How to Grow a Baby and Push It Out: Your no-nonsense guide to pregnancy and birth

by Clemmie Hooper

According to my mother when I was 4, I declared that I wanted to be a midwife. So I put on my nurses dressing-up outfit, wrenched one of my beloved dolls out from under my dress and made the obligatory new born baby crying sound (if only it was so easy).
Mum to four little girls and midwife to many, Clemmie Hooper wants to share her knowledge, wisdom and stories about pregnancy, birth and mothering young children that aren’t so widely talked about – straight from the midwife’s mouth. From how to prevent tearing during birth to what you really need in your labour bag, Clemmie reveals everything pregnant women and new mums need to know with a good dose of humour and wit.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Health, Self Help, Childrens

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2017

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

If the kind of pregnancy advice you are after is “pregnant women look good in red lipstick”, “don’t forget to drop hints for your partner to buy you a push present!”, how to convince your partner you need new clothes, or a full page of photos showing you how to style a leather jacket (whilst wearing the red lipstick - of course) then this is the book for you!


I found this book sexist and full of gender stereotyping. The language was also very patronising (I have breasts, not puppies) and there was no mention of miscarriage - apart from being a little dismissive about people you may know who are struggling to conceive in the To Tell or Not to Tell section.
I learned nothing that I can’t get from the many pregnancy apps you can download for free, or from just talking to my midwife.

This has been swiftly deleted from my kindle.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really rather disliked this book. It has no information that can’t be gathered from multiple free apps and other online sources. I found the voice to be both condescending and too cutesy for my taste. I had high hopes, but this just wasn’t my taste at all. Very little info for ge first trimester (when I had the MOST questions) and ultimately is just a guide to how to deal with your pregnancy in social situations (which I had no need).

[Liselotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book because I wanted to know more about childbirth. The thought of it scares me to bits, and after reading a book about midwifery, I got thinking: "Why am I so afraid of it?" because I don't know anything about it, that's why!

I got this book because this seemed to be the only fun one out there, and this was a lot of fun! It was intensely informative, with a no-nonsense approach, talking about absolutely every question you might ever have about childbirth and growing a human child. I'm a lot less terrified of the thought of ever having children, and I actually learned a lot from this book, and I totally recommend it, even if you are in fact pregnant right now, or your partner is, or if you (like me) are terrified of birth, this is a great book!

Want a slightly more in-depth review? Check out my blogpost: https://princessliselotte.com/2018/06... :)

[Emily Forster · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a reassuring book to read. Clemmie Hooper brings in all her experience as a midwife and mother of 4 into the book. The book contains a range of birth stories which cover different experiences. In places it is very funny. It covers pregnancy birth and the post birth period.
I would have liked to see some of the topics covered in more detail. It is quite a quick read for most people this would probably be an advantage. There is quite a yummy mummy focus. Not everyone will be able to go on a babymoon. I would recommend it to other mums to be.

[Lelde Kaše · Rating 1 out of 5]

If “Cosmopolitan” magazine had a book about pregnancy this would be it.

[AJ Foiret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative for those who haven’t a clue and good at dispelling myths around giving birth, there’s no need to be so afraid of it!

Knocking off stars because it’s painfully gendered. By this I mean the comments around how to make your male partner less jealous of the new baby, or they should try cleaning to help you out - even if it’s not up to your standards! Just yuck, outdated and sexist.

For such an experienced midwife, I’m shocked she never once mentioned same-sex couples. Has she not helped any queer women to give birth?!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Verdict: Story (depth of topic and execution) - 4/5
Memorability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Overall - 4/5

I enjoyed this book on the different stages of pregnancy. The early weeks stuff I was pretty clued up on, the 31 weeks plus I WAS NOT. There's a bit of silly filler in here but in general I found it informative and enjoyable and I will definitely read sections of it again before baby arrives.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very UK specific but I still got a lot out of it. So happy to see hypnobabies mentioned several times, as well as helpful tips on when to start certain things (packing hospital bag, working on birth preferences, etc.).

Clemmie Hooper has 4 girls and is also a midwife so she writes with a lot of experience. She also included many other women's articles and birth stories which were always lovely and funny to read.

I wish the US system handled birth more like the UK. My goal is to use hypnobirthing techniques for pain relief instead of an epidural, and from this UK perspective that's totally normal. Here at home I still feel like I get odd looks because that's my plan!

[Barbara Gines · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blend of humor and genuine insights of this book is like chatting with a friend who's been there, done that. Super down-to-earth, full of real talk, laughs, and useful tips. Perfect for any mom-to-be, it feels like a supportive buddy guiding you through the wild ride of pregnancy and childbirth.

[Isabelle Verebelyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an easily digestible book to read throughout pregnancy as it is organised by how many weeks pregnant you are.
It was encouraging due to the stories from real women included throughout, but without sugar coating things.
I read this alongside attending NCT classes, and the combo of the two made me feel far more prepared for what was to come.

[Andie Constantinides · Rating 3 out of 5]

More chatty and light, didn’t learn very much that I didn’t know already. Did like the small bit about hypnobirthing

[David Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooper reveals everything pregnant women and new mums need to know with a good dose of humour and wit. A shame this knowledge is wasted on me.

I would recommend it if you're pregnant and/or a midwife.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I was deterred by the lack of information in the early weeks but on reflection I can see exactly why. This book fits well with educating you on the up and coming weeks and what you might expect, early on there’s only so much you need to worry about. I found the light hearted and easy read style comforting yet informative and set me up for what I’d need most to look after me and bump. If you want lots of detail there are many different books out there that would be more suited but for a first time mum who didn’t want to feel completely overwhelmed this suited me perfectly.

[Lucy Sheref · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is literally the best thing EVER! It's a proper no-nonsense guide to pregnancy, with no scaremongering but no pussy-footing either. If you want to know how to avoid tearing during labour, what to actually pack in your hospital bag and what exactly happens at each stage of labour - this is the perfect book. Plus there's a stack of extra stuff, like easy peasy batch cooker recipes and tips on how to dress in pregnancy and afterwards.

LOVE THIS BOOK!

[Shraddha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book super useful as it is written from the view point of a midwife based in the United Kingdom. National health services differ from country to country and most pregnancy books you see in the market are American. The content is written week-wise which makes it easier to relate and prepares you well so you know what to expect next. It is a very real, funny and assuring book to read if you are expecting a baby.

[Stacey Hacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes it could be a bit stereotypical in places and I could have found most of the information online (based on the negative review comments) but I really liked the light humour and style of writing. I liked that I could pick it up every few weeks and read a bit more and the mix of personal stories/experiences within it.

[Charlotte McDonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

Condescending and sexist with no representation of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Only read if you and your partner low key hate each other and he (because in this book they can only be a he) needs to be told off about never 'helping' around *his own house*.

Had to stop reading when the tiny amount of pages about partners read 'expect to be told off when you don't do housework to her standards'.

[Emmanuelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found the author’s tone to be condescending and annoying. She makes so many assumptions and unhelpful generalisations. AND the book itself is riddled with typos. Not a useful/enjoyable read. I did like the birth stories, though! More of these for free on Clemmie’s blog :)

[Jade Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

How To Grow A Baby and Push it Out is a very easy to read, informative book on pregnancy that didn't feel overwhelming. A someone expecting their first child, I'm appreciative of the fact that this book flowed so easily and didn't leave my already overly hormonal body in a heap of the floor!
It didn't necessarily shed light on anything I couldn't already find out the free apps, but, those free apps are so repetitive. This book spells everything out for you and is a great reference to refer back to whenever needed.

This book is also one of the more 'fun' ones I've come across since researching all things pregnancy. There's a lot of books out there that make it feel like I'm studying for biology exams all over again. This is a book I personally found a lot more enjoyable than those books. There's lots of different stories shared with different circumstances which is great because all pregnancies and births are different and frankly you have zero idea what to really expect!

I know that there's a lot of women out there reviewing this book and saying how ridiculous it is, advising on things like partners buying the mother push presents etc but HEY... growing a human and pushing it out of a hole that I quite like intact is no bloody easy task from everything I've learnt thus far so hell yeah a push present is an excellent idea!! It's not something I'd only heard about from this book either. I personally really enjoy the series on Netflix, Yummy Mummies, but then I am a reality TV junkie so no surprises there. I'm not saying push presents need to be new flashy Audi's with personalised plates - but something special from your partner to show they appreciate your courage and strength to do something absolutely petrifying would be pretty lovely (especially when said partner is more than likely going to be useless in the delivery room, unable to look or cut cords and probably end up passed out in the corner!).

This book is great if you feel like reading something based on pregnancy that isn't in a textbook format.

[Solange Vidal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta es una guía, escrita por una partera, sobre el embarazo, el crecimiento del bebé y el proceso para sacarlo de la barriga. Es informativo, sí, sin embargo está bastante enfocado en el contexto inglés, donde la autora trabaja. La información, por lo tanto, puede no ser la realidad en otros países, ni siquiera en la Unión Europea. Disfruté los relatos de diferentes tipos de partos que pueden encontrarse a lo largo del libro. Esto me hace tener menos miedo de ese momento. Un punto negativo es que la autora parece buscar ser liviana, divertida y a veces lo consigue pero a costa de dar información quizás demasiado básica. No ahonda en temas importantes, no responde a preguntas sobre embarazos de alto riesgo, apenas se va por la parte más “feliz” y agradable del embarazo.

[Karine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ great book 📖 I was recommended this book and chose to read it since I work with parents and infants often. Such a good book, not too long, the length Is just right, good and straightforward info, so important and done just how I like it. Def a must read for most !!!

[Iona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this and felt it has good practical information/tips!

[Maria Cerase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and reassuring, even if sometimes a little stereotypical

[Kirsty Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful book to help prepare as a first time parent. I appreciated that the chapters were each focused on specific weeks of pregnancy and I choose to listen to the audio book in stages as I progressed in my own pregnancy. Case studies of other mum's were useful and I saved specific chapters to show to my partner that I thought would be helpful for him/me, particularly in the sections on giving birth and bringing the baby home. Would definitely recommend as a relaxed and honest but not terrifying introduction to the world of pregnancy and parenthood.

[Celia Rheault · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much that I continued reading it through until the end 3 months after I had my baby! Recommend to anyone looking for a realistic baby book with laughs, sass and relatable snipits. British-based but as long as you keep that in mind and relate it to your life/country, I didn’t find it hindered the read one bit.

[Hattie Lucking · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars if you're having a baby, might be a bit of a dull read if you're not

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I don’t think this book really tells you anything you can’t read online. And the narrating style really started to annoy me after a while, as did the large gaps between the weeks. I gave up reading it somewhere in the second trimester.

[Gina K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical towards reading this book as I was already 33 weeks when I got hold of it, and since the book’s subtitle says “a week-by-week guide” I expected that there’d only be that much left to read about what I hadn’t yet encountered. I was pleasantly surprised that the 33 weeks of pregnancy only take up the first half of the pages. The other reason for reading was that it had been listed as a supplemental resource to my childbirth classes from a major maternity hospital.
I wouldn’t say it was exceptionally informative for me, as I’ve been using a pregnancy app all along which contained hundreds of medically reviewed articles on all topics. However, I still enjoyed the book and can recommend it. It felt comforting and it brought me smiles and even laughs. I’m glad I took a physical copy from the library whilst I generally prefer ebooks, as its cute design definitely contributes to a perfect page-turner. I devoured it in three days which for me is a rapid read.

[Alexandra Pickering · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across Clemmie Hooper via her blog "birth stories" and lived the candid conversations with women about their varied experiences. Not all were easy, or went the way they planned but they were all discussed sensitively and with enough information to be reassuring to a first time pregnant woman (me). This book has the same feel: written chronologically in the order you might experience each event, Clemmie and a host of "guest" contributors discuss different aspects of pregnancy and birth. Each element is short and sweet (no more than two well spaced pages) with enough information to be reassuring. As Clemmie is/was an NHS midwife all thr advice is tailored to NHS care and signposts you to services and care available in the UK. I got a lot of good information from this book and have passed it to my husband to read too.

[Carlyn (The Bookworm Mum) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be returning to this book as my pregnancy progresses. Gave it 3 stars because a) while it has a lot of general information, it doesn't go into too much detail on anything in my opinion and b) talking of opinions there are a fair few in here!

(and what's with the assumption we can all offer to treat ourselves and go on babymoons etc?!)