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The New Zealand Pregnancy Book: Conception, Pregnancy, Birth and Life with a New Baby
This fully revised and updated guide to pregnancy and childbirth in New Zealand provides detailed information to help New Zealand women make informed choices on everything from home or hospital birth to breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. The topics covered include conception, pregnancy, and birth; the developing baby; the mother's changing body; midwives, doctors, and obstetricians; maternity clothes, baby clothes, and equipment; feeding and looking after the baby; coping with work commitments; and the joy, pain, and other feelings involved.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 17, 2016
As far as the more serious pregnancy books go, this was my first one.
I found it really helpful to have a book written completely from the New Zealand maternity perspective. The most popular pregnancy guides tend to be American or even Australian, and though Helpful for general pregnancy help, less helpful for knowing what you can actually expect being pregnant in New Zealand.
A lot of the more serious books also have a tendency to become bogged down in all the things that might go wrong. Although covering these, this book felt more optimistic and less doom and gloom than some of the heavier medically based books.
I liked how the book was separated by trimester, labour, and the first three months. It can get tedious when books try to separate pregnancy week by week. Though helpful for the current week you are experiencing it can start to bog down a book, especially if there aren't significant changes between weeks.
Really liked the pictures of real births and babies. Especially given they were taken locally in Nelson and at Nelson hospital where I will be giving birth.
A great starter book for anyone pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant. Also good for partners and families I thought. For more in depth medical and specific literature, reading of more books would be required but this was fantastic as a general guide.
I found it really helpful to have a book written completely from the New Zealand maternity perspective. The most popular pregnancy guides tend to be American or even Australian, and though Helpful for general pregnancy help, less helpful for knowing what you can actually expect being pregnant in New Zealand.
A lot of the more serious books also have a tendency to become bogged down in all the things that might go wrong. Although covering these, this book felt more optimistic and less doom and gloom than some of the heavier medically based books.
I liked how the book was separated by trimester, labour, and the first three months. It can get tedious when books try to separate pregnancy week by week. Though helpful for the current week you are experiencing it can start to bog down a book, especially if there aren't significant changes between weeks.
Really liked the pictures of real births and babies. Especially given they were taken locally in Nelson and at Nelson hospital where I will be giving birth.
A great starter book for anyone pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant. Also good for partners and families I thought. For more in depth medical and specific literature, reading of more books would be required but this was fantastic as a general guide.
June 19, 2025
Lots of very helpful information but a little too much emphasis on getting your body back to where it was pre-pregnancy for my liking.
But it was originally published in the 90s so it’s to be expected 😒
But it was originally published in the 90s so it’s to be expected 😒
June 3, 2019
I love this book, I wish they would update it for 2019 and reprint it! Everyone should read this. Everyone.
August 18, 2023
Factual and comprehensive
April 30, 2026
really good informative pregnancy and birth book for kiwi mothers to be! nice to hear abt our own countries advice for a change
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews