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Your Pregnancy Week by Week
From the moment after conception to feeding your newborn baby, Professor Lesley Regan draws on her professional expertise and personal experience to explain week-by-week what is happening to you and your baby. Stunning state-of-the-art imagery and specialist up-to-the-minute research and information describes your baby's remarkable progress in the womb. With clear, authoritative advice that demystifies complex medical jargon, this is an essential guide for every parent-to-be during this extraordinary and wonderful time.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 22, 2018
I found this book very useful, as it helped me to understand (a little of) what my sister-in-law was going through while pregnant. Unfortunately my baby niece decided to come early and I didn't get to finish the book before she arrived! In a way though I am glad, as the section at the end, with some of the possible maternal and infant complications would have been difficult to read . The fact that the author has both professional knowledge and personnel experience gives you confidence that this is a woman who definitely knows her stuff!
June 11, 2025
This 4th edition was published 2019 but the book and it's language was very outdated. It was very negative in parts, and heavily pushed medicalised birth, normalising a lot of interventions that are unusual or not always necessary.
Repeated use of term "handicapped", and other abelist language to refer to disability, such as mental retardation.
Far too frequent references to weight, and preventing weight gain in every section. I understand the importance of maintaining a healthy diet etc during pregnancy, but it was in every section, which would cause anxiety to anyone worried they have put on too much weight during their pregnancy or not losing it postpartum.
I also found it to have outdated attitudes towards the role of a male partner during pregnancy. Not "pressuring him" to attend antenatal appointments, and advising women to try to find him sessions with other dads felt patronising to men, and reinforces the stereotype that women are responsible for everything and men know nothing and are not interested without being spoon fed in a male environment. The book also encourages women not to criticise men for putting nappies on wrong etc, as if women are born with this knowledge?
I found the book didn't place enough emphasis on breastfeeding as the norm, only devoting one page spread to it out of 450.
There were also quite a lot of typos.
Overall it had a lot of useful information, but it felt very "of it's time". I was just surprised to find that that time was 2019, not 1999.
Repeated use of term "handicapped", and other abelist language to refer to disability, such as mental retardation.
Far too frequent references to weight, and preventing weight gain in every section. I understand the importance of maintaining a healthy diet etc during pregnancy, but it was in every section, which would cause anxiety to anyone worried they have put on too much weight during their pregnancy or not losing it postpartum.
I also found it to have outdated attitudes towards the role of a male partner during pregnancy. Not "pressuring him" to attend antenatal appointments, and advising women to try to find him sessions with other dads felt patronising to men, and reinforces the stereotype that women are responsible for everything and men know nothing and are not interested without being spoon fed in a male environment. The book also encourages women not to criticise men for putting nappies on wrong etc, as if women are born with this knowledge?
I found the book didn't place enough emphasis on breastfeeding as the norm, only devoting one page spread to it out of 450.
There were also quite a lot of typos.
Overall it had a lot of useful information, but it felt very "of it's time". I was just surprised to find that that time was 2019, not 1999.
January 20, 2023
While I initially enjoyed this book's format and information on the first stages of pregnancy, the last chapters were very disappointing, as they mostly contained highly specific medical details or completely irrelevant long paragraphs about how you're not supposed to be "feeling guilty" for this and that. I was hoping for a brighter ending, something more descriptive and with practical tips on your first days with a newborn.
Now I feel I am left wondering what exactly do you do on the 24 hours you spend with your baby, and many pages of this book were left untouched because the last thing you want to be reading about when delivery is fast approaching is all the potential medical complications, congenital problems and diseases your newborn might or might not have.
I am not sure I would recommend this book as a pregnancy guide... I suppose so - it was not much better or worse than other alternatives, and if you read it as your pregnancy progresses you can get some fun out of its baby data and high quality photos (if you have the printed version).
Now I feel I am left wondering what exactly do you do on the 24 hours you spend with your baby, and many pages of this book were left untouched because the last thing you want to be reading about when delivery is fast approaching is all the potential medical complications, congenital problems and diseases your newborn might or might not have.
I am not sure I would recommend this book as a pregnancy guide... I suppose so - it was not much better or worse than other alternatives, and if you read it as your pregnancy progresses you can get some fun out of its baby data and high quality photos (if you have the printed version).
September 2, 2025
Un'ottima guida che tratta tutti gli argomenti di dubbio o d'interesse riguardo gravidanza, nascita e post. Interessanti liste per acquisti mirati e non inutili, buona spiegazione di trattamento fra cui scegliere ed essere informati.
September 30, 2017
Loved this book - read it slowly as I progressed and felt informed about everything I needed to know at each stage.!
August 10, 2018
My bible through my pregnancy! I can’t recommend it enough for expecting parents!
August 13, 2020
Erg goed! Wetenschappelijk ingestoken, met oog voor alle onzekerheid die bij een eerste zwangerschap, bevalling en kindje komt kijken. Veel beter dan die ouders-van-nu rommel.
May 6, 2022
All the information that pregnant women should receive. With this book, no need to browse on Google.
November 10, 2024
Fatto molto bene, ricco di immagini e spiegazioni utili e interessanti.
December 17, 2024
Manuale molto utile per chi sta per diventare mamma.
Temi trattati con grande accuratezza scientifica, senza tralasciare la parte emotiva di questa incredibile esperienza che è la maternità.
Linguaggio esplicativo e chiaro.
🌸
Temi trattati con grande accuratezza scientifica, senza tralasciare la parte emotiva di questa incredibile esperienza che è la maternità.
Linguaggio esplicativo e chiaro.
🌸
July 25, 2014
Ok, so I'm studying to be a mid wife, and I thought that reading this book would help.
Of course, it only skimmed the surface of what I needed to know.
But it's a start to knowledge of midwifery and understand what goes on inside the women's body right from Conception - birth.
Some things were so well explained, others it was hard to understand because of the "Scientific and medical terminology."
It gives extra perspectives on the medical team and the parents.
Pros and cons of everything, concerns.. Which is really good for a mother to know.
Other things I wouldn't understand because I'm not a mother yet.
Everything was well illustrated with pictures and examples.
Most of the things like maternity clothing, I think isn't really necessary. Because anyone can wear anything they like. I've seen most people wear bikini's and what not. So I think, the book shouldn't tell women what to wear and what not to wear.
But however, I haven't found a pregnancy book that beats this one; that gives full advice to mothers and fathers about pregnancy.
One thing I do wish, this book would have to top it all off; would be
a full explanations about all labour and birth plans.
I do understand and agree how being in a hospital or clinic, some midwives or nurses may take away your control over your body and your will.
One thing I did expect to see in this book was How would you deliver a baby all on your own? I don't mean, pushing and delivering. But how would you deliver your own baby without the help of someone medical?? Say how to cut the cord, how to treat the baby after birth?? How to deliver the placenta?? etc..
Because lets face it, its the natural thing.
What if, people want to do everything by themselves?- understand the concerns of delivering.
I got a bit what the feck? When it said that it was illegal to deliver a baby at home without a medical person supervising.
Sharks, everyone seems to be taking away your rights as a mother, I know what I would do... Looks like, I will be a criminal in all my future births.
Either than that, it was a good book for mothers to be.
Of course, it only skimmed the surface of what I needed to know.
But it's a start to knowledge of midwifery and understand what goes on inside the women's body right from Conception - birth.
Some things were so well explained, others it was hard to understand because of the "Scientific and medical terminology."
It gives extra perspectives on the medical team and the parents.
Pros and cons of everything, concerns.. Which is really good for a mother to know.
Other things I wouldn't understand because I'm not a mother yet.
Everything was well illustrated with pictures and examples.
Most of the things like maternity clothing, I think isn't really necessary. Because anyone can wear anything they like. I've seen most people wear bikini's and what not. So I think, the book shouldn't tell women what to wear and what not to wear.
But however, I haven't found a pregnancy book that beats this one; that gives full advice to mothers and fathers about pregnancy.
One thing I do wish, this book would have to top it all off; would be
a full explanations about all labour and birth plans.
I do understand and agree how being in a hospital or clinic, some midwives or nurses may take away your control over your body and your will.
One thing I did expect to see in this book was How would you deliver a baby all on your own? I don't mean, pushing and delivering. But how would you deliver your own baby without the help of someone medical?? Say how to cut the cord, how to treat the baby after birth?? How to deliver the placenta?? etc..
Because lets face it, its the natural thing.
What if, people want to do everything by themselves?- understand the concerns of delivering.
I got a bit what the feck? When it said that it was illegal to deliver a baby at home without a medical person supervising.
Sharks, everyone seems to be taking away your rights as a mother, I know what I would do... Looks like, I will be a criminal in all my future births.
Either than that, it was a good book for mothers to be.
October 5, 2008
Good guide to where the baby's at. However, it should be titled 'Your Pregnancy Month by Month' as it only reveals development stages in four week cycles, which is a shame, cos I wanna ickle news report on everything that's happening every week - like, "this week the baby's the size of a grape, next week the baby will be the size of an apricot, and in two weeks time it will be a kiwi fruit and then it will be a GREAT BIG WATERMELON AND CAUSE YOU IMMENSE PAIN!!!"
Postscript: the labour part of this book is absolutely terrifying and left me feeling very depressed and like I've got the biggest exam ever to swot up for AND I HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH STUDY. I'M GONNA FAIL, JUST GIVE ME A GENERAL ANAESTHETIC, I CANNIT DO IT! all of the things that go wrong (that it is important to know about), bit difficult to cope with in a relentless 100 pages which include the term "torrential bleeding". Is that adjective helpful or strictly necessary?
Postscript: the labour part of this book is absolutely terrifying and left me feeling very depressed and like I've got the biggest exam ever to swot up for AND I HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH STUDY. I'M GONNA FAIL, JUST GIVE ME A GENERAL ANAESTHETIC, I CANNIT DO IT! all of the things that go wrong (that it is important to know about), bit difficult to cope with in a relentless 100 pages which include the term "torrential bleeding". Is that adjective helpful or strictly necessary?
December 5, 2014
Meh. I think I liked it a liiiiittle bit better than the American "What to Expect..." What was difficult between both, however, was that they both were working from within two completely different antenatal systems (American vs. British) and I couldn't always draw easy parralels to the Danish version I was experiencing.
Also, it was nice at the beginning when I really didn't need or expect a lot of information, but became very unhelpful and vague by the end. Also, written from a British OB perspective, spent much to long on monitoring, intervention, and testing methods that don't apply to me here (and just ended up freaking me out).
Good for the hospital model-loving or experiencing person in Britain. Bad for the midwifry-model in Denmark American. All about audience I suppose, but it was my least favorite reference, overall.
Also, it was nice at the beginning when I really didn't need or expect a lot of information, but became very unhelpful and vague by the end. Also, written from a British OB perspective, spent much to long on monitoring, intervention, and testing methods that don't apply to me here (and just ended up freaking me out).
Good for the hospital model-loving or experiencing person in Britain. Bad for the midwifry-model in Denmark American. All about audience I suppose, but it was my least favorite reference, overall.
December 17, 2015
Gorgeous photos and decently detailed science on feral development (although the book is organised month by month, not week by week). But, as is typical for pregnancy books, the advice on pregnant women's health and well-being is pretty poor and not a little condescending. Why, for example, is an obstetrician weighing in on what surname you should give your child? Also as is typical for these books, there are very few photos or illustrations of women/babies who aren't white.
August 11, 2015
Loved this book! It helped so much during pregnancy and answered all my questions!
June 20, 2020
A real page-turner. First 500-page book I read in German.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews