Before Your Pregnancy: A 90-Day Guide for Couples on How to Prepare for a Healthy Conception Review

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(More customer reviews)I really wanted to like this book. I wasn't even expecting it to have lots of information that I didn't already know, having done a ton of research myself in my role as fertility counselor, but thought that it would be slightly helpful at least. It was not. It was instead incomplete and incorrect.
Conclusions made are inconsistent - thing A is to be treated with caution because its safety for pregnant women is unproven, whereas thing B is considered safe because it has never been shown to cause problems. Where is the logic here? There is no difference between "never been shown to cause problems" and "safety unproven". And if there is a difference in the proven safety of these two things, it should be stated explicitly rather than left at these two vague comments.
Some statements are just plain incorrect. For example, it is stated that ovulation is the day of the basal body temperature rise, when in fact the temperature rise usually occurs the day following ovulation. Also, intercourse on this day is stated to give the best chance of conception. This is incorrect whichever way you look at it - intercourse on the day of the temperature rise is usually too late (being the day after ovulation, the egg is often dead by then), and intercourse on the day of ovulation is still not the best timing (for those who are interested, intercourse the day before ovulation is best, although difficult to time). I have to wonder what other "facts" in this book are downright wrong.
Finally, conclusions are drawn without sharing the information used to make them. It is claimed that a woman who has no immunity to rubella must get vaccinated, stating that the potential risks of the vaccine far outweigh the benefits. Nowhere is it mentioned that an adult woman receiving the rubella vaccine has much higher risk of serious medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and thrombocytopenia, and that according to the CDC the incidence of rubella in the US is extremely low. Whether or not the benefits of this vaccine outweigh the risks is something for women to decide for themselves, with all pertinent information.
Now, I would expect a book written by two doctors to side more often with medical gospel than not, but I was very surprised by the lack of portrayal of the other side of the issues. Or more to the point, that some things were treated as complete non-issues: women are encouraged to run right out and get the flu and chicken pox shots, with no mention of their risks or efficacy.
I should say that I did find the information on weight, diet, and exercise to be very thorough and mostly consistent with other reading I have done. Still, I simply cannot recommend this book.

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The 100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy: The Surprising Unbiased Truth about Foods You Should be Eating During Pregnancy but Probably Aren't Review

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(More customer reviews)When you are expecting, there is an overwhelming amount of rules: you can do this, you can't do that, eat this/not that... and there is an equally overwhelming number of books to read.
When I was pregnant with my daughter I bought and quickly returned many-a books. There was only 1 pregnancy book that I kept and if this below was released when I was pregnant, this would have been a book that I kept as well.
Jonny Bowden and Allison Tannis have put together a reference for moms-to-be to help you figure out what foods are best to eat during your pregnancy. Broken down into trimester, this book is very well organized and does not require you to read it cover-to-cover. Rather, you can read it on a need-to-know basis.
Not only do the authors fill you in on foods that you probably never thought of eating during your pregnancy that will make a difference in your baby's life, but they tell you why. They don't just say eat this and not that- they give you the medical reasons (in layman's terms) of why you should eat this or that and what good it will do for you and your baby.
The book includes "fast fact" boxes that will give you helpful and sometimes fun information such as:
* Vitamin B6 helps alleviate morning sickness.
* Anemia can show up during your second trimester if you're not getting enough iron.
* Iron supplementts commonly cause constipation. You may find them less of a problem if you take them on a full stomach and dink plenty of fluids.
Another helpful box you will find throughout the book is "Jonny's Tasty Tips." Here, the co-author highlights tasty ways for you to enjoy the foods that he is recommending. Some of these foods include:
* Chives, Leeks & Lamb during the first trimester.
* Figs, Chia Seeds & Watercress during the second trimester.
* Cranberries, Herring & Rhubarb during the third trimester.
The remaining chapters in the book cover pre- and post-natal days from fertility to breast feeding and everything in between. Giving you the knowledge about the best foods that you can eat
* to help with the aches, pains and complaints of pregnancy
* while breastfeeding your newest arrival
* during the post-partum period that may even help alleviate the symptoms of post-partum depression. According to the authors, there area foods that have "depression-fighting power"
* to help with your fertility and start you off with a healthy pregnancy before you even conceive.
A very important chapter, in my opinion, contains information on what the authors call "tricky foods and herbs." We have all heard of certain herbs, foods and/or activities that we should avoid while pregnant- especially during the first 12 weeks of a baby's development. Things like alcohol/caffeine consumption, artificial sweeteners, hot dogs (yum!), herbal supplements and more. The authors tackle these topics and give you the information that you need to make informed decisions regarding your lifestyle while pregnant.
To me, the book reads like an encyclopedia, not too overwhelming, easy to find the information you need and very well organized/broken down into sub-sections. I can open it up, find what I need and move on. Complete with color photos, nutritional information, fact boxes and more- I think this is a perfect addition to any pregnant woman's bookshelf- just to have as a reference. It would probably make a good gift for someone that you know is pregnant.

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Eat the best foods for your baby's development!

Nutrition is never more critical than during pregnancy. What you choose to put on your plate affects you and your baby's health not just in utero but for years to come. However, many nutritional guidelines for pregnancy are complex, confusing, and offer an uninspiring list of things to eat for the next nine months.

Backed up by the latest nutritional research, this guide debunks pregnancy food myths and uncovers a number of surprising food choices that are superfoods for expectant mothers.



This one-of-a-kind nutrition reference guide is also packed with helpful quick-reference charts and sidebars, highlighting healthy (but no less delicious!) substitutes for commonly craved foods like ice cream and potato chips. You'll also discover the most up-to-date research regarding pregnancy dilemmas, such as how to get more omega-3s from fish in your diet while avoiding mercury. It's pregnancy nutrition made easy!

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The Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook: Give Your Baby a Healthy Start with 100 Recipes That Adapt to Fit How You Feel Review

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(More customer reviews)Highly recommended. My wife got this book few weeks ago and we both love it. She for the tips and the other mothers stories and myself for being able to cook meals that suites her fluctuating moods. Its sure does make life easy to know that you there is a solution for every mood. Also like the guidelines on how to stock up so that we never run out of food, this is key. Great book :o)


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Every woman wants to eat her best. But eating well can be challenging during the best of times. During pregnancy it is aggravated with curveballs such as nausea, cravings, or life. Before you ruin your healthful intentions, check out The Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook, which offers a compromise by providing 100 recipes that meet every mother's needs by adapting them to her moods.Feeling nauseous? Turn Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins into a lemony-soup. Craving comfort foods? Modify Asian Cabbage Salad into a traditional but healthy treat. Ready to shed your baby pounds? Transform Fettucine with Mushrooms and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes into a beautiful salad. Feeling good today? Try some Broiled Salmon with Caramelized Fennel and Sweet Onion paired with Crisp Roasted Sweet Potatoes. And the Lemon Cookies and Devilicious Cupcakes are great for any mood.Easily customizable recipes also mean that mom-to-be and her family can sit down and enjoy the same meal, no matter how she's feeling. With helpful tips and options that minimize prep time, The Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook is a must-have for any expectant, new or not-so-new mother, who needs a flexible solution for preparing delicious, healthful, meals!As the founder of Mothers & Menus, Inc. and a busy mom of three, Karen Gurwitz knows how hard it can be to find time to take care of yourself. In The Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook, she encourages you to tune in to your body's needs and give yourself permission to honor your cravings. Her voice and the cookbook are a great accompaniment to your journey of motherhood, whether you are in the early stages, or have been on it for quite some time.

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The Pregnancy Cookbook, Revised and Expanded Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)THE PREGNANCY COOKBOOK is a good book, but not a great cookbook. It consists of two main sections, the first on nutrition and the second on recipes, plus appendices that list which recipes are particularly rich in each of four key nutrients (iron, folic acid, fiber and calcium). The Nutrition section contains good, readable information on nutrition. Even if you already have a good command of nutritional basics, as I did, this is good material.
The Recipes section is what I bought THE PREGNANCY COOKBOOK for, and what I give mixed reviews to. On the plus side, there are some very good, very nutritious recipes in here, including a number of dishes my husband gives an enthusiastic thumbs-up to. Issues I have with the recipes:
- Some of these recipes took me 1 1/2 - 2 hours to prepare, at least the first time. The time estimate given was nowhere close to that.
- The author's short time estimates for prep time either assume that you already have everything peeled and chopped/sliced or that you prep foods much faster than I do. Perhaps they are based on your having a food processor?
- Many recipes contain ingredients that I cannot easily find in a mainstream grocery store.
- Uncommon ingredients are not always glossed with an explanation, and no substitution is offered. For example, a recipe using pappardelle looked appealing. I had a vague idea that pappardelle was a type of pasta. Googling it confirmed that for me, and also let me know that fettuccine is a workable substitute. Checking at my grocery store, I found that indeed we do not have pappardelle, and I will be trying that recipe with fettuccine.
- Not all recipes are as well written a set of instructions as they could be. For example, starting the water for pasta was listed as step 7 of 8 on one recipe I tried last week. Fortunately, I preread the recipe and realized that needed to be step 1. Another recipe had me scrambling when it told me to do something with "the vegetables," except that it turned out that "the vegetables" did not include the red peppers, which were being reserved for another step.
- Serving sizes seem to be overly generous. Recipes described as providing "four main course servings" offer more like six at my house. I don't mind this a lot, but I have learned to plan for lots of leftovers when using these recipes.
- Sections could have been more clearly labeled visually. Finding the first trimester recipes was easy enough, but the only way to find the low calorie first trimester recipes is to find the end of the section and then flip forwards to look for the page that states that the low cal recipes start there.
- The introduction says that this revised version contains simpler recipes. For me, many of these still seem fairly complex. I use this for a couple of special dishes a week, rather than a source of everyday help. At my house, the pregnant woman is also the cook, so simpler is more of interest to me!
There are some recipes in here that I think are very, very good. If you get THE PREGNANCY COOKBOOK, I recommend trying: potatoes stuffed with spinach and broccoli (p. 195); spaghetti with turkey sausage, red bell peppers, onions and tomatoes (p. 207; my husband loves this); chilled sesame noodles with vegetables (p. 241, another winner with my husband, though we like a less sweet sauce); rigatoni with wild mushroom ragu (p. 244); chicken, broccoli and mushroom stroganoff (p. 247); turkey sausage with white beans, tomatoes and basil (p. 278; we didn't find lean turkey Italian sausage so we use lean turkey sausage and throw in some Italian spices).
As you may be able to guess from that list of recipes, my other comment would be that THE PREGNANCY COOKBOOK has a definite Italian-American slant. There is nothing wrong with that, but you do want to know!


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