The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: An All-Canadian Guide to Conception, Birth and Everything In Between

by Ann Douglas

If you're looking for the inside scoop on what it's really like to have a baby, you've come to the right place. This comprehensive guide features a friendly, fresh, and fun approach to the greatest adventure life has to offer. Based on the best advice from over 100 Canadian parents and panel of experts, this information is served up with a uniquely Canadian spin. The Mother of All Pregnancy Books is funny, entertaining, and packed with tons of nuts-and-bolts information and presents expectant parents with all the facts on such perennial hot topics as pain relief during labor, episiotomy, and circumcision, empowering them to make informed personal choices. Unique and innovative, this book is packed with helpful tools readers won't find anywhere else, including charts highlighting the risks of using various over-the-counter drug products during pregnancy, tables summarizing the functions of the 10 most important nutrients during pregnancy, lists of the 10 best-and worst-baby products, and much, much more. Featuring a glossary of pregnancy-related terms, a sample birth plan and a set of emergency childbirth procedures, The Mother of All Pregnancy Books isn't afraid to tackle difficult subjects, like infertility, high-risk pregnancy, and pregnancy and infant loss -- topics that most other pregnancy books shy away from. New features include:

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Health, Reference, Canada, 21st Century

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Ann Douglas sparks conversations that matter about parenting and mental health. She is a bestselling parenting book author and the former parenting columnist for The Toronto Star and CBC Radio. Her most recent book -- Navigating the Messy Middle: A Fiercely Honest and Wildly Encouraging Guide for Midlife Women -- has just been published in Canada, the US, and the UK.

Ann is also the author of Happy Parents Happy Kids, Parenting Through the Storm: How to Handle the Highs, the Lows, and Everything in Between, and the creator of The Mother of All Books series: The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, The Mother of All Baby Books, The Mother of All Toddler Books, The Mother of All Parenting Books and The Mother of All Pregnancy Organizers.

A passionate and inspiring speaker, Ann delivers keynote addresses and leads small-group workshops at health and parenting conferences. If you've already met Ann via one her books, you know what you can expect from one of her presentations: to be inspired, informed, and entertained. Not only will she shift your thinking about parenting: she’ll move you to action as well—and in a way that leaves you feeling confident and capable as opposed to anxious, guilty, or overwhelmed.

You can connect with Ann on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked that this was a Canadian resource. The author took a no nonsense approach, but did not ever use scare tactics. I found that I trusted the resource at face value, as opposed to other books which I felt I had to take with a grain of salt.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeming this book done as I managed to read the scary final section about labour (nota bene, I skipped all the scary stuff in the middle about possible weird symptoms that haven’t materialized)

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very informative and also wasn't biased about certain things. The book talks about everything from deciding to get pregnant, conception, pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. It included a lot of information, a variety of different charts, information on diet, questions to ask your doctors, different options during labor and what to expect postpartum. Most of the information I have read in other books but I especially liked the information in this book regarding the postpartum period, as it was extremely informative about things I previously hadn't read about. Each chapter also included little stories from real women to help put things in perspective. Overall, I thought it was good basic guide to conception, pregnancy and birth, especially if you aren't leaning one way or the other (natural vs. medicated birth). However, this edition hasn't been updated since 2002, so I would suggest if buying this book to get the updated edition from 2012.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book Ive read on pregnancy. Its a pretty good primer as far as I can tell. We are looking into starting our family which is what prompted me to get this book.

I like the way this is written - it includes excerpts from mothers on nearly every page which helps give a human touch to what can be a very clinical subject

I picked up this book because it was one of the few that had a chapter about "are you ready to have kids?" which is really the main question Ive been asking myself. Douglas gives several funny examples of why NOT to have kids and ultimately says 'theres always more excuses not to have kids than reasons to have them,so if you want a family just do it!'

While one of my friends told me that there is no way anyone or any book can prepare you for having kids (which I would agree with) I at least feel a little more informed about the process and what types of things to expect and/or look out for at different stages of pregnancy.

One idea I really liked was using a doula to aid in the delivery. Douglas defines a doula as a "labor coach" to help you through the delivery and deal with the medical staff.

The book is well written and lighthearted. Douglas does a good job of presenting the facts without being judgemental - while discussing the benefits of breastfeeding she also includes examples of women whose babies would not breast feed.

[Slayermel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book, it was full of facts and written by a Canadian for Canadians. This was great as the topics of health care and maternity leave are drastically different between the states and Canada.

One of the things that I really enjoyed was that the author stayed factual and used mothers and pregnant women who had been through various situations to tell you facts as well. Opinions where not shoved at you and various view points where looked at.

This book can be read straight through like I did, or used as a reference guise. It touches on the whole process from trying to conceive to what happens once the baby has finally arrived.
The other thing I will hand to the author is the fact that she didn't sugar coat anything, it felt like someone you knew sitting across from you telling you the good things and the bad things you can expect. I find a lot of books tend to gloss right over any negatives.

I would recommend this book to any expectant parent.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a book that lays it all out in easy to understand terms. While scary at times (who knew your baby had a coat of hair in the womb), it's a pretty informative book that is easy to read and digest. The tone that the author uses is great, very conversational. She is not very technical which is a nice change of pace. Covers a lot of topics, conception, prenatal nutrition, foods and medicines that are bad for the baby and hinder development. Attempts to ease your fears (if that's even possible when thinking about starting a family). Also covers how much weight the average person should gain, exercises that are safe and can help prepare your body for labor.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great update to the one I previously had. This book (and the others in the series) is extremely well written, informative and enjoyable to read. I love that it is Canadian as i could relate to it so well. While it didn't shy away from the seriousness of some situations that can occur in pregnancy it didn't dwell on them or scare you silly. It is filled with humor and mom stories which is part of what it makes it so enjoyable to read. Totally, recommend it! I also must mention I received this free through Good Reads First Read program. Great program!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. So far, I've noticed pregnancy books fall into three categories: the ones telling you how magical it is and use words like 'ancestresses', the 'funny' ones that mainly joke about the presumed uselessness of husbands, and the research based straightforward ones like this one. On controversial decisions (circumcision, midwives) I felt like it gave the research and information on both sides and was very fair, and that all the suggestions were backed up by science and well-defined best practice.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read an out-dated version - really want to read the new one.

This is a great Canadian resource for all things pregnancy and birth-related (and as a bonus, I've heard that the author is from my hometown - Peterborough, ON). I've been borrowing various pregnancy books from the library and testing them out before I buy one for myself - and this one has definitely made the "to own one of my own" list!

[Chelsea Phelan-Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was brilliant. It comes from a Canadian point of view and had the answers to all of my questions. This books covers topics from both side of the spectrum. The first chapter covers questions and answers that should be addressed before even attempting to get pregnant. It was very informative. Then it continues through to the conception to pregnancy and beyond. This book will be with me throughout the entire process, and I am thankful to have it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

FANTASTIC book. No fear-mongering, open to discussion about midwifery and all aspects of pregnancy and birth, including loss and grieving. DEFINITELY read this book if you are pregnant. The only complaint I have about it is that it is too short. HOWEVER there are other books that can give you any of the information you can't find here. Love the fact that it is Canadian, and thus relevant to me (particularly labour laws and information about birth certificates, etc.).

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book mainly because it was informative without being preachy. Reading pregnancy books can make you insane. Seriously. "Eat fish or your baby will be stupid!" "Don't eat fish - you'll poison your baby with mercury!"

This one manages to generally tell all sides of the story and still let you make up your own mind.

[Virginia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part of this book is that it's a quick and easy reference manual. I particularly liked the charts and lists of pregnancy ailments. That's helpful - especially when you're suffering from one of them and couldn't find it easily in any other pregnancy book!

It's not the week-to-week variety type of book, but still very useful for a quick overview and refresher course!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the voice of this book. It is the only book that makes me feel that just because my body is doing different things than the "norm", I have nothing to fear. The author does a really great job of making the reader feel like pregnancy is unique for every woman and baby.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd recommend this book to anyone who's pregnant or thinking about it. It tells you pretty much anything you might want to know about pregnancy. It's fun to read, too, and has "extras" on in the margins, etc, which gives a nice break from reading the book straight through.

[Kelly Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a pregnancy book that gives a good overview without being too medicalized, and this one's pretty good. The author is pretty balanced on information about medical versus natural births, breastfeeding, and so on.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a borrow from Suzy. It was extremely helpful, especially right away when you find out you are pregnant and do not get a lot of direction from professionals at the hospitals. Highly recommended for the first-timer at pregnancy!

[Lin Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best pregnancy book for Canadian parents, this one covers everything!

I keep it on my bedside table so I can refer to it frequently. I love that I can check my symptoms, find out what I can and can't eat, and get great tips on how to handle pregnancy.

Her other books are also excellent!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Ann Douglas has a practical, open minded approach to pregnancy and child birth that isn't knee jerk or hysterical like a lot of books out there. I like her week by week chart as well as her chapter on the 8th month and labor and what you really need to buy for your baby.

[Micaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the first book I recommend to people when I find out that they're expecting a baby. I love how Ms Douglas' writing feels like you're chatting with an old friend. The information is excellent, she has empathy for expecting parents, and the material never feels dry.

[Tracy Quinn McLennan]

I read a lot of books when I was pregnant, and I enjoyed this one the best. Because the author quotes real women, the anecdotes make the book fun to read and informational at the same time.

[Arctic · Rating 4 out of 5]

best pregnancy book of the bunch. easy to read, and well indexed.

[Sheena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book for anyone thinking about having children of if you are already pregnant! I really liked the information and it was a fun read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one the first time around with Chloe and I have referred back to it several times during this pregnancy too.

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone expecting a baby !!

[Tia Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite. Everything I was wondering is at the very least addressed. I will re-read this time and time again!

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was wonderful to find a book with references to the Canadian health care system.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, full of all kinds of pregnancy information that I never even knew existed. This is the only book you will ever need when it comes to pregnancy!

[Andrea Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, I recommend reading this one. Fabulous, evidence-based, helpful Canadian information.

[Loni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like this book was very informative and easy to read.