The Pregnancy Test

by Melissa Heckscher, Emily Sikking

More than 150 serious questions from real moms-to-be,

     •  Can I ride a rollercoaster in my first trimester?
     •  Is it safe to pump my own gas?
     •  Why is hair growing around my belly button?
     •  Can I get pregnant when I’m already pregnant?
     •  If I’m stung by a bee, can it hurt the baby?
     •  If my baby only weighs one pound, why have I gained 15?

Test your own maternity savvy—then turn the page and find out what the experts say!

Being pregnant is no joke. So why are your family and friends laughing at so many of your questions about it? As an expectant mom, you need   to know whether it’s okay to pump your own gas. You need   to know whether one little cup of coffee will make your baby come out all jittery. That’s why authors Melissa Heckscher and Dr. Emily Sikking have prepared The Pregnancy   part multiple-choice quiz and part maternity reference book, offering carefully researched and informative answers to the most important, embarrassing, and slightly neurotic questions every mom-to-be has ever wondered. At long last—the whole truth about what to expect while you’re expecting!

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Melissa Heckscher is a freelance writer and columnist living in Los Angeles. She is the author of nine books, including BE HAPPY THAT... This Book Isn't Coated in Poison (Random House, 2009), DIS-Missals: Do-It-Yourself Rejection Letters for Any Occasion (Random House, 2008), BE SAFE! Simple Strategies for Death-Free Living (Quirk Books, 2004), and The Mysterious Times: Strange Stories of 30 Real Life Mysteries (Scholastic, 2004). Her latest book, The Pregnancy Test (Quirk Books) was released in 2011.

She began her career long, long ago as an editorial assistant at the Times Picayune in New Orleans and went on to work as a staff writer for The Monterey County Herald, AOL's Digital City, New York 1 News, and the Daily Breeze. She has also written for Maxim Magazine Online, LA.com, The New York Sun, and the Associated Press.

She lives in Manhattan Beach with her three boys: husband Noah and sons Gabriel and Max.

[From http://melissaheckscher.com]

Reviews

[Sara Grace]

Quick read and a good way to start reading about pregnancies. Some of the questions and answers were a little silly, but I guess it's better to know either way.

There was one question I found a little offensive. It was about "showing" by your 20th week. She says that only out of shape mothers show that early. However, in the last paragraph, she says obviously, if you're having multiples or petite, etc. you'd show too. I just think that could have been worded a little more respectfully.

[Angie]

Reads more like an amusing pamphlet than a book. A quick skim vs an in depth read.

[Lenore Webb]

"The Pregnancy Test" to help out the new momma. I think she will be thrilled with this one. It has 150 of those questions we do not want to ask out loud. And most of all, the answers too! You know the ones....can I ride a horse, is it okay to burn scented candles and why do my nipples sting. Odd ones for sure but they cross our mind when we are thinking of our unborn. What ones did you have or hear. The one I have always hated hearing was that cats were dangerous to newborns. Of course we would not have them sleeping in the crib with them. But they are not going to suck the life out of them.

[Erin]

Funny little multiple choice questions about odd pregnancy things. A quick read and fun book.