The Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood

by Joanne Stone, Keith Eddleman

An authoritative and up-to-date reference. The Pregnancy Bible combines the knowledge and experience of medical specialists and family doctors -- all under the direction of practicing and widely published obstetricians. It follows the complete sequence of fetal development in utero week by week. Each step is illustrated with full color photography -- many of which are life-size. Dozens of step-by-step illustrations help make the many aspects of infant care easier to master. In-depth and highly readable information Quick reference gatefold spreads help keep track of important tests and check-ups for each trimester. Included is an in-depth directory of specialized tests and procedures available for both mother and child. The Pregnancy Bible is an extensive, accessible, up-to-the-minute sourcebook of everything expecting parents need to know, combining the knowledge and experience of many medical specialists and healthcare providers.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Reference

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Clo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive. Good info for father as well

[Nicole Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book while i was pregnant. It has tons of pictures and explains really well what is going on week by week.

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful guide for first time mothers to learn about what is happening to their bodies and their baby during their pregnancy.

I personally loved the week by week descriptions about how my baby is growing and what I should expect to be going through. Every pregnancy is different (as the book cautions), but I felt the guides were fairly accurate for me to follow even though I may not feel certain symptoms or other symptoms occurred a little earlier or later than the book says.

There is definitely an abundance of information in the book though, and some of the chapters may cause anxiety in new mothers as it talks about possible diseases or complications that can occur during the pregnancy or to our unborn child. For me, it was good to know that these are possible so that I can try my best to prevent causing them and to look out for symptoms in case they occur.

Excellent resource book.

[rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

My feelings about this book are mixed. On one hand, it includes amazing ultrasound photos of fetuses and images of naked pregnant women (always good to see that my body is no more distorted than any other knocked up lady's). On the other hand, I found the information to be very, very basic. I don't think I learned anything from reading it.

[Amanda Port · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this much better than "What to Expect..." and "Your Pregnancy Week by Week"

[Jennifer Rook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome collection of information from beginning to end. My cousin gave it to me when I was pregnant with my daughter & I absolutely loved it.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood
by Joanne Stone, Keith Eddleman
My wife and I read this book before and after the birth of our first child. Helpful and informative (often somewhat graphic).

[Stefaniya Velichkova · Rating 4 out of 5]

A convenient and helpful book. Not overwhelming or scary! :)
A good reference during those special days!

[Ronnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was extremely informative, helpful, and user-friendly. My main complaint with "What to Expect When You're Expecting" is that it is organized according to months, with not much progression or additional information from week to week, or month to month. I felt like "What to Expect" is organized on a "need to know" basis, which turns me off. "The Pregnancy Bible," on the other hand, is organized according to pregnancy subject; for example, an overviews of each week to week change (with actual photo pictures of fetuses, etc.), what to expect with your body and its changes from month to month, the different tests and doctors appointments to expect, etc. Overall, I felt like this book is much more comprehensive in its information, and also had less of a "bias" in it, and was sure to present conflicting views on different subjects, etc. For example, in "What to Expect," it says that you will undergo a glucose test at such and such week. When my doctor did not even mention it, I was a little concerned and confused. "The Pregnancy Bible," however, is sure to point out things like "If your urine testing at each appointment shows no signs of excess sugar and you have not gained excessive weight thus far in your pregnancy, then your doctor may not order this test since it is likely unnecessary." Little things like that are truly helpful to read for a neurotic, worried pregnant woman!

My BIGGEST PROBLEM with this book is that the pictures that accompany the information are in my opinion MUCH too graphic. I actually dreaded turning the page each time because I never knew what to expect to see blown up in a "real," full-color photograph. I do not need to see someone's expelled placenta in a doctor's hands, actual people posing in sexual positions, a half-completed c-section surgery, diseased genitalia, or a crowning baby's head entering into the world.

If you can get past the VIVID pictures, this book extremely helpful and informational. I would rate it as my #1 pregnancy book... much more helpful than "What to Expect."

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of good, basic information. I actually felt like the week-by-week descriptions were better than those in What to Expect When You're Expecting. I mention this because I tend to look up the week-by-week descriptions from several books and lots of websites and an app, so it's worth noting that I really like these ones. I also like the images that go with the descriptions.
It is a little awkward just how many pictures of naked women, specifically breasts, there are in the book. It didn't embarrass me, but it's not a book I would want to read in public or if I had older kids, around them. I feel like images like that are important to include, but shouldn't have been designed to be on ALMOST EVERY PAGE of many sections. Some of the sections had them as background images. Why?!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Isobel, I read Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. It was adequate, I suppose, but The Pregnancy Bible is much better.
There's just more information here, including a beautiful photo of the baby in utero for every week of pregnancy. Even though I've experienced it all before, I liked that there was more lifestyle info in this book, and it still also had at least as much medical information as Mayo Clinic. My only complaint is the counter-intuitive way the book is organized. Here I am, nearly 38 weeks along, and I still have to flip all around in it to find the "Your Baby This Week" section.
I also appreciated that there isn't any of the cutesy "amirite, ladiez???" tone that you find some pregnancy books.

[Rachel McCready-Flora · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Pregnancy Bible is a nice supplement to The Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. The two books have a lot of overlapping information, while The Pregnancy Bible isn't nearly as thorough, it isn't nearly as dry and is overall a more interesting read. It has lots of great pictures, including weekly pictures (actual pictures!) of a developing baby, and tasteful pictures of a nude woman as she progresses through her pregnancy. This book has lots of good extras too - sections on dealing with stress, eating well, exercising and stretching, and baby care. Unlike many of the other pregnancy books, it's organized by topic, so it's easy to find things.

[Talia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource for the parent-to-be, full of practical advice, detailed information on all stages of pregnancy from conception to birth, and even tips on how to wash and care for baby in the early weeks of life.
I have gone to it constantly throughout my pregnancy so far and have always been able to find the info I need.
I have especially enjoyed the week-by-week updates on both what is happening to your body as well as what is going on with baby.

I would recommend this for anyone who is trying to conceive or is already pregnant. I know I will use it for the rest of my pregnancy and for any others to come.

[Leena Ganesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's graphical and colorful and has just the right amount of information to get you thru your pregnancy. I only bought 2 books for my pregnancy reading and this was one of it. If I'm interested in certain topic I'll just Google about it and I'll get more in depth info. It's the book to get if you're looking for something that covers everything that you should know about getting pregnant, being pregnant and becoming a parent. The book doesn't cover in depth info on all topics. You have to do the homework yourself.

I find it so useful that I decided to purchase Your Babycare Bible as a sequel to this book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, basic guide to pregnancy, labour and birth for expectant parents. I found the week-to-week detailed images of the baby in utero to be interesting, alongside how the fetus develops physically.

There are plenty of images alongside key information, which is good if blocks of text put you off reading guides like this. The authors challenge commonly asked questions well, providing just the right balance of both information and reassurance for nervous parents to be.

Overall, a recommended starter guidebook for pregnancy. For those seeking a more detailed, scientific book, choose the acclaimed What To Expect series.

[Christopher Mocella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three-sentence review:

Akin to the myriad of other pregnancy and newborn care books, The Pregnancy Bible takes a step-by-step look at pregnancy, birth, and infant care from a view of not only informing the reader, but educating them in practical matters. Plus, there are plenty of pictures to go along with, both cartoons, and several cringe-inducing (at least, for a guy) photographs of actual, uh, "events." I have read quite a few of these preganancy books as a soon-to-be-dad, and I found this one to be the best.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my all time favorite book so far on being pregnant, and what to expect. The book is filled with colored pages and lots of pictures. I love the break down week by week that shows how the baby is developing and what the mother's body is going through. It covers MANY topics!! It even has a section for fathers so they know how to get involved and how to help during labor. I give this book an A+++!! A 'should read' for other expectant mothers!

[Jenedypaige · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great first time mom book. It walks you through all the things that will be happening to your body and your baby's body, week by week. It's been really fun to track my pregnancy by it and turn to the week I'm on to see what's going on inside me. It has all kinds of great tips and what to expect with labor, delivery, nursing, bathing, changing, and just taking care of your newborn in general. It's been quite handy!

[Susiane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book that I inherited from my sister in law. She liked this book better than what to expect when youre expecting. Its definitely a wealth of info. Like reading an encyclopedia really, but a really interesting encyclopedia. We look at this book every week and check to see how big our baby is growing. We both love all the facts and information. Its a heavy book and we keep on our dresser next to our bed. Its a good one!

[Tabetha C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend passed this book onto me when she found out I was pregnant. I really enjoyed the week by week development of the baby, as well as week by week development of the mother.

The book also gave a great amount of unbiased information on everything pregnancy related, which I found extremely useful. This was a solid book that I could count on, then ask my doctor for more information about anything I wanted to.

[Shelly Kuennen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As many of the other reviewers said, this book has lots of grammatical errors, misspellings, etc. However I still reading enjoyed it and found that it had lots of good information and advice. I especially liked the pages that fold out and give you a brief week by week summary for a quick reference. The rest of the book contains lots of good, detailed information. I recommend reading this book if you can overlook the grammar/punctuation issues.

[Marti Mattox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good basic book but it is that - basic. Nice development pictures and good overview. Then you can back it up with the Mao clinic book. I have so many preg books to dig through - and all I want to read is fiction.
Funny all the animals seems to sense something - the cats want to sleep on top of my stomach (even Nicks cat Frankie) and Beatrice has gotten uber protective.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great alternative to "What to Expect When Your Expecting." It provided me with all I needed to know and served as a great refrence. I really liked the color pictures, time lines and book organization - it allows you to skip parts about what could go wrong that tend to freak out pregnant women.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has week by week information on baby development as well as week by week information as to what is happening with the mothers body. It has a good index and many photos, so it is very user friendly. AND it is the only pregnancy book that has been able to keep future dads attention! He looks forward to reading the weekly updates. :)

[✿ ♥ Heather ♥ ✿]

A friend of mine lent me this book and kept asking me if I'd read it yet... I thought it would be like the others... but it wasn't. Very informative, great pictures, very detailed about the smallest of things... like how to wash bub, how to put on a nappy... what will be sore.. what to expect following labour etc...I'll probably re-read parts as I get closer

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. I don’t think there’s a single topic left uncovered in this one. There are fantastic pictures throughout (minus the gross ones, haha), and the index is easy to follow. The entire book is easy to understand and makes sense. I finished it feeling like I actually know what I’m in for. Definitely the best pregnancy book I’ve ever read.)

[Charity · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite pregnancy book. Great detail in how to cope with the various pregnancy ailments. My favorite part, though, is the week by week pictures and milestones of baby's growth and the expected changes in my body during that time frame also. Not currently pregnant, but it is my go-to book for expectant friends.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My go-to book whenever I'm pregnant. I loved it more than What to Expect. In-depth, real pictures of the baby, your body, aches, pains, nutrition, even sex with your partner and how to still have a lovelife with a growing baby in your belly. I've lent and bought this book for many friends as a 'mommy-to-be' gift. Highly recommend it.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be more helpful than other pregnancy books because it was straightforward and not caught up in explaining every possible scenario (for me to obsess over). Didn't completely finish because the twins came earlier than expected, but I did leaf through the remaining chapters for the fun of it ha!

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book touches on everything and is very concise, which is great. However, it is not quite as in depth as What to Expect When You're Expecting so if you're going to buy just one book, I would get What to Expect.