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Common Sense Pregnancy: Navigating a Healthy Pregnancy and Birth for Mother and Baby
Become a mama without the drama
When you’re pregnant, your friends, the Internet, and even your doctor often give advice that leaves you anxious and overwhelmed. You deserve a calm, straightforward, no-nonsense pregnancy. It’s time to dial down the stress and dial up the common sense. Common Sense Pregnancy is a breath of fresh accessible, authoritative, funny, reassuring, and personable, while still chock-full of comprehensive, medically-sound advice. Women's health expert, labor nurse, mother of four, and Fit Pregnancy.com columnist Jeanne Faulkner has been at the bedside for thousands of deliveries and provides the honest insider advice you need during pregnancy, labor, birth, and beyond, including straight talk
· Which prenatal tests you actually need, and which you don’t.
· Who’s on your labor team—and how to keep your labor room drama free.
· What about sex?
· How to deal with feeling lousy.
· What works and what doesn’t for starting labor naturally.
· How to avoid unnecessary and risky medical interventions.
Whether you want your pregnancy and birth to be all natural, all medical, or something in between, Common Sense Pregnancy eliminates the fear and puts you in charge of your body and prenatal experience, and helps you make the right choices for you and your baby.
When you’re pregnant, your friends, the Internet, and even your doctor often give advice that leaves you anxious and overwhelmed. You deserve a calm, straightforward, no-nonsense pregnancy. It’s time to dial down the stress and dial up the common sense. Common Sense Pregnancy is a breath of fresh accessible, authoritative, funny, reassuring, and personable, while still chock-full of comprehensive, medically-sound advice. Women's health expert, labor nurse, mother of four, and Fit Pregnancy.com columnist Jeanne Faulkner has been at the bedside for thousands of deliveries and provides the honest insider advice you need during pregnancy, labor, birth, and beyond, including straight talk
· Which prenatal tests you actually need, and which you don’t.
· Who’s on your labor team—and how to keep your labor room drama free.
· What about sex?
· How to deal with feeling lousy.
· What works and what doesn’t for starting labor naturally.
· How to avoid unnecessary and risky medical interventions.
Whether you want your pregnancy and birth to be all natural, all medical, or something in between, Common Sense Pregnancy eliminates the fear and puts you in charge of your body and prenatal experience, and helps you make the right choices for you and your baby.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 9, 2015
58 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 14, 2015
This will likely be THE book I give to friends who discover they're expecting. Just as you would expect from the name, it's a thorough and easy to read guide that walks you through most of the important decisions you'll have to make while pregnant.
What I appreciated most was that you're given both sides of each situation - there's no agenda here! You know you want an epidural? She explains what you need to know. Considering going all natural? She gives tips, guidelines, suggests methods to research more - and ensures that you don't feel bad if you change your mind later.
I'd recommend this as the first book any pregnant woman reads while beginning to make medical decisions about pregnancy and birth. From here, you'll know what to focus on and research further.
What I appreciated most was that you're given both sides of each situation - there's no agenda here! You know you want an epidural? She explains what you need to know. Considering going all natural? She gives tips, guidelines, suggests methods to research more - and ensures that you don't feel bad if you change your mind later.
I'd recommend this as the first book any pregnant woman reads while beginning to make medical decisions about pregnancy and birth. From here, you'll know what to focus on and research further.
July 4, 2018
Y’all-, I can not recommend this book highly enough. Forget about What to Expect When You’re Expecting, this is THE book you and your mama friends will need/want to read when you’re pregnant. It’s simple, straightforward, and just like the title suggests-COMMON SENSE. This moves away from the fear-based, highly medicalized birth model and more towards the midwife model. I’ve read it twice and my husband enjoyed it as well. I kid you not-THE BEST PREGNANCY BOOK.
November 13, 2018
Meh, this was fine.
I found the most valuable section to be the postpartum/"what to do with your new little blob" stuff - that is, what to expect in terms of the process of recovery from giving birth, the proper care and feeding of your newborn, and the logistics of pumping breastmilk. The labor and delivery section was also pretty helpful; quite detailed in, e.g., the stages of labor, how an epidural gets inserted, and so on. The pregnancy stuff was fine.
I didn't love the tone though, and I still WAAAY prefer Emily Oster's Expecting Better for a number of reasons:
- I have a small professional connection with Oster (I did some work for her and a co-author), but, more importantly:
- We come from the same domain (economics) and speak the same language about risk, uncertainty, statistical significance, and hypothesis testing.
One thing I did NOT realize before getting pregnant and visiting those godawful "fourth ring of Dante's Inferno" online pregnancy forums is that there (a) is such a thing as "Mommy Wars" and (b) there are deeply entrenched ideological camps - akin to the polarization in US politics - related to the topics of breastfeeding, labor + delivery, and (most notoriously and radicalized) vaccines. I missed the memo on all of this, and I STILL don't understand why I'm supposed to despise the C-section rate in America, value a natural (i.e. pain medication free) childbirth, or create a "birth plan".
(A note about C-sections: the rate in the US is about 1 in 3, which is widely considered - on online forums, in blogs, in this book, at the midwife meetup I went to - to be very terribly bad. I'm not a physician, but I didn't understand why: do these C-sections result in bad outcomes? It was often implied, but - what bad things? How often? Why? I wanted to know, and it's been hard to get straight, statistical information about it. At the midwife meetup, they implied it was caused by a lack of widespread midwifery, and its effects were to increase maternal mortality (!). I looked it up: the C-section rate in Germany, where midwives deliver babies, epidurals are rarer than in the US, and OBs are only on hand in emergencies, the rate is 31% - while, in the US, it's 33%. In Italy, it's 36%. The US's maternal mortality is a lot higher than other developed countries (e.g. Germany and Italy) - 26.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, or 0.02%, as compared to all the other European countries, which are all under 9 per 100,000 live births (0.009%). But it sounds like some of the causes of the US's maternal mortality rates have to do with the way hospitals and staff react to complications (e.g. a hemorrhaging), rather than the prevalence of complications. I'm not a public health researcher or physician, but the way these issues are talked about is always in SCREAMING ALARM AND JUDGMENT, and it's been hard for me to get to the facts! Just the fax!)
Heennnyyway.
So yeah, this book was written from the point of view of a highly experienced nurse who has worked extensively with midwives and OBs, and also maintained an online blog answering pregnant women's questions, and thus the tone of the book is geared towards addressing the online pregnant woman anxiety phenomenon: slightly skeptical of the medical mainstream, but not super granola so, and with limited statistical evaluation of the research evidence. While the book states very often that it means no judgment of, e.g., NOT doing a natural childbirth, or choosing to bottle- instead of breastfeeding, I still felt that it had quite a bit of judgment, not enough science and not enough COLD HARD FACTS, MA'AM. Again, I preferred Oster for that reason. Like, Oster - and economics research! ahhh, cold, dismal economics! - ascribes no special moral weight to breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, epidural or not, delayed cord clamping or not. She just evaluates the medical literature, applies statistical know-how to evaluating the believability of the research claims, and then applies decision theory from economics to evaluating what to do with those claims. To me, that's all reassuringly rational, understandable, and clear.
I mean, I don't want to overly critique this book - because it really is basically fine, and I even recommended it to some pregnant friends - but some stuff just rubbed me the wrong way. OKAY, ONE EXAMPLE: in the section on group B strep (GBS) - a vaginal infection that can sometimes be a bit of a risk to the baby while it's on its way out - Faulkner writes about how it's normally treated with antibiotics via IV. Since some womens' birth plans forbid the use of IVs in the pursuit of as low-intervention a birth as possible, she reassures these readers that the IVs are minimally invasive, and you can still walk around/be mobile during your labor. She then notes that the American Pregnancy Association estimates that only 1 in 200 babies even get GBS anyway when the mom has it and doesn't take antibiotics. But, if she takes antibiotics, this risk is reduced to 1 in 4,000. Fine, fine. BUT THE THING THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY is that she then notes, in the next paragraph, that - for those that reeeeally wanna stay "all-natural" while ALSO addressing the GBS - Faulkner writes:
AAH. AAAAAH. LADY! You just told me the likelihood of the baby getting it IF I DO NOTHING is 0.5% - it probably ain't the garlic! Oh mamma mia. MMAAAAAMMA MIA.
Anyway, it's that tone - of not only propagating non-scientific claims (garlic and probiotics, indeed), but of using a contradictory way of decision-making ("your baby probably won't get it, but garlic might also help, so try that just in case!") that I find frustrating, confounding, and also overly accommodating of magical thinking behaviors. Faulkner is very careful, I think, in only suggesting pseudo-medicines that are very unlikely to HARM people (no one's going to overdo the garlic, or get killed by acupuncture), but it rankles me that we're not even acknowledging that this stuff has, well, zero scientific evidence backing it up. It's giving people a false sense of control and a dangerous opportunity for false positives and false negatives (my magic garlic worked just as good as that antibiotic!).
(I mean, I have a whole other rant about how these pregnancy debates are rife with claims about the "natural" pregnancy/labor/birthing methods that have been employed for "hundreds of thousands of years by humans" - and, oh God, the mention of "this is how women in Africa do it" - i.e. this whole "appeal to the pregnancy noble savage" - that is, mamma mia, MAMMA MIA, so incredibly ignorant. Again, I've heard claims about how "women in Indian and African villages do it this way" - uttered in reverential tones, and in the same breath as the US's terrible pregnancy industrial complex. As a reminder: the maternal mortality rate in India is 130 deaths per 100,000 births - so, 5 times the rate in the US. This glamorization of the circumstances of poverty, in service of a "cosmic motherhood" idealogy, drives me BANANAS.)
Phew. What a rant. Must be those hormones, eh!
Okay, one more depressing thing about this book - and this isn't Faulkner's fault at all, and AGAIN, I don't wanna over-criticize her, THE BOOK IS FINE, I am using this review to vent about the whole social whirlpools around the Modern American Pregnancy - is that she spends a fair bit on the breastfeeding section coaching women on their rights to breastfeed at work. Thanks to Obamacare, insurers now need to provide breast pumps for free, and workplaces have to allow breaks and private places (not bathrooms) for expressing milk. Faulkner provides some pep talks/example retorts to women whose workplaces are NOT hospitable to, uh, having a uterus and procreating. And this is just depressing and sad. I can't believe the US is like this (and I kind of wonder if the Mommy Wars are a symptom of a broken, patriarchal system that frightens and punishes women about all this stuff). I can't believe this should even be an issue. But, of course, it seems to be - and for many women. So yeah, that's a frickin' bummer.
OVERALL: Okay, if you're pregnant, though I still recommend Oster over this. The stuff about what life is like AFTER birth was the most pragmatic and helpful for me. We need Federally mandated paid parental leave in the US.
I found the most valuable section to be the postpartum/"what to do with your new little blob" stuff - that is, what to expect in terms of the process of recovery from giving birth, the proper care and feeding of your newborn, and the logistics of pumping breastmilk. The labor and delivery section was also pretty helpful; quite detailed in, e.g., the stages of labor, how an epidural gets inserted, and so on. The pregnancy stuff was fine.
I didn't love the tone though, and I still WAAAY prefer Emily Oster's Expecting Better for a number of reasons:
- I have a small professional connection with Oster (I did some work for her and a co-author), but, more importantly:
- We come from the same domain (economics) and speak the same language about risk, uncertainty, statistical significance, and hypothesis testing.
One thing I did NOT realize before getting pregnant and visiting those godawful "fourth ring of Dante's Inferno" online pregnancy forums is that there (a) is such a thing as "Mommy Wars" and (b) there are deeply entrenched ideological camps - akin to the polarization in US politics - related to the topics of breastfeeding, labor + delivery, and (most notoriously and radicalized) vaccines. I missed the memo on all of this, and I STILL don't understand why I'm supposed to despise the C-section rate in America, value a natural (i.e. pain medication free) childbirth, or create a "birth plan".
(A note about C-sections: the rate in the US is about 1 in 3, which is widely considered - on online forums, in blogs, in this book, at the midwife meetup I went to - to be very terribly bad. I'm not a physician, but I didn't understand why: do these C-sections result in bad outcomes? It was often implied, but - what bad things? How often? Why? I wanted to know, and it's been hard to get straight, statistical information about it. At the midwife meetup, they implied it was caused by a lack of widespread midwifery, and its effects were to increase maternal mortality (!). I looked it up: the C-section rate in Germany, where midwives deliver babies, epidurals are rarer than in the US, and OBs are only on hand in emergencies, the rate is 31% - while, in the US, it's 33%. In Italy, it's 36%. The US's maternal mortality is a lot higher than other developed countries (e.g. Germany and Italy) - 26.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, or 0.02%, as compared to all the other European countries, which are all under 9 per 100,000 live births (0.009%). But it sounds like some of the causes of the US's maternal mortality rates have to do with the way hospitals and staff react to complications (e.g. a hemorrhaging), rather than the prevalence of complications. I'm not a public health researcher or physician, but the way these issues are talked about is always in SCREAMING ALARM AND JUDGMENT, and it's been hard for me to get to the facts! Just the fax!)
Heennnyyway.
So yeah, this book was written from the point of view of a highly experienced nurse who has worked extensively with midwives and OBs, and also maintained an online blog answering pregnant women's questions, and thus the tone of the book is geared towards addressing the online pregnant woman anxiety phenomenon: slightly skeptical of the medical mainstream, but not super granola so, and with limited statistical evaluation of the research evidence. While the book states very often that it means no judgment of, e.g., NOT doing a natural childbirth, or choosing to bottle- instead of breastfeeding, I still felt that it had quite a bit of judgment, not enough science and not enough COLD HARD FACTS, MA'AM. Again, I preferred Oster for that reason. Like, Oster - and economics research! ahhh, cold, dismal economics! - ascribes no special moral weight to breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, epidural or not, delayed cord clamping or not. She just evaluates the medical literature, applies statistical know-how to evaluating the believability of the research claims, and then applies decision theory from economics to evaluating what to do with those claims. To me, that's all reassuringly rational, understandable, and clear.
I mean, I don't want to overly critique this book - because it really is basically fine, and I even recommended it to some pregnant friends - but some stuff just rubbed me the wrong way. OKAY, ONE EXAMPLE: in the section on group B strep (GBS) - a vaginal infection that can sometimes be a bit of a risk to the baby while it's on its way out - Faulkner writes about how it's normally treated with antibiotics via IV. Since some womens' birth plans forbid the use of IVs in the pursuit of as low-intervention a birth as possible, she reassures these readers that the IVs are minimally invasive, and you can still walk around/be mobile during your labor. She then notes that the American Pregnancy Association estimates that only 1 in 200 babies even get GBS anyway when the mom has it and doesn't take antibiotics. But, if she takes antibiotics, this risk is reduced to 1 in 4,000. Fine, fine. BUT THE THING THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY is that she then notes, in the next paragraph, that - for those that reeeeally wanna stay "all-natural" while ALSO addressing the GBS - Faulkner writes:
"Some midwives and homeopaths offer garlic, acidophilus, or herb-based or other nondrug therapies and report good outcomes."
AAH. AAAAAH. LADY! You just told me the likelihood of the baby getting it IF I DO NOTHING is 0.5% - it probably ain't the garlic! Oh mamma mia. MMAAAAAMMA MIA.
Anyway, it's that tone - of not only propagating non-scientific claims (garlic and probiotics, indeed), but of using a contradictory way of decision-making ("your baby probably won't get it, but garlic might also help, so try that just in case!") that I find frustrating, confounding, and also overly accommodating of magical thinking behaviors. Faulkner is very careful, I think, in only suggesting pseudo-medicines that are very unlikely to HARM people (no one's going to overdo the garlic, or get killed by acupuncture), but it rankles me that we're not even acknowledging that this stuff has, well, zero scientific evidence backing it up. It's giving people a false sense of control and a dangerous opportunity for false positives and false negatives (my magic garlic worked just as good as that antibiotic!).
(I mean, I have a whole other rant about how these pregnancy debates are rife with claims about the "natural" pregnancy/labor/birthing methods that have been employed for "hundreds of thousands of years by humans" - and, oh God, the mention of "this is how women in Africa do it" - i.e. this whole "appeal to the pregnancy noble savage" - that is, mamma mia, MAMMA MIA, so incredibly ignorant. Again, I've heard claims about how "women in Indian and African villages do it this way" - uttered in reverential tones, and in the same breath as the US's terrible pregnancy industrial complex. As a reminder: the maternal mortality rate in India is 130 deaths per 100,000 births - so, 5 times the rate in the US. This glamorization of the circumstances of poverty, in service of a "cosmic motherhood" idealogy, drives me BANANAS.)
Phew. What a rant. Must be those hormones, eh!
Okay, one more depressing thing about this book - and this isn't Faulkner's fault at all, and AGAIN, I don't wanna over-criticize her, THE BOOK IS FINE, I am using this review to vent about the whole social whirlpools around the Modern American Pregnancy - is that she spends a fair bit on the breastfeeding section coaching women on their rights to breastfeed at work. Thanks to Obamacare, insurers now need to provide breast pumps for free, and workplaces have to allow breaks and private places (not bathrooms) for expressing milk. Faulkner provides some pep talks/example retorts to women whose workplaces are NOT hospitable to, uh, having a uterus and procreating. And this is just depressing and sad. I can't believe the US is like this (and I kind of wonder if the Mommy Wars are a symptom of a broken, patriarchal system that frightens and punishes women about all this stuff). I can't believe this should even be an issue. But, of course, it seems to be - and for many women. So yeah, that's a frickin' bummer.
OVERALL: Okay, if you're pregnant, though I still recommend Oster over this. The stuff about what life is like AFTER birth was the most pragmatic and helpful for me. We need Federally mandated paid parental leave in the US.
December 27, 2021
This is probably the best general pregnancy book that I've read so far. Though it is perhaps less helpful specifically to someone like me (someone who chose midwife-based care in the US), I think that this is an amazing book and would recommend it to every pregnant woman--especially those who have chosen to deliver in the hospital. It's great.
May 14, 2016
Great book to help prepare you during your pregnancy. It really helped me understand what was going on during my pregnancy and doctors appointments and what would happen during/after labor. It prepares you for all aspects of pregnancy; the good, the bad, and the disgusting that no one really talks about!
March 15, 2020
This is the best pregnancy/birthing book I've read so far. When someone in my life becomes pregnant, this is absolutely the book I will recommend and/or just give them. It covers everything (absolutely everything)---from the moment you get that positive test to breastfeeding and even dealing with child loss and grief. Faulkner has experienced it all and she gives her nonjudgmental wisdom and guidance.
I especially loved the chapters on getting to the end of pregnancy and labor. She explains in detail how one small intervention can lead to another (but, again, she's not judgmental about any of this, there's no right or wrong she's just laying it all out). She offers snappy comebacks to the holier-than-thou types who think they've got it all figured out and because your choice is different you must not love your baby. Which, sidenote: can we please stop that nonsense? People raise their kids in the way they believe is best for them and their family, so what if that looks different than yours?
Jeanne Faulkner also has a wonderful podcast, which is actually how I found out she wrote a book. I recommend both!
I especially loved the chapters on getting to the end of pregnancy and labor. She explains in detail how one small intervention can lead to another (but, again, she's not judgmental about any of this, there's no right or wrong she's just laying it all out). She offers snappy comebacks to the holier-than-thou types who think they've got it all figured out and because your choice is different you must not love your baby. Which, sidenote: can we please stop that nonsense? People raise their kids in the way they believe is best for them and their family, so what if that looks different than yours?
Jeanne Faulkner also has a wonderful podcast, which is actually how I found out she wrote a book. I recommend both!
January 29, 2019
The book is simple and straight-forward, but comprehensive enough to prepare you for what's coming. It's also balanced and realistic; it doesn't try to sugar coat the fact that labor & breastfeeding could be painful for some; but will be rewarding nonetheless.
January 30, 2016
I like this book. It's just like the title says "common sense" which I really appreciated and found a relief after reading too many books with way too much information. I got this book from the library and skipped ahead to "prenatal education and birth plans because I am at 28 weeks and curious about delivery options. I don't feel like I missed anything by jumping ahead and instead got some invaluable advice. Great book!
September 22, 2016
Great reference book with straight-forward, clear advice. I love this author's voice. This isn't a book I read from cover to cover, but instead picked through it chapter by chapter. As an American living abroad I don't encounter some of the problems discussed in this book, but I still appreciate having them pointed out.
I would have liked more focus on pregnancy rather than just the birth, but maybe that's because I'm still pregnant ;)
I would have liked more focus on pregnancy rather than just the birth, but maybe that's because I'm still pregnant ;)
August 8, 2016
I wanted a book that would cut through all the BS of typical advice for pregnant women, but this one didn't quite do it. It had some interesting information, but was still written from a very medical point of view and the language was still mildly condescending. Also a very American take so not necessarily appropriate for those outside of the US.
May 10, 2015
Strait forward information with a gentle, non-judgmental tone.
May 11, 2016
Very informative without a "one-fits-all" approach.
August 23, 2021
A great book to read during pregnancy and in the lead up to giving birth and the postpartum period. I found it was a great overview of what to expect. You could then research further into areas of interest as it generally covered the main/big topics. I also really loved the writing style, it felt like this nurse was just having a conversation with you.
My only minor criticisms were that I thought she did have a small bias towards vaginal and intervention-free births, which may not be appropriate for every expectant Mother. It is also written from an American perspective, some parts may not be relevant to all Readers. Otherwise would recommend to read during pregnancy.
My only minor criticisms were that I thought she did have a small bias towards vaginal and intervention-free births, which may not be appropriate for every expectant Mother. It is also written from an American perspective, some parts may not be relevant to all Readers. Otherwise would recommend to read during pregnancy.
May 19, 2025
This book is a no-nonsense, quick guide to what you need to know in each stage of pregnancy. The text is targeted to a US-based audience, but most of the information is as relevant to international parents.
I found the direct writing style helpful but I wish there was a little more evidence to back up many of the statements that were made. A lot of the text is devoted to natural birthing and the author is clear in their advocacy for this type of approach. If you are looking for a text that look at more medicinal-focused birthing styles, this may not be for you.
I found the direct writing style helpful but I wish there was a little more evidence to back up many of the statements that were made. A lot of the text is devoted to natural birthing and the author is clear in their advocacy for this type of approach. If you are looking for a text that look at more medicinal-focused birthing styles, this may not be for you.
October 11, 2019
Rooted in her experience as a labor and delivery nurse and mother of four, the author does a great job of describing the wide range of what is considered “normal” during pregnancy and childbirth. Like the title says, she emphasizes a common sense approach: educating yourself so that you can make informed decisions about your pregnancy and birth, however you want that to look. Bonus points for being really easy to read and written in a way that was useful/helpful to my husband, as well.
May 16, 2018
Excellent. Insider perspectives from a labor nurse and maternal health advocate. Critical of the common interventions practiced in labor in delivery. Focused on mom's wellbeing, prenatal and postpartum. Full of helpful practical details and totally judgment-free. My top recommendation for anyone in their first pregnancy!
July 19, 2018
This book is AMAZING like I want every pregnant woman to read it! I love how the author is real and doesn’t beat around the bush on topics. She calls on the birth industry but admits some medical interventions are lifesavings. Only complaint was I think she was too middle ground about bf and bottle, but I also like how she discouraged mom shaming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2020
I’m thankful for a book that takes the “scary” out of pregnancy. This is a real book with real examples of various situations and how to handle it. I definitely feel more prepared and reassured for my labor in October than I did before. Use this book as a companion to asking your doctor questions. Pass this book on to your other expecting friends! It’s worth it!
August 21, 2020
Most useful for a US audience, but I'd still recommended it for its informed, no-nonsense approach of important options and choices along the way to a pregnancy driven by the idea of being 'well' rather than driven by fear. Even if (or is it because?) Faulkner doesn't sugarcoat explanations of phases of labour, how a peridural works, etc.
May 11, 2017
I read this book in Blinkist.
The key message in this book:
Pregnancy and childbirth are experiences that are both beautiful and challenging. So it’s best to be well prepared. Get organized so that you can make your birth as easy and comfortable as possible.
The key message in this book:
Pregnancy and childbirth are experiences that are both beautiful and challenging. So it’s best to be well prepared. Get organized so that you can make your birth as easy and comfortable as possible.
July 30, 2017
Truely informative, both for women hoping for a hospital or more natural birth. Great read
August 26, 2019
The only pregnancy book I would recommend to my friends. Straight forward, honest - but not brash, and realistic.
July 18, 2020
Helpful. Quick read.
October 9, 2021
Slim volume of practical information & useful advice. Straightforward read that presented a lot of options with a combo of science, professional, and personal experience.
April 9, 2017
No nonsense
This was the book Iv'e been searching for. Enough of what I wanted to know and none of what I didn't.
This was the book Iv'e been searching for. Enough of what I wanted to know and none of what I didn't.
March 19, 2017
Good, solid, compassionate advice. I'm enjoying Expecting Better more, but this is still a great choice.
January 21, 2016
Qualifications for a book that explains what happens before, during, and after pregnancy, and how to navigate all of those stages:
1. It uses gender neutral language when referring to the fetus/baby. Or in absence of that, often switches between using "she" and "he" when not referencing gender specifically.
2. It does not insult the reader's intelligence regarding use of alcohol, unlike the vast majority of pregnancy books. The alcohol section is a litmus test for whether the author/this book trusts women to make informed, sensible decisions for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, without the need to deceive in order to influence.
The book is non-judgemental regarding "controversial" issues such as breastfeeding and use of an epidural vs. "natural" labor. Overall, the tone is conversational, without being flowery and overly optimistic. Basically, this is a highly experienced nurse telling you succinctly the things you need know - and why.
Four stars because this book doesn't list a schedule of what happens at a doctors office, including explanations of all the blood draws and urine samples. I'm told this can be found in the What To Expect book; avoiding the What To Expect book was part of the point of purchasing this book.
Edited 27/12/15 to add: Changed the rating to five stars after reading the 'What To Expect...' book, which is still a decent book, but which doesn't cut through the BS like 'Common Sense' does.
1. It uses gender neutral language when referring to the fetus/baby. Or in absence of that, often switches between using "she" and "he" when not referencing gender specifically.
2. It does not insult the reader's intelligence regarding use of alcohol, unlike the vast majority of pregnancy books. The alcohol section is a litmus test for whether the author/this book trusts women to make informed, sensible decisions for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, without the need to deceive in order to influence.
The book is non-judgemental regarding "controversial" issues such as breastfeeding and use of an epidural vs. "natural" labor. Overall, the tone is conversational, without being flowery and overly optimistic. Basically, this is a highly experienced nurse telling you succinctly the things you need know - and why.
Four stars because this book doesn't list a schedule of what happens at a doctors office, including explanations of all the blood draws and urine samples. I'm told this can be found in the What To Expect book; avoiding the What To Expect book was part of the point of purchasing this book.
Edited 27/12/15 to add: Changed the rating to five stars after reading the 'What To Expect...' book, which is still a decent book, but which doesn't cut through the BS like 'Common Sense' does.
May 15, 2021
This book was a slow start for me, as it is based within the American medical system, I couldn’t relate to a lot of the information, as a Canadian.
However, the last section on post partum care alone was enough for me to give the book 4 stars.
However, the last section on post partum care alone was enough for me to give the book 4 stars.
February 12, 2018
I didn't read this cover to cover, but I feel it was a wonderful no-nonsense guide, and made me feel more prepared for and informed about what was going to happen. The whole matter-of-fact tone of the book put me at ease. The author stressed the important points of seeing pregnancy and birth as a normal physiological process, recognizing when your doctors might be more interested in mediating risk than doing what is actually right for you, and advocating for your needs and wishes. It seemed (in my opinion) to push more of a home-birth and mid-wife agenda, but I didn't feel overly pressured to go that route. I knew I wanted to go to a hospital from the get-go, and this book didn't change my mind.
Ironically, I didn't finish this book before I gave birth. So I didn't read the "birth process" and "first few weeks with baby" parts when perhaps they would have done the most good. But I skimmed those parts after I'd physically been through them, and the passages seemed faithful to reality. I will keep this guide on my shelf for reading when I go to have my second child; I feel it would be helpful to remind myself of what I'm in for!
Ironically, I didn't finish this book before I gave birth. So I didn't read the "birth process" and "first few weeks with baby" parts when perhaps they would have done the most good. But I skimmed those parts after I'd physically been through them, and the passages seemed faithful to reality. I will keep this guide on my shelf for reading when I go to have my second child; I feel it would be helpful to remind myself of what I'm in for!
February 17, 2016
Very light read, going in I had some idea that I would not be particularly fussy about many particulars of pregnancy, this book highlights points that I could/should focus more attention on and reminds you of perspective. The author is an R.N. and midwife who has spent a large portion of her life delivering, so she writes about what is likely to occur while not forgetting to note the differences and to keep in mind your own/partner's birth experience may vary, and describes the spectrum. Helpful, reassuring.
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