and didn't regret it.

Why is this book better? For example, this book had the only really good discussion of the issues involved in genetic screening. Other books did discuss the pros and cons and risks of each procedure, but this was the only book that really laid out the personal / emotional issues involved, and when you should and should not consider it. Other books should learn from this.

I also really appreciated the list of medicine. I know all books say to consult with your doctor first, but it's good to have everything in one summary without having to find a good site on the web.

It also includes advice on trying to conceive. While we got this book after we conceived I didn't not really read that part, but from what I did look at it seems quite good.

Alas, like all things in life, it's not perfect. I find that they try to be too "cutsey"; while good for about 5 pages, it gets annoying very quickly. It is slightly out of date in places, for example in their list of which artificial sweeteners are safe they miss all the new ones introduced in the last 10 years. It's also very difficult to hold (near 900 pages but only 8.2" x 5.3"). If they went to a larger but thinner book it would be much easier to hold. [Or drop the TTC information.]

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Just the facts, a great book

As a dad I had read a few of the books my wife received but they contained too much other stuff to make them useful. This book gives you just the facts you need to know, by when things take place. You can read by trimester everything that is going on with the baby in the womb, what your wife should and should not be doing, and really be involved. I bought this copy as a gift to a friend who is going to be a first time dad. He loved it.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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