The Whole 9 Months: A Week-By-Week Pregnancy Nutrition Guide with Recipes for a Healthy Start

by Dana Angelo White, Jennifer Lang, Jessica Alba (Foreword)

What to eat—and what not to—when you're eating for two

Jerry Seinfeld's fictional dentist Tim Whatley famously converted to Judaism "for the jokes," but if OB-GYN and mother of three, Dr. Jennifer Lang, created The Whole 9 Months to be your all-in-one nutrition-based pregnancy resource, setting the standard in pregnancy books

A happy, healthy baby starts with a happy, healthy mom and the smart nutritional advice found in this pregnancy cookbook.

Genres: Cookbooks, Parenting, Health, Nutrition, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food

220 pages, Paperback

Published September 20, 2016

About the author

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer, author, journalist, and nutrition and fitness consultant. She specializes in culinary nutrition, recipe development and sports nutrition.

Dana works closely with chefs and authors to develop creative and healthy recipes for cookbooks, magazines and menus. She is the nutrition expert for Food Network.com and founding contributor for Food Network's Healthy Eats blog.

In October 2013, Dana was named to Sharecare's list of Top 10 Social HealthMakers on Nutrition, recognizing her as one of the most influential voices in health and wellness.

A farmers' market junkie and local food aficionado, Dana worked with Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment to create the Healthy Harvest Food Regional Guides, to educate consumers on purchasing and preparing seasonal foods.

As a practicing Certified Athletic Trainer, Dana provides emergency medicine and rehabilitation services to high school, college and professional athletes. She is also a CPR and First Aid instructor for the American Red Cross.

Dana earned her master's degree in nutrition education from Teachers' College-Columbia University and bachelor's degree from Quinnipiac University in Sports Medicine. She resides in Fairfield, Connecticut with her husband, three children and Boston Terrier, Violet Pickles.

Reviews

[Poppy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't like this book at all. The author's writing style is "holier than thou". I have a healthy lifestyle but this book berates anyone that eats meat and doesn't buy organic vegetables.

The book lists vegetables that you absolutely must buy organic because regular vegetables are full of pesticides. The nail in the coffin for me was the suggestion that you should not buy "anything" that has sugar listed on the label.

Also, the recipe book has very few pictures which I find uninspiring in a cook book.

I'll save you the money and summarise the book... basically only eat organic vegetables, drink only water (add a bit of lemon if you're feeling adventurous!) and get plenty of exercise. The end.

[Shog Al Maskery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. Expected more but i liked that it was short and sweet and has nutritious recipes that are simple to do.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple, yet helpful book on pregnancy nutrition. The pages were attractive and the content was easy to read/understand. I really liked the layout of the book. The first few chapters go through each trimester (including the fourth 😉) and talks about what is happening with your baby and your body. Key nutrients for each phase are included... With recipes.

Unfortunately, I felt like the nutrition information was incomplete bacause the author is writing from vegan/vegetarian standpoint. While she did give a nod to some animal products, she failed to highlight their nutrient density. Can you still get vitamins and other nutrients from plant foods? Absolutely!! However, plant proteins are incomplete... And most fruits and veggies don't contain near the same amounts of nutrients that baby needs (which happen to be found in organic eggs, whole dairy, and meat).

Lastly, I enjoyed looking through the recipe section of this book. I already tried one and will probably try a few more in the future.

I truly believe we would have healthier babies if we nourished our bodies as if were pregnant all the time.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book got off to a bad start for me at the beginning of Part 1: “I was a second-year surgical fellow in gynecologic oncology, working insane hours, barely sleeping, and just beginning to show my pregnancy bump under my scrubs, when I passed a vending machine in the hospital. I saw the image of a Diet Coke and it looked really good to me. I approached the machine and dug into the pocket of my lab coat for coins. Then it hit me: the image of a little baby with a cord connecting that bottle of Diet Coke to its tummy. If I drank this, I would literally be mainlining a brown, fizzy, chemical soup into my little bean. Nope, I said. Walk away.” Literally mainlining? No. That is now how it works at all. I get what she is saying, but this is way too pseudosciency for me.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description states it’s a week by week pregnancy nutrition book, but does not actually do that. It explains what’s happening with the baby’s development each week with a small tiny box of names of recipes from later in the book to try. I was expecting a breakdown of what different foods/nutrients correspond to each week. The book is also heavily doused in traditional diet culture, shaming you for eating skittles or considering eating a cookie. Conventional eggs can’t be consume only organic. Other than shoving organic, no sugar and plant based diet down your throat it’s really just basic nutrition advice. There are a few recipes don’t sound too bad, so I might give them a try.

[Alexandria Irwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh got it at the library and skimmed it but nothing jumped out at me. The recipes interested me most but they’re so basic and I wasn’t interested in trying any of them.

There’s some basic pregnancy knowledge but that stuff is boring to me now that I’ve read so much on this topic already. I don’t particularly agree with all of her food philosophies either.

I do think it’s a cool format for a book- she lists certain minerals and vitamins and what foods they’re in which was maybe my favorite part.

Other than that it’s a pass.

[Hannah Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this on kindle after finishing it from the library. Rare for me so that says how much I liked it. Plus I wanted to keep consulting it for the recipes!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read through this book quickly, but kept it for many months for the recipes and week-by-week pregnancy updates. I didn’t take all the advice in the book as it sometimes seems unrealistic (not eating any sugar or processed foods for example), but I did enjoy some of the recipes. Some of my favorite recipes:
Frittata
Green juice smoothie
Kale omelet

She also offers great suggestions for foods rich in certain nutrients such as iron or calcium. I found the book very helpful for that and helps me make more educated food decisions during this pregnancy!

[Sarah Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at a thrift store when I was 14 (or so) weeks pregnant with my first! (Who has a couple of months yet to make his appearance. 👶🏼)

First of all, as a meat eater, I was a little disappointed to find this author to be more interested in a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. Though I WILL say, I appreciate that she didn’t shove it down my throat, and did talk briefly about the benefits of quality meat, and included some meat recipes. Some of the recipes can certainly be modified to include/substitute meat as well.

Second, I saw someone complain that she made it sound like you have to buy organic produce and are “less than” if you don’t. I didn’t get this at all. What she does is, give you a list of produce that is better to buy organic, and a list of produce that is considered safe to buy just regular. With all the pesticides and chemicals used, I found it very informative and can proceed to choose more wisely.

Third, reading this book made me feel so much better about my pregnancy and what to expect! I’ve had a general idea of what it is to eat a balanced diet for years, but I still found it extremely helpful that she has charts of different foods/food groups and what role they play in nutrition, both for momma and baby. I also found her chart of what to look for in a good quality prenatal vitamin very helpful. Along with her chart telling you how much of certain vitamins/minerals you need both during pregnancy and when breastfeeding.

I enjoyed reading this book and will absolutely continue to refer back to sections as my pregnancy progresses, as well as use the recipes (with some modification when necessary).

[Meggin-Leigh Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offered some great recipe ideas during my pregnancy when I needed some inspiration through the nausea, cravings, and nausea. It provided a handy week-by-week guide of healthy items I could stock up on during the week to help keep me on track from reaching out for the quick (and maybe less healthier-type snacks). Seeing how whole type foods were being converted to different parts of baby development through the week was also informative and interesting to read. My only concern with the book is the tone in which some of the sections were written in, hence the removal of one star. Expecting and new parents need helpful and healthy suggestion, they do not need to feel judged or pressured into living “all-natural, all organic, mostly plant-based” diets. It’s not realistic for many and reading a book that sets a feel of judgment for drinking cow milk over almond (or indulging in the odd candy bar) shouldn’t be the the tone for this setting. I’m interested in reading why almond milk will help my baby, I don’t need the author to shame me into thinking I’m not providing my baby the best if I don’t. All-in-all. A very informative and inspiring read for recipes and development, I’d pass if you don’t want a lecture on eating meat and dairy.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty judgmental approach to viewing pregnant people's food choices. The book basically implies that if you're not eating exclusively organic, grass-fed, cage free everything, you're doing it wrong (at one point it literally classifies non-grass-fed meat as "bad.") This ignores the fact that most people just can't financially afford to sustain that kind of diet and/or don't have access to foods of those tiers in their stores. I can't afford to purchase solely organic cage-free etc. Food for my entire pregnancy, that doesn't make me a bad or unsatisfactory pregnant person. Let's be reasonable. Recipes themselves were fine, nothing thrilling, nothing I'd pay for. If I had the chance to buy the book again I wouldn't bother.

[Lilia Stantcheva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting recipes and snack ideas (which is why I got it), but this author is so judgmental and holier than thou. Not everyone can buy everything organically. Animal proteins are actually quite important and good for you. Anti-nausea medication can help many women and you shouldn’t need to be at the point of being unable to keep absolutely anything down and subsisting on prenatal vitamins and ginger ale to try a ‘minimal dose for the shortest amount of time possible’. Fed is best. And for the love of god, let pregnant women have their Tums and an occasional store-bought cookie without guilt!

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book seriously gave me the ick. I do think there was some really great info regarding baby development that I found helpful, but the overall delivery of the book just felt very judgey and superficial. One part that REALLLLY rubbed me the wrong way was where the author presented to pre pregnancy scenarios. One in which you were “optimizing your body” for pregnancy, and one where you didn’t, which ok fine, but the reason I didn’t like that is it makes you feel bad for not planning for a “perfect pregnancy.”
It just really gave a holier than thou almond mom vibe that I wasn’t here for.

[Brittany Rouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gifted this book and it's ok. I do like some of the information, where they list key nutrients found in foods. The recipes seem good, I haven't tried them yet, but I might make a few to test them out.

I do disagree with some of the information in the book, the beginning tall about diet coke is odd and unnecessary. The push for plant-based is a bit unnecessary, since there is good things in animal protein. I dunno, some of the tone doesn't fit well with me.

[Kevin Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice overview of pregnancy week by week in an accessible format and some easy recipes and nutrition tips. Some of the advice edges towards psuedo-science (I support organic farming as much as the next person, but they make some unsupportable claims about purported health benefits, for example) but nothing in this book would lead to a bad outcome by following the advice.

[Madeline Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

It gave some good information and very simple recipes. I just didn’t like that it pushed a vegan agenda. It also says it’s a week-by-week nutrition guide and it really isn’t. As a first time mom, trying to learn everything, that definitely pulled me in and now I realize that you don’t really need different nutrition by the week of course. It tells you nutritional needs by the trimester and a little by the month but certainly not the week. I don’t like this false advertising as it clearly targets the unaware first time mom.

[Katelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this may have some helpful information in it, I couldn't get past the holier-than-thou tone. The last things parents need is a book telling them there's one perfect way to do anything.

[Daniela Hinojosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Work related, nutrition

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read and great recipe ideas

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the recipes are kinda funky and not something I would choose to eat, but overall it's a good book.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for basics about nutrition and health in pregnancy!

[Sharon Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good nutritional advice. I would recommend for any first time moms who wish they had better advice from there doctor other than, don’t eat this or that. For me this was mostly a refresher on what I’ve already been learning about food and nutrition. I do like the suggestions for what I should focus on eating during certain times of my pregnancy. Remember OBGYNs and other doctors often only took 1 semester of a nutrition class so look here or request to see a nutritionist when you find out you are expecting or even before you may be expecting!

[Samantha Balentyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the structure of the book alot. It starts with background on necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that we need as an expecting mom.

It then goes into weekly details of what’s going on and how to properly follow the best nutrition for your body during that week. I think there could be alot more here than just that though.

Lastly it has recipes but alot of the are so similar that you don’t get a really good variety of options. A lot are also over the top or things I would never like and would never try.

[Mariah Zingarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible! Food is medicine and if that is something you don’t believe, then maybe this book isn’t for you. You can’t deny the evidence and research gone into this book and the information is crucial. The recipes are AMAZING! They taste great and are easy to cook no matter your skill or energy level. I HIGHLY recommend for everyone to read, not just pregnant women. I’ve made 5 meals so far this week and loved them all.

[Hannah Henson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I look forward to using the recipes. The actual content of the book often came off a little judgmental and kind of condescending. I disagreed with a few things, so it placed many of her facts in a questionable light. Some useful information, nonetheless.

[Susan Hildebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recipes -- could do w/out her obsession with thinness

[Eden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information for the future. Most recipes look good and doable. Just found it hard to relate to some aspects of the advice or recipes. Ex. Some people don't have ice cream machines. 😊

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the info in this book and am excited to try the recipes.

[Sarah G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent guide for recipes, but found the tone lacked inclusivity and I didn’t love the heavy focus on organic and plant based, to the point that it felt judgemental.