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A Is for Advice (The Reassuring Kind): Wisdom for Pregnancy

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A small gifty package with beautful black-and-white illustrations by Iris Gottlieb, this is the ultimate babyshower gift for your best friend, sister, or daughter.

Practical, reassuring, and beautifully written, A is for Advice provides a brief and compelling reflection on pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period for expectant mothers of all kinds--whether you prefer a water birth at home or a scheduled C-section in a hospital, whether you believe in painkillers or an all-natural labor, breast milk or formula, this book speaks to you and your pregancy. Written in the approachable and friendly tone of a best-friend blogger but informed by the insight of a Registered Midwife, A is for Advice seeks to comfort and inspire, providing realistic and soothing advice at a time when most women desperately seek out information.

Through 26 lesson/letters of the alphabet (C is for Control; F is for Fear; W is for Water), A is for Advice offers practical and emotional insights into the often overwhelming transition to motherhood. Using a combination of humor, story-telling, research distillation, and personal reflection, A is for Advice speaks to concerns common to all women as they approach birth and motherhood. Eschewing the “birth wars” for a women-centered, feminist perspective, A is for Advice does not argue for any one type of birth experience, but rather empowers each woman to be her own advocate. If the book could be summed up in one line it would be, simply, “be gentle with yourself.”  Read it cover-to-cover or in the short bursts available to an expecting mom (each letter stands alone), this book offers a compelling call for well-informed, judgment-free, and forgiving birthing and mothering.

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2019

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About the author

Ilana Stanger-Ross

3 books9 followers

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5 stars
125 (55%)
4 stars
78 (34%)
3 stars
20 (8%)
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2 (<1%)
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Jane Henningsen.
65 reviews4 followers
March 26, 2024
This was a super quick little book written by a midwife. I enjoyed it a lot- it was informative and (as promised) reassuring.

It’s an alphabet of short reflections on parenting and pregnancy topics.

I think this would be a nice baby shower gift or gift to a pregnant friend when you want to send more than a card. My copy was put together upside down, so the back of the book was inside the front cover the wrong way up. So weird. Maybe check yours before gifting! Didn’t mind though
Profile Image for Irina.
41 reviews
April 29, 2019
The book I wish I'd had in pregnancy (still great in the postpartum period though) and my new go-to baby shower gift.
1 review
April 9, 2019
Beautiful and clear writing, good stories, and a manageable length.
Profile Image for Jaclyn.
340 reviews10 followers
January 12, 2021
A sweet little book of short advices kindly offered. Passed a few 3-4 AMs with this one. Look forward to gifting it on to the next person.
Profile Image for Emmie Prince.
66 reviews2 followers
February 4, 2025
Really lovely and insightful. Wonderful for your pregnant friend or if you're supporting pregnant people. I really liked the mix of good advice (evidence based) as well as personal touches and stories.
210 reviews
January 12, 2023
Sometimes books come along exactly when you need them. The author didn’t lie to me and just say, “Everything will always be okay,” or “This sucks,” or try to terrorize me in the way that some pregnancy books seem guilty of. Instead, she made clear that there will be good parts and bad parts. That wonder, hope, and joy are possible alongside guilt, grief, and fear. Wonderfully real and reassuring. Will be rereading as needed.
Profile Image for Brooklyn || The Wild Library.
393 reviews14 followers
August 12, 2021
A short and sweet collection of anecdotes about pregnancy and birth from a midwife, in the format of an A-Z alphabet book. It was definitely true to it's name in that the book felt very reassuring, as well as compassionate and caring. It was also neat to learn that the author works as a midwife in my hometown! This would make a lovely baby shower gift or just a gift for anyone who is newly pregnant or hoping to become pregnant.
Profile Image for Francesca R.
3 reviews
March 21, 2020
Quick read

This book was a good, quick read. Helpful to read when you’re pregnant (I am in my 32nd week going on 33) if anything just for the calmness of the author’s voice. She brings up some points for mom to be to think about without being Forceful and let’s you make your own decision about how you feel about the specific topic.
131 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2025
This book would be fantastic for a first time mom not knowing what to expect. As a repeat mom it was still reassuring to read the stories throughout. It gives you a renewed sense of hope and motivation. But it was less applicable since a lot was info that was already known from my own experience. This is a very quick read and worth it.
Profile Image for Megan.
117 reviews
June 1, 2023
written by a midwife and fluffy in all the right ways that isn't over the top. a touching and encouraging book to read, perfect for the last trimester preparing for labor and early parenthood.
my ob provider recommended it.
Profile Image for Makenzie Moreno Otto.
23 reviews1 follower
August 14, 2025
**read as a labor nurse & friend, not for myself lol**
This is a cute, quick, non-judgmental compilation of basically everything I wanna tell my pregnant friends. Catch me gifting this at baby showers along with some postpartum undies 💗
1 review
January 6, 2021
So warm

This is truly such a heartwarming book that made me feel more emotionally prepared for pregnancy. The tone was so warm. Loved it
Profile Image for Jorry Mcnow.
37 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2024
Such a gem. Found it at my place of work 🤍🖤.
Enjoyed so much.
Profile Image for TheLinhDo.
178 reviews5 followers
July 25, 2024
Reassuring and informative. Just what I needed for my pregnancy
Profile Image for Tori Costello.
96 reviews
October 3, 2025
Recommend by our doula. It’s a quick little read but hits a lot of points that can encourage more research/questions/talks.
Profile Image for Janelle.
22 reviews3 followers
November 3, 2025
"Often, the finest moments are those we don't orchestrate."
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews