I'm Pregnant!: A week-by-week guide from conception to birth

by Lesley Regan

This fully revised and updated edition, traces in full-color images and photographs the journey from conception to birth. A user-friendly, chronologically arranged reference, I'm Pregnant presents full and accurate information at each stage of pregnancy. Updates include: breastfeeding, medication, alcohol, smoking, diet, cord blood collection, maternity benefits, antenatal tests, epidurals, signs of labor, and the baby's check up.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leave it to a British OB-GYN to write a comprehensive, non-judgmental, scientifically-based alternative to the shrill hysteria that is mainstream American pregnancy books (cough What to Expect When You're Expecting cough). Don't judge this book by the cheesy (and unpregnant-?) woman on the cover or the exclamation point in the title. The pictures of the developing fetus are really cool, the graphics and charts are very useful (I particularly appreciated the displays on prenatal testing) and the tone is refreshingly friendly and reassuring for first-time mothers. I also appreciated her equal attention to medicated and unmedicated births, with no dogmatic, blanket preference for either one.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BEST book when you are expecting. Forget about the "What to expect when you're expecting" series, this by far out shines that crummy, outdated book!

[Mel ReadingWithMAC · Rating 4 out of 5]

More informative than What to Expect When Your Expecting.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the coolest book! I drowned myself in information as soon as I found out I was pregnant and wondered why I couldn't sleep! Everything was freaking me out! All the terms I didn't really get, all the possible things that might happen. Everything I needed to do...aahhh!! This book is just fascinating! It has amazing pictures, actual pictures of babies inside the belly at all stages of development. SO COOL! It explains things in normal terms and addresses concerns without freaking you out. The book is also divided in weeks of pregnancy so you don't feel like you have to read the entire thing or you will be clueless come baby time.

[a u d r e y ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of all things pregnancy into labor and delivery and your newborn. It was great to read each section week by week to learn about the changes to baby girl and I, especially as a first time mom. There's so much about pregnancy that isn't talked about and many providers in the US are not adequately informing their patients each step of the way. Definitely recommended reading for any other anxious moms to be out there.

[☾ Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough and informative. While I gave birth 7 months ago, the completionist in me needed to finish the last few chapters. Great book for first time mamas interested in every medical and biological step of pregnancy, birth and postpartum and explained so that it can reach a wide audience.

[jie shi · Rating 5 out of 5]

really informative

[Ren (A Bookish Balance) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

Of the three pregnancy books I’ve picked up, this was by far my favourite, I just wish the section on breastfeeding had been a bit longer/more detailed.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my go-to book for pregnancy information, and I must have read or looked at several dozen over the course of my pregnancy.

Although the title says week-by-week it's really more of a month-by-month guide. Each chapter tells you about fetal development, physiological changes for mom, and typical emotional responses. There are lots of colour images, charts and diagrams. Some of them are pretty cheesy stock photos of beatific pregnant women (there's even a picture of a pregnant lady contentedly eating salad by herself -- see for context: http://thehairpin.com/2011/01/women-l...) , but there are also some great pictures of fetal development. Information in the charts and diagrams is easy to digest.

I had the Canadian edition, which describes typical prenatal care in Canada. It lets you know what you can expect at visits, standard prenatal screening, offers suggestions about questions to ask, etc.

The author is a medical doctor. This book probably wouldn't appeal to someone who was trying to avoid a medicalized pregnancy. However, unlike a lot of pregnancy guides written by doctors, this one takes a healthy pregnancy as the norm, so you don't look up morning sickness only to make yourself paranoid about rare complications that you probably don't have. There is information about complications in a chapter at the end of the book if you want to read up. And the index is great too, so it's easy to find information.

[Philitsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book WAY more than the "what to expect..." book, although it's somewhat in the same genre.

If you're like me, and you suddenly find yourself pregnant without thinking about getting pregnant, DO NOT immediately skip to the section where they offer advice on how to deliver your baby on your own. First, you'll stress yourself out. Second, you'll realize that the pictures they provide are exactly what happens regardless of who is delivering your baby! And finally, you'll regret letting your husband sleep in the same bed as you.

[Steph Hundt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just want to have record of my favorite pregnancy book. This book was through, comprehensive, and didn't use dumbed down language to explain what was happening in your body and how your baby was growing. I really enjoyed it and read it faithfully for my whole pregnancy. The pictures and diagrams were also very detailed. I would highly recommend this one! There were some other books I tried, but the way they were written was so lame and simplistic that I always ended up putting them down and going back to this one. Bravo!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great go-to resource during the pregnancy! I preferred the scientific information, visual support (in-utero imagery and a lot of captioned photographs to represent the text), and unbiased approach presented in the text, as opposed to some of the fluffier, or more biased, texts out there. Substantial, research-based info also was appreciated by my statistically-minded partner!

Would have been even better if natural and home birth options had been further explored, but the best general pregnancy book I was able to find (and, believe me, I was thorough!).

[Kendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. I bought it way before I was pregnant because of how detailed it was. Has a TON of detailed, colored pictures. As with other pregnancy books it provides information about each month and what to expect with full colored pictures. This book may seem like a textbook and be a tad overwhelming but it's well worth it even if you skim past some things. I highly recommend this book. I'm sure I'll be skimming through it many times for information.

[Meagan & Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been a great pregnancy companion. I've been reading along according to where I am in my pregnancy, and as I near the end of my pregnancy I find I'm only a little over halfway done with this book. I'd like to finish it before the baby comes, but that's looking unlikely. Also: SO MANY TYPOS. How is this the third edition?! If I had a dollar for every typo I've found in this book, I'd be able to have a nice dinner out!

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an epitome of the saying 'Don't judge a book by its cover' (or title). This is an excellent source of authoritative and comprehensive information. The author provides a non-judgmental, non-condescending approach to providing valuable information. The medical approach the author takes to explain the various phenomenon makes me appreciate the marvel of nature. I wish I started reading this earlier enough.

[Melissa Shreve]

Okay....I am a Grandma with more babies on the way.....By my daughter and daughter in Law.
I just needed a quick brush up on what new things or ideas are being placed . The thrill of the women in my life being pregnant and the miracle of a new born. This book caught my eye on the shelf...and I love any book that has the Label DK on it. They are always filled with photos and always beautiful at that. Enjoy this book and I will definitely recommend them to my girls.

[Katie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this book! It’s been so helpful as I go through my first pregnancy. I agree with others that this book is extremely educational without being scary. It’s fascinating to learn as you go and perhaps read a little ahead so that you can know what to expect. With so little known and shared culturally and through our limited educational experiences with doctors/midwives on this topic, this sort of material is invaluable.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked most about this book was in the first half where it gave specifics (and pictures) about the baby from conception and had life size pictures as the baby grew. It was more specific than What to Expect, and since the author was a doctor that had had twins herself, she had a lot of good opinion.s

[Edan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As of 12/30/10, I'm still working my way through this, but I don't like to clog up my "currently reading" shelf. This is an informative and accessible book with all kinds of pictures and such, which makes it an easy read for late at night. It's more up to date than some of the books my mom lent me, which assume that all men have feathered hair.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this week by week guide and felt it really covered everything you would need to know about pregnancy and more...a lot didn't pertain to me, but was helpful and gave pertinent information that at least informed me of things that could happen during my pregnancy. A good book with a lot of illustrations that were very helpful. Overall a good read and I would recommend it to others.

[Candis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice reference for what was happening during pregnancy, from the baby's growth to chages in my body. The chapters were divided according to stages of pregnancy, five weeks at a time. This five-week grouping is why I gave the book 3 stars. It wasn't quite as specific to my particular stage as I would have liked, but it was full of great information.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book I found to be a little bit more in depth on some of the things I found lacking in the "What to expect..." book. But I wouldn't use this one alone either, plus the 4-D pictures are fantastic!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has great pictures to look at! However, it's not an extremely in depth book. It is not a bad place to start with your childbirth reading, but I would suggest seeking a book that will give you a little more in depth information.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book for me to see the week-by-week development of Jack when I was pregnant. The author is an OB and has a somewhat clinical/scientific twist to her book and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. Good for some, not for all.

[Daniele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best maternity book out there, and I have looked through a lot of them! There is no one sided opinion about how to do be pregnant, simply well written information, and beautiful pictures! I love this book!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've been relying on this book more than any other throughout my pregnancy. i love all of the pictures and charts. it gives a week by week detailed description of what's happening to you and your baby.

[Kellybedell BeDell]

This book has been a WONDERFUL guide through my first pregnancy. It's full of great medical information and it's witty too. It's not overly preachy like "What to Expect..." and the information is in a more clear-cut format. I would highly recommend this book for first time moms!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. Easy to read and understand. Goes through the step by step process of the baby developing and the changes happening to you. Tells you about all your options, not just delivery through hospitals. Not preachy or biased at all. Great for first time pregnancies.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while I was pregnant and found it very helpful. I specifically chose it as an alternative to What to Expect When You are Expecting. I found it to be contemporary and helpful. I also thought the pictures were great as a visual learner.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the weekly development books. I love the illustrations, and the author's nonjudgemental tone is a nice break from the more biased majority of pregnancy books.

Thanks to Liz for loaning me this one!