Hoe meer chocola, hoe zoeter je baby?

by Jena Pincott

Ontdek waarom de feiten over zwangerschap leuker zijn dan de fabels

Is het echt zo dat een puntige buik op een jongen duidt en veel misselijkheid op een meisje? Krijgen dunne vrouwen vaker een meisje? En hebben chocoladeliefhebbers meer kans op een rustige baby?

Pincott maakt een fascinerende tour langs de vaak onbekende en soms merkwaardige wetenschap van zwangerschap. Op nuchtere en humorvolle wijze beantwoordt ze vragen zoals: Waarom vinden veel zwangere vrouwen dat hun partner stinkt? Hoe komt het dat veel vaders dikker worden tijdens de zwangerschap van hun partner? En waarom is een gigantisch hoofd bij een baby, ondanks dat het er misschien verontrustend uitziet, juist een goed teken? Het resultaat is een vermakelijk en spitsvondig boek voor iedereen wiens interesse wat verder gaat dan de gebruikelijke: ‘Je baby heeft nu de grootte van een [vul exotische vrucht in]‘.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Science, Health, Medical, Reference, Adult

341 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2011

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best pregnancy book I've read.

During the early stages of my first pregnancy, I found myself famished for information. The 'What to expect' type books provided me with the dry superficial answers (yeah yeah, hormones, increased blood circulation, I get it), and even worse, I was occasionally shocked at the astounding amount of ignorance, wives tales and misinformation out there in the form of online forums and blogs (which I have since banned myself from out of frustration). I wanted more!
Pincott's book literally addressed every single question I had - from the real benefits of breastfeeding to the evolutionary causes of nausea - and a world of theories I would never even have considered. It's also presented personably, integrating Pincott's own first hand experience as a pregnant mother, so that it was wholly a pretty entertaining read.

For those critiquing the superficial or unbalanced sourcing of Pincott's research I would argue that ultimately this is book is designing as entertainment, not a scientific journal or debate. Take or leave her sources, or elaborate on her theories with your own research. Even though several of the studies she describes are isolated, I found they certainly stimulated my interest and had me thinking of my own pregnancy in entirely new ways.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

So once you're over reading "What to Expect" and similar titles that overload you with jargon and compares your baby's development to various fruits, any pregnant woman will be grateful for this read. Thoughtful, engrossing, and from a mother's point-of-view (a mother whose point-of-view happens to be synthesized from a host of recent/vetted scientific studies), this is a collection of answers to all the questions you've been asking, and some that you haven't thought to ask but are really compelled to read about. Does what you eat while pregnant impact your child's personality? How is your baby's sex determined? Do babies know they are human before they are born? Find out! Easy to skim, start and stop reading, this book is brain candy in easy to digest bites, which comes in handy as most moms to be are pretty busy and easily distracted (read the chapter on "pregnesia")

[Hope · Rating 2 out of 5]

A look at various scientific studies surrounding the physical, physiological, and hormonal circumstances of pregnancy. I really wanted to like this book, but in the end, I kept wishing it was written by Mary Roach (writer of Bonk, Packing for Mars etc). Pincott provides lots of studies, but no skepticism about any of them, most of which had only 20 participants, which is far too small a sample to make any sweeping claims. Way too much weight is given to evolutionary psychology studies that sound pretty dubious. She shows no credulity or common sense about some of the findings - she suggests 10 oz of chocolate a day?! - and reveals many of her own neuroses along the way. That would be fine, if the book was supposed to be about her, say as a memoir, but it isn't positioned that way, so it just gets irritating. And for someone who has done so much research into the science of pregnancy and child-birth, she comes off as rather dim-witted about the actual process.

[nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far my favorite pregnancy book so far and maybe even one of my all-time favorite science books. I loved the way in which Pincott wove her own personal stories with studies centered around a particular question. The style was always engaging, using language that explained the research without going over the reader’s head. The range of questions had a nice scope and I enjoyed learning more on the work being done to understand diet, genetics, and breast milk. I plan on picking up a copy of this to refer back to often, as there are literally so many facts I couldn’t keep them straight, especially when trying to relate them to my mom while driving home from work chowing down on a Wawa chocolate chip cookie (a craving that I blame competently on this book cover).

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fabulous. It delved into the science of pregnancy (everything from morning sickness to colic) in terms that were easy to understand and enjoyable. I have a science background (my bachelor's was in Physiology and Developmental Biology with a lot of emphasis and fetal development and reproduction) and while there were some terms that I was familiar with, a lot of the science the author produced was new to me. She obviously did her research and did it well. Jena Pincott knows her stuff and comes off completely credible.

[Valerie Butera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read a million books about parenting and babies and what to do with one (I sure as hell didn't know) while I was pregnant - I only enjoyed 2 - and this was my very favorite. A compilation of many studies on babies and what's going on while they're in the womb (primarily) with a little about about what happens right after they arrive. It's truly a fun and informative read for expectant moms.

[Liz Robey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on pregnancy I’ve read. Really fascinating info in here and a fun read to boot!

[Literary Mama]

It's a thought as tempting as chocolate itself: devouring that entire box of Ferrero Rocher in your second trimester not only helps you de-stress but sweetens your baby's temperament too. Could it be true? To find out, you'll have to read Jena Pincott's new book, Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies? And after you savor the chapter on chocolate, you'll discover the science behind morning sickness, mamas boys, daddy genes -- and every other question you might have about pregnancy.

Read Literary Mama's full review here: http://www.literarymama.com/blog/arch...

Part of Literary Mama's "Mother's Day Essential Reading" list. Read the whole list here: http://www.literarymama.com/litreflec...

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes there's a book that melds what you want to read with how you want to read about it. This is one of those, for me. I LOVE learning about pregnancy and what my body is going through. Not only do I get to learn about that in Jena Pincott's book, I also get to learn why, evolutionarily, we developed that way. It's a win-win. The book follows questions from if morning sickness (aka all-day-all-the-time sickness) is useful all the way to does the mood moms are in when they breastfeed affect their baby's mood. The chapters are broken down into easy to swallow question and answer format, that also follow the timeline of a pregnancy. The reader will get additional humor from the author as she is writing during her own pregnancy and birth of her daughter. Amazing book that all moms-to-be who are science lovers should read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulously researched, this book is a lot of fun. Written in an engaging, conversational style, it nevertheless packs a scientific punch. Pincott manages to disseminate information in a way that's accessible to those of us who don't have PhDs, or even more than a passing interest in science. But she's at her absolute best when she shares personal anecdotes about her pregnancy, her childbirth experience, and the first few months at home with her new baby. I would have happily read another book just about her personal experiences.

[Laura Nowlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for learning about what is going on in your body while you're pregnant, (and why it's going on!) and it was mostly an enjoyable read.
HOWEVER I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO IS NOT MARRIED IN A HETERONORMATIVE RELATIONSHIP. The author addresses the reader as if every pregnant woman is married, and married to a man at that. I'm pregnant by my husband and I was still made uncomfortable by this attitude. I would not recommend this unmarried and/or single mothers, or lesbian couples.

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was strongest when describing biology and weakest when it attempted to report evolutionary psychology as 'fact'. Trying to come at pregnancy issues from a scientific perspective is fantastic, but really really annoying when hotly debated theories are discussed as truths.
This book is a must read for anyone who believes in 'the god gene' or 'the gay gene' but probably not for anthropologists who dislike evolutionary psychology.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I've read. It's educational, interesting, and entertaining. It provides information you don't find in traditional pregnancy books that is supported by research. I'd recommend this book to anyone, pregnant or not. It definitely changed how I made decisions during my pregnancy (epigenetics are no joke).

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO informative and interesting, especially since I am pregnant!! If you enjoy reading about research-based studies, this is a good book for you, as the author will review the studies and then explain it in terms that are understandable and make sense!

[Heather Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

I read this book each time I’m pregnant just to remind myself what a miracle pregnancy, birthing, and raising a child is. I loved the science behind it all as well. Very well researched!

[Mainon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler alert: the tentative answer to the question in the title is yes, probably. The scientific theory is that some of the chemicals in chocolate inhibit the effect of the mother's stress hormones on the fetus. So if a mother is stressed during pregnancy, her child is more likely to be fearful and fussy, but chocolate ameliorates some of that effect, so the child is likely to have a somewhat sweeter disposition.
I didn't feel quite as confident in the author's scientific explanations or sourcing as I did, for instance, with Emily Oster in Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong - and What You Really Need to Know, but I *have* been more forgiving of my occasional chocolate cravings. :)
There are lots of other interesting factoids/hypotheses in this book that probably won't change the way you pregnant (that's a phrase, right?), but might give you something to think about as you contemplate the changes happening. For example:

One exploratory study found that women who had pregnancy sickness have up to a 30 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer later in life, thanks to a protective benefit of high hCG on breast tissue.

That seems like a silver lining! As is this:

Several delightful studies have found that expectant mothers over thirty years old are less likely to get striae gravidarum [stretch marks], presumably because older skin has less elasticity and stretches less.

Hurray for qualifying as "advanced maternal age"... and if you have nightmares during pregnancy, the silver linings keep on coming.

Pregnant dreamers have a shorter labor than nondreamers—nearly an hour less, on average. Among the dreamers, those who had vivid nightmares had significantly faster deliveries than those who had pleasant dreams only. They also have a significantly decreased risk of postpartum depression.

File this one under weird factoid:

I am now in the middle of my second trimester, which is when my baby should gulp down more than two soda cans worth of amniotic fluid daily.

And finally, one of my favorite weird things to think about:

One study found that if a woman becomes pregnant within the first four months of a relationship, her risk of developing preeclampsia is twelve times higher than if she had been with her partner for at least a year. This is evolution’s dark side, according to evolutionary psychologists Gordon Gallup Jr. and Jennifer Davis. The body, when exposed to unfamiliar semen, may assume the timing of the pregnancy is not good. But repeated sex before and during pregnancy has what researchers call a “partner-specific protective effect.”

So there you have it! I enjoyed this book quite a lot, even though as I mentioned, I would have liked more info about the referenced studies so that I felt more confident in their reliability. I have no idea whether any of these studies were particularly high-quality or low-quality, whether other studies have reached opposite conclusions, etc. So take everything with a grain of salt, but hey, I've been craving some salt anyway.

[Sara Fukuda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly delightful.

Essentially a book with fun pregnancy/birth/baby facts.

Things like how women who eat chocolate daily have been proven to have babies with sweeter temperaments:
And pregnant women who were previously attracted to their partners BO will become violently ill at the same BO smell, thanks to a surge in progesterone. Interestingly, women on hormonal birth control (synthetic progesterone) are more likely to choose mates who have a similar smell/genetic makeup to themselves, where women not on hormonal birth control will choose mates with very different genetic makeup and are more likely to have kids with better immune systems thanks to the diverse genes of the patents. The reason for the pregnant women becoming nauseated by her partner is thought to be that she is trying to build her tribe, and wanting to hang out with people related to her who will help raise the baby while Dad goes out and hunts and gathers.

I love all things pregnancy, birth, and baby so this book was basically written for ME specifically. I ate it up, highly highly recommend. So much fun!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm due with my first child in November, and so diving into the world of pregnancy literature for the first time. In general I have found pregnancy guides to be pretty disappointing and frustrating, so I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed this alternative to standard pregnancy books. (I ate some chocolate while I read it, just in case!) Pregnancy is such a strange and mysterious time, for both mother and fetus... I would say one of the main takeaways from this book is that we still don't - and might not ever - really understand all the complicated processes occurring during pregnancy. But we do have some incredible ideas about what MIGHT be happening! That's what the book is really all about.

It was fascinating to read about various theories and studies (especially those on gender formation, speaking "motherese," and breast milk), though I'll admit I sometimes skimmed over the more technical details. I agree with another reviewer that one of the best parts of the book was hearing how the author applied her thinking to her own pregnancy, and hearing her personal experiences and concerns along the way. I also liked how she condensed her findings in the end in a "to do" list of recommendations. (Many of which I was already following.) Reading her research cemented my desire to have skin-to-skin contact immediately following birth.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that this one was full of the science of pregnancy....except that a lot of the research that is referenced in this book seems pretty weak. It's good to talk science vs. myth to crazy pregnant people like me who every bodily change I immediately analyze and determine what this means in the overall scheme of pregnancy...Do I have too much morning sickness? not enough? If my chest isn't growing am I having a boy? If I'm only craving fried chicken will my baby come out shaped like a fried chicken wing?...you get the idea. However, some of the scientific studies may show that there is only slightly (a .05%) chance that if you're chest isn't growing as fast as other's say it is...you'll be having a boy...probably isn't all that great to tell first time preggos like myself. If you go into the book knowing you're a crazy person, then it's a fun read!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pregnant colleague was reading Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies? and she kept telling me about all the funky science she was learning. I bit, and borrowed it from her when she finished. No regrets! This was a fascinating read even for a non-pregnant person such as myself. Lots of interesting, delicious tidbits, relayed in humorous, accessible writing. Don't skip this just because you're not expecting, it's a straight-up great read overall.

[Dana Arbelaez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, written in a way that helps you wrap your mind around some of the crazier parts of being pregnant. I'd say a MUST READ for anyone who's a parent or about to become a parent, or really anyone who's interested in the science of being pregnant...there's just too much good stuff to take away and think about.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read lots and lots of pregnancy books, but this one was a bit different. It is full of research- reliable research- on the science behind pregnancy. Our bodies are so amazing. I had to keep calling my mom and friends to read them passages. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone even thinking about becoming pregnant.

[Kit · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know. The author has some pretty weak scientific credentials, and then after I read more of her work and she talked about the studies she used to draw her conclusions, the less I trusted her analysis of the studies. Plus, some of what she says about gender, fat people, etc... was kind of offensive.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great.
I could read a book that wasn't "Your pregnancy..." or "Your baby...", but even a scientific text - and yet I could obsess even more about our little bundle to come.

The book was easy to read, in short chapters; it was entertaining and very educational.

I highly recommend it.

[Deana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book full of fascinating findings from recent scientific research, all in the context of the author's own pregnancy. The title drew me in, but it's actually much more substantial, delving into biology, epigenentics, psychology, and other areas of science. What did I learn? Pregnancy is weird.

[Kayt Sukel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and so much fun--the perfet remedy for those boring (and somewhat scary) What to Expect books.

[Penney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not often a meta analysis is this engrossing, enlightening and just plain interesting. A good read for expecting parents who want more than a week by week fruit comparison.

[Whitney Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was without a doubt my favorite pregnancy related book! The questions answered were fascinating, funny, and felt like brain food. Definitely worth reading, pregnant or not!

[Maher Razouk · Rating 5 out of 5]

إليكم بعض مفارقات الحمل:


تكون المعدة في أضعف حالاتها عندما نحتاجها أن تكون في أقوى حالاتها. حتى عندما يسرق الجنين العناصر الغذائية من أجسامنا، فإننا نميل إلى تطهير كل ما نتمكن من استهلاكه. على الرغم من أنك تعتقد أننا نتوق إلى أي شيء مغذٍ، إلا أنه غالبًا ما تكون الوجبات السريعة هي التي لا يمكن مقاومتها. لماذا تجعلنا الخضار نشعر بالغثيان، في حين أن الفطيرة تكون جيدة؟

لا شيء من هذا يصبح منطقيا حتى نفكر في مدى قدرة الأطعمة الصحية واللطيفة على مهاجمة الأجنة. اللحوم قد تستضيف البكتيريا والفيروسات. الجبن يعد مزرعة للبكتيريا والفطريات. الخضار تنتج البكتيريا. تحتوي بعض الخضروات على مركبات تسمى المواد الكيميائية النباتية التي تؤدي إلى استجابة مناعية، وبعض الأعشاب التي يتم تناولها بكميات زائدة قد تسبب تشوهات خلقية.

يمكنك تحمل كميات صغيرة من السموم إذا كان لديك جهاز مناعة ناضج ومكتفي بذاته. لكن الجنين لا يمتلك واحدًا، لذلك يحتاج إلى الحماية. وأفضل طريقة يمكن أن يدافع بها التطوّر عن الجنين هي الحد من تعرض أمه للسموم عن طريق منحها الغثيان والقيء ونفورها من الطعام والرائحة.

هذه هي نظرية الحماية الجنينية، وهي التفسير الأكثر شيوعًا لسبب إصابة الكثير من النساء - 75 بالمائة أو أكثر - بالغثيان والقيء في الأشهر الثلاثة الأولى من الحمل.( الغثيان الصباحي هو تسمية خاطئة؛ إنه في الواقع غثيان في أي وقت وفي كل الأوقات)

توصلت مارجي بروفيت، الأستاذة في جامعة هارفارد، إلى هذه النظرية في الثمانينيات، وكانت مثيرة للجدل حتى قام اثنان من الباحثين في جامعة كورنيل، صامويل فلاكسمان و ومستشاره في مرحلة ما بعد الدكتوراه، بول شيرمان، مؤخرًا بوضعها على المحك. حللوا أكثر من تسعة وسبعين ألف حالة حمل من جميع أنحاء العالم، ووجدوا دليلاً يدعم فكرة أن الغثيان والقيء له غرض، وهو حماية الجنين.

أحد الأدلة الداعمة هو أن غثيان الحمل يصيب الأم عندما يكون الجنين أكثر عرضة للخطر: يبدأ في حوالي ستة أسابيع من الحمل، ويصل إلى ذروته بين الأسبوعين التاسع والرابع عشر عندما تصبح المضغة جنينًا رسميًا.

يمكن للفيروسات والبكتيريا والسموم أن تمحو الجنين أو تسبب له عيوبًا خَلقية ومضاعفات ، لذلك حتى في الأشهر الثلاثة الأولى تضعف الاستجابة المناعية مؤقتًا حتى لا يتم رفض الجنين.
وبينما نشعر أننا ننهار، يكتسب الجنين زخمًا. تنقسم خلاياه وتتمايز، وتتشكل أسس الدماغ والحبل الشوكي والقلب والمبيضين أو الخصيتين والحنجرة والأذن الداخلية. هناك مصطلح طبي رائع لهذا: تكوين الأعضاء. وبحلول الوقت الذي ينتهي فيه غثيان الحمل، في الأسبوع العشرين تقريبًا، تكون هذه العملية قد اكتملت. أصبح الجنين الآن جنينًا رسميًا، وله وجه إنساني.
.
Jena Pincott
Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?
Translated By #Maher_Razouk

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended; I wanted to like it more than I did. It's based on a lot of scientific studies, but I had two issues with that from the beginning:

1. my mother used to worriedly send me newspaper clippings of scientific studies when I was away at college, as a way to warn me not to do/eat this thing or else I was going to die of cancer....so I didn't find reading about scientific studies about pregnancy particularly enjoyable while pregnant.

2. Many studies mentioned are gendered and based in what I hope are outdated assumptions about gender. One study in particular based its evidence on how much people pursued "male professions" (ex. engineering) vs. "female professions" (ex. nursing) later in life. Um, yikes? I'm still a little bitter because I blame society for discouraging me from becoming an entomologist (what I wanted to be when I grew up), so I'm sensitive about this one.

Other than that, the book was entertaining and fun. The best part was learning that indulging in up to 10 oz (!!!) of dark chocolate daily could make my baby happier and more easy-going. You don't have to tell me that one twice!