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Bumpin': The Modern Guide to Pregnancy: Navigating the Wild, Weird, and Wonderful Journey From Conception Through Birth and Beyond
Tech investor and new mom Leslie Schrock offers a thoroughly modern guide to pregnancy--from the preparations of "trimester zero" to the challenges of the newborn months.
In the last thirty years, the process of starting a family has drastically changed. Not only are there many more options for getting pregnant, but there are a dizzying array of variables from start to finish. Genetic test or no genetic test? Midwife or ob-gyn? Stroller or Baby Bjorn?
Yet all this choice can also create anxiety, especially around the most difficult realities. Miscarriages and fertility issues are common, yet often concealed. One in nine mothers report dealing with postpartum depression, but it is rarely acknowledged and even more rarely treated. Celebrities post "snap-back" photos of their slim post-baby bodies, creating unrealistic expectations for women everywhere. We have more information than ever, yet nearly every aspect of motherhood is still shrouded in judgment and mystery.
Enter Leslie Schrock, first-time mother and health tech veteran whose own struggles made her realize how much of motherhood is still shrouded in judgment and confusion. With the frank, funny warmth of a trusted friend, she soothes anxiety with answers, tackling everything from mysterious pregnancy symptoms and the politics of breastfeeding to seldom-discussed but critical topics such as miscarriage, IVF, and postpartum recovery.
Written in real-time during her own pregnancy, Bumpin' mixes the latest science with practical advice and a dash of been-there, done-that experience-all the information you need without the detail you really don't. Bumpin' is a heartfelt, empowering pregnancy guide for a new generation that is always challenging the status quo.
In the last thirty years, the process of starting a family has drastically changed. Not only are there many more options for getting pregnant, but there are a dizzying array of variables from start to finish. Genetic test or no genetic test? Midwife or ob-gyn? Stroller or Baby Bjorn?
Yet all this choice can also create anxiety, especially around the most difficult realities. Miscarriages and fertility issues are common, yet often concealed. One in nine mothers report dealing with postpartum depression, but it is rarely acknowledged and even more rarely treated. Celebrities post "snap-back" photos of their slim post-baby bodies, creating unrealistic expectations for women everywhere. We have more information than ever, yet nearly every aspect of motherhood is still shrouded in judgment and mystery.
Enter Leslie Schrock, first-time mother and health tech veteran whose own struggles made her realize how much of motherhood is still shrouded in judgment and confusion. With the frank, funny warmth of a trusted friend, she soothes anxiety with answers, tackling everything from mysterious pregnancy symptoms and the politics of breastfeeding to seldom-discussed but critical topics such as miscarriage, IVF, and postpartum recovery.
Written in real-time during her own pregnancy, Bumpin' mixes the latest science with practical advice and a dash of been-there, done-that experience-all the information you need without the detail you really don't. Bumpin' is a heartfelt, empowering pregnancy guide for a new generation that is always challenging the status quo.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 17, 2019
1063 people are currently reading
4527 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Schrock
5 books24 followersLeslie Schrock is a founder, investor, and advisor to some of the top companies at the convergence of health and technology. She is also the author of Bumpin': The Modern Guide to Pregnancy and Fertility Rules: The Definitive Guide to Male and Female Reproductive Health. Leslie was named one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, and her work has been featured in publications including The Economist, Fortune, NPR, GQ, CNBC, and The New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 310 reviews
September 25, 2021
I think Emily Oster’s Expecting Better gave me much more practical information, and was a lot more fun to read.
In Expecting Better, Oster explains research backing up both sides of controversial issues (e.g. drinking, eating sushi, etc), and gives readers the freedom to make their own decisions. I felt a lot more confident and calm after reading Expecting Better.
In Bumpin, the author just spouted the generic advice given by doctors without explaining the scientific research backing up why that advice is given. I felt confused and very worried about all the things I might do wrong after reading it.
For example, there’s a section on Diastis recti, where the author tells readers to disengage from all abdominal exercise IMMEDIATELY. Then she shares some scary statistics about how many women avoid it. And then I freaked out, and looked on the web for additional advice… and there is so much conflicting advice on this. Some say you should do MORE crunches to help prevent Diastis recti and some say it doesn’t matter either way. I wish she had followed Oster’s format in Expecting Better and given research to back up all sides so I could make my decision with confidence.
I gave it 2 stars (not 1) because there was some useful information, and I like how she broke it into “five trimesters” (including conception and postpartum). But I think people would be better off reading Emily Oster’s Expecting Better and Cribsheet (the follow-up that goes from postpartum to toddlerhood).
In Expecting Better, Oster explains research backing up both sides of controversial issues (e.g. drinking, eating sushi, etc), and gives readers the freedom to make their own decisions. I felt a lot more confident and calm after reading Expecting Better.
In Bumpin, the author just spouted the generic advice given by doctors without explaining the scientific research backing up why that advice is given. I felt confused and very worried about all the things I might do wrong after reading it.
For example, there’s a section on Diastis recti, where the author tells readers to disengage from all abdominal exercise IMMEDIATELY. Then she shares some scary statistics about how many women avoid it. And then I freaked out, and looked on the web for additional advice… and there is so much conflicting advice on this. Some say you should do MORE crunches to help prevent Diastis recti and some say it doesn’t matter either way. I wish she had followed Oster’s format in Expecting Better and given research to back up all sides so I could make my decision with confidence.
I gave it 2 stars (not 1) because there was some useful information, and I like how she broke it into “five trimesters” (including conception and postpartum). But I think people would be better off reading Emily Oster’s Expecting Better and Cribsheet (the follow-up that goes from postpartum to toddlerhood).
September 12, 2020
My fiancé and I are hoping to get pregnant in the New Year, so I thought I'd get a head start with this book. I think overall it was a great introduction. Schrock's perspective is generally non-judgmental albeit fairly mainstream. She uses lots of references to scientific articles to support the statements she shares, covering four "trimesters" including conception and the baby's first three months. The language is down-to-earth and reassuring.
Health stuff is the focus as well as practical planning like what to pack for labour and delivery, info about different professionals like doulas and acupuncturists, and tips about the relationship with your partner. She shares her own story but keeps it to a minimum.
Certainly not the only book you'd want to read about pregnancy, especially if you want a deeper dive into certain topics but if you were going to read only one, I'd say this is a good choice! (Perhaps if you are set on a home birth not, as it is hospital birth focused even though it does discuss home births).
One caveat is definitely that this is a book for cis women with cis male partners. There is a brief note in the intro that I know is well-meaning in trying to acknowledge that LGBTQ people getting pregnant will have different experiences not represented in this book, particularly as it assumes the birth parent uses she pronouns, identifies as a mom to be, and her partner uses he. It's not expressed particularly well, but at least it's there.
As Schrock is American, it's also understandably American-centric. I was grateful to skip over parts about insurance, hospital costs, and going back to work when your baby is 3 months old (how horrific!!). It's also focused on white middle class Americans, to be specific. I'm also white and middle class, and would be interested to hear reactions from those who are not on how relevant this book is.
Health stuff is the focus as well as practical planning like what to pack for labour and delivery, info about different professionals like doulas and acupuncturists, and tips about the relationship with your partner. She shares her own story but keeps it to a minimum.
Certainly not the only book you'd want to read about pregnancy, especially if you want a deeper dive into certain topics but if you were going to read only one, I'd say this is a good choice! (Perhaps if you are set on a home birth not, as it is hospital birth focused even though it does discuss home births).
One caveat is definitely that this is a book for cis women with cis male partners. There is a brief note in the intro that I know is well-meaning in trying to acknowledge that LGBTQ people getting pregnant will have different experiences not represented in this book, particularly as it assumes the birth parent uses she pronouns, identifies as a mom to be, and her partner uses he. It's not expressed particularly well, but at least it's there.
As Schrock is American, it's also understandably American-centric. I was grateful to skip over parts about insurance, hospital costs, and going back to work when your baby is 3 months old (how horrific!!). It's also focused on white middle class Americans, to be specific. I'm also white and middle class, and would be interested to hear reactions from those who are not on how relevant this book is.
June 15, 2022
This book is full of really helpful information and enjoyable to read - but it's getting 3/5 for the "Partner" sections for being extremely heteronormative. Why call it "Partners" when you're just going to make the text extremely gendered and geared toward cis dudes? I swear straight people want a medal for saying ~partner~ like that's the key to inclusion, and don't want to make any additional effort toward understanding that not every family is a cis man + cis woman. So, despite this book being a good reference for a lot of pregnancy topics, I probably wouldn't recommend this to my fellow LGBTQIA+ community members. We deserve better tbh.
January 28, 2022
A fine book, but over all a waste of time for me.
I feel kinda bad giving this book 3 stars. But honestly as a first time mom with like literally zero baby experience, (I don't have any baby cousins, no family lives by me, none of my friends have gotten pregnant, single child, no I grew up with had younger siblings..) I just don't feel like this book did much for me. And towards the end I was really dragging myself to finish it.
I'm not sure why that was. It's probably me, I was probably just looking for something entirely different then the authors intentions.
For one, I didn't really need a basic trimester by trimester checklist of appointments to make by this time and this time, —but im military and unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it) I am completely covered full ride by insurance. This, however, means I have little to no say in what appointments happen when, whether I can get a doula...etc. same goes for the financial planning aspects, requesting time off etc. Work to baby life covered a surprising amount of the book, and while I'm proud for that because I would really be unimpressed if they just assumed we could all be stay at home moms, again these parts didn't apply to me. I get exactly 3 months off, no more no less. That's no fault of the author of course, and I went in with the understanding that something's simply won't be applicable to me.
That being said, I guess I was looking for a book on what to eat and avoid, what my body changes may look like, what's normal-er to experience daily, more debates on breast feeding versus not, where to put a baby crib etc... What products I should start gathering (should I get a diaper subscription??) Some info about WIC, Baby registries, useful items to have around would've been good. (And there was some of that don't get me wrong.)
But there we have it. I have no maternal experience, therefore it should have been relatively easy to impress me. I wanted to leave this book feeling like I had learned some new information, or useful insights, or at least some differing options/opinions to weigh. Instead, if I'm being honest, the only part of the book I found remotely informative was the post partum section on breast feeding babies. And mostly her personal experiences in italics were what I lived for in this book.
Like I said, I'm probably just not the target audience at the end of the day, despite having assumed I would be.
I feel kinda bad giving this book 3 stars. But honestly as a first time mom with like literally zero baby experience, (I don't have any baby cousins, no family lives by me, none of my friends have gotten pregnant, single child, no I grew up with had younger siblings..) I just don't feel like this book did much for me. And towards the end I was really dragging myself to finish it.
I'm not sure why that was. It's probably me, I was probably just looking for something entirely different then the authors intentions.
For one, I didn't really need a basic trimester by trimester checklist of appointments to make by this time and this time, —but im military and unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it) I am completely covered full ride by insurance. This, however, means I have little to no say in what appointments happen when, whether I can get a doula...etc. same goes for the financial planning aspects, requesting time off etc. Work to baby life covered a surprising amount of the book, and while I'm proud for that because I would really be unimpressed if they just assumed we could all be stay at home moms, again these parts didn't apply to me. I get exactly 3 months off, no more no less. That's no fault of the author of course, and I went in with the understanding that something's simply won't be applicable to me.
That being said, I guess I was looking for a book on what to eat and avoid, what my body changes may look like, what's normal-er to experience daily, more debates on breast feeding versus not, where to put a baby crib etc... What products I should start gathering (should I get a diaper subscription??) Some info about WIC, Baby registries, useful items to have around would've been good. (And there was some of that don't get me wrong.)
But there we have it. I have no maternal experience, therefore it should have been relatively easy to impress me. I wanted to leave this book feeling like I had learned some new information, or useful insights, or at least some differing options/opinions to weigh. Instead, if I'm being honest, the only part of the book I found remotely informative was the post partum section on breast feeding babies. And mostly her personal experiences in italics were what I lived for in this book.
Like I said, I'm probably just not the target audience at the end of the day, despite having assumed I would be.
January 15, 2024
This would not be the first pregnancy book I recommend to anyone and I felt most of what I read in it was available from other sources. I picked it up because it was supposedly written as an antidote to older pregnancy guides that make outdated assumptions about lifestyle. This book was more likely to get into the “ugly side” of pregnancy and mental health for moms in a way that was welcome. It was a blessedly quick read. Ultimately though, I felt that it was still very surface level and made a lot of generalizations that were very specific to the author’s experience and not very helpful to me, a pregnant person who has found more practical advice from pregnancy apps and Reddit forums.
Pros to this book:
-The author shares her own pregnancy and birth experiences in a way that is refreshing. She occasionally brings in info about how other cultures handle pregnancy and birth different than dominant US culture typically does, which I liked. She looks into assistive technologies that I really had not considered and I learned about things like TENS units that I may actually want to try.
-If you experience trouble conceiving or miscarriage, the author covers these topics as a normal part of pregnancy and addresses them head-on in the beginning of the book and not as an afterthought in a way that most pregnancy books do. (Con- Since I haven’t dealt with either issue, this was not something I was wanting from a pregnancy guide and frankly, may have been tough to read if I was still trying to conceive).
-The author has a more casual approach to birth and labor that I appreciated; she recommended re-branding your “birth plan” to “birth preferences” to avoid disappointment and also encouraged a more moderate route than some super holistic birthing guides may seem to encourage. She also refuses the term “natural childbirth” and writes more precisely about birth being either “C-section or vaginal,” “medicated or unmedicated.”
-I did appreciate that she covered practical topics like working out your maternity leave at work and figuring out your insurance deductibles, which some older guides don’t seem to include. She also mentioned things like when to hire a doula and what to discuss with them, a topic that I previously found somewhat confusing.
The gripes:
-In general this is written from the POV of a high-earning, dual-income household health tech executive type of person who lives in Silicon Valley. She is up front about this. Related perhaps to her class/social status, she focuses a lot on expensive and somewhat inaccessible interventions like acupuncture, has a whole birthing/midwife team to help her out, has access to water birthing in a birth center setting, starts meeting with a pelvic floor therapist in the first trimester and just in general has a lifestyle that isn’t super attainable. She also focuses on weight/diet to a degree that I found personally revealed a lot about her own anxieties, though perhaps those are relatable…I just personally couldn’t relate and have found that if I want this type of advice, I can find it on Reddit from peers who may have more in common with me.
-The author states early on that she hates the types of pregnancy guides like “What to Expect” which go into detail on all the side effects or symptoms one may experience throughout pregnancy- she said reading such things gave her anxiety and she wouldn’t go into great detail about those kind of pregnancy issues. I was fine with that premise - I personally love the What to Expect app but I didn’t need this book to be that. What irritated me: she then goes on to use her own pregnancy as the template for which issues she chooses to spend time discussing and makes several blanket generalized statements about pregnancy that were not accurate.
For example, in the second trimester chapter, she actually writes “your morning sickness should stop, your night peeing should diminish…” um, no. This was about the time I wanted to throw the book across the room. While it may be statistically more likely for most people to have less sickness in the second trimester, that was NOT my experience or that of other people I know. She also never recommended any helpful medications - for things like morning sickness and heartburn, the recommendations are all extremely general and not helpful, when there are plenty of perfectly safe OTC remedies that SHOULD have been recommended. This pattern repeats later in the book when she provides only very surface level info about labor/delivery and some of it seems inaccurate or outdated.
-The author says there will be a bit in each segment of the book about how the partner can be helpful in each part of the process. These bits were kinda patronizing, very short, and seemed like an afterthought. There wasn’t even anything about this in the second trimester (note that I picked up this book mid-way through my second trimester and was annoyed by how much she seemed to assume this part was a breeze, as it was for her). She does have more detail for how the partner can help after the baby comes which honestly to me reflected a lot of outdated assumptions about gender roles. On the plus side if you are someone going into pregnancy without a live-in partner or without someone who is very invested in being a partner, this is the book for you.
-Some of the most practical tidbits in this book were things like a “what you need on your registry” checklist, “what maternity clothes to purchase” and “what to bring to the hospital” list which, again, there’s plenty of more comprehensive info about this anywhere you look on the internet. In general I found that on topics that I had already taken time to to research myself, she didn’t bring any new insight and also seemed to rely on more expensive options (like a clothing rental service) which may not be the most widely accessible thing. (It also cracked me up that after she said that “new babies need hardly anything,” she then proceeds to lay out the minimum viable registry list of 40 things you MUST have-some of which you really don’t need in the first 6 months- and then 8 other “nice to haves.”) I feel like you could find a million other guides like this with more explanation to help tailor your decisions to your household or needs.
There were some helpful tidbits in this book - for one thing it’s very compact and easy to reference, and the stuff about what to do after the baby comes may be something I want to reference more in about 4 months - in general though, do not recommend.
Pros to this book:
-The author shares her own pregnancy and birth experiences in a way that is refreshing. She occasionally brings in info about how other cultures handle pregnancy and birth different than dominant US culture typically does, which I liked. She looks into assistive technologies that I really had not considered and I learned about things like TENS units that I may actually want to try.
-If you experience trouble conceiving or miscarriage, the author covers these topics as a normal part of pregnancy and addresses them head-on in the beginning of the book and not as an afterthought in a way that most pregnancy books do. (Con- Since I haven’t dealt with either issue, this was not something I was wanting from a pregnancy guide and frankly, may have been tough to read if I was still trying to conceive).
-The author has a more casual approach to birth and labor that I appreciated; she recommended re-branding your “birth plan” to “birth preferences” to avoid disappointment and also encouraged a more moderate route than some super holistic birthing guides may seem to encourage. She also refuses the term “natural childbirth” and writes more precisely about birth being either “C-section or vaginal,” “medicated or unmedicated.”
-I did appreciate that she covered practical topics like working out your maternity leave at work and figuring out your insurance deductibles, which some older guides don’t seem to include. She also mentioned things like when to hire a doula and what to discuss with them, a topic that I previously found somewhat confusing.
The gripes:
-In general this is written from the POV of a high-earning, dual-income household health tech executive type of person who lives in Silicon Valley. She is up front about this. Related perhaps to her class/social status, she focuses a lot on expensive and somewhat inaccessible interventions like acupuncture, has a whole birthing/midwife team to help her out, has access to water birthing in a birth center setting, starts meeting with a pelvic floor therapist in the first trimester and just in general has a lifestyle that isn’t super attainable. She also focuses on weight/diet to a degree that I found personally revealed a lot about her own anxieties, though perhaps those are relatable…I just personally couldn’t relate and have found that if I want this type of advice, I can find it on Reddit from peers who may have more in common with me.
-The author states early on that she hates the types of pregnancy guides like “What to Expect” which go into detail on all the side effects or symptoms one may experience throughout pregnancy- she said reading such things gave her anxiety and she wouldn’t go into great detail about those kind of pregnancy issues. I was fine with that premise - I personally love the What to Expect app but I didn’t need this book to be that. What irritated me: she then goes on to use her own pregnancy as the template for which issues she chooses to spend time discussing and makes several blanket generalized statements about pregnancy that were not accurate.
For example, in the second trimester chapter, she actually writes “your morning sickness should stop, your night peeing should diminish…” um, no. This was about the time I wanted to throw the book across the room. While it may be statistically more likely for most people to have less sickness in the second trimester, that was NOT my experience or that of other people I know. She also never recommended any helpful medications - for things like morning sickness and heartburn, the recommendations are all extremely general and not helpful, when there are plenty of perfectly safe OTC remedies that SHOULD have been recommended. This pattern repeats later in the book when she provides only very surface level info about labor/delivery and some of it seems inaccurate or outdated.
-The author says there will be a bit in each segment of the book about how the partner can be helpful in each part of the process. These bits were kinda patronizing, very short, and seemed like an afterthought. There wasn’t even anything about this in the second trimester (note that I picked up this book mid-way through my second trimester and was annoyed by how much she seemed to assume this part was a breeze, as it was for her). She does have more detail for how the partner can help after the baby comes which honestly to me reflected a lot of outdated assumptions about gender roles. On the plus side if you are someone going into pregnancy without a live-in partner or without someone who is very invested in being a partner, this is the book for you.
-Some of the most practical tidbits in this book were things like a “what you need on your registry” checklist, “what maternity clothes to purchase” and “what to bring to the hospital” list which, again, there’s plenty of more comprehensive info about this anywhere you look on the internet. In general I found that on topics that I had already taken time to to research myself, she didn’t bring any new insight and also seemed to rely on more expensive options (like a clothing rental service) which may not be the most widely accessible thing. (It also cracked me up that after she said that “new babies need hardly anything,” she then proceeds to lay out the minimum viable registry list of 40 things you MUST have-some of which you really don’t need in the first 6 months- and then 8 other “nice to haves.”) I feel like you could find a million other guides like this with more explanation to help tailor your decisions to your household or needs.
There were some helpful tidbits in this book - for one thing it’s very compact and easy to reference, and the stuff about what to do after the baby comes may be something I want to reference more in about 4 months - in general though, do not recommend.
April 22, 2023
Poorly researched fear mongering
April 13, 2025
No, I’m not pregnant - but enough people around me are that I figured I should educate myself a bit 😄
Read
December 6, 2023This gave so much detail about birth situations and potential scenarios that truly scared the shit out of me, but I literally have a phobia about pregnancy and giving birth. It was incredibly detailed and well researched.
April 16, 2024
Even though this was based off of the American health care system, there was still a lot of great info and content! It’s been a nice companion to have as we’ve gone through prenatal classes and I kind of followed along reading based on the trimester I was in!
February 17, 2025
Informative but succinct! Reader friendly
October 31, 2025
My first pregnancy book 🥹 I think this was a really superb wholistic read.
(Audiobook review)
(Audiobook review)
January 6, 2020
The Only Pregnancy Guide You Will Ever Need
This book, like parenthood, changes everything. After having purchased and scoured every pregnancy book out there THIS one is the one I wish I'd had in hand for both of my pregnancies. And this is the book I will gift and reference to every prospective and expectant parents I meet from here on out.
I write this after having read this book in its entirity while being house bound mid potty training my 3 yo. It was a refreshing read and Leslie's approach is so real, raw and relatable I found myself reliving so many moments through her eyes and honoring how far I'd come with my own little ones. When you are in the thick of battle with a toddler it is hard to keep perspective most days on whether you are coming or going.
This book is such an awesome up to date collection of insights and essential information, I reccomend it for first, second and third timers (and onwards if you continue) as a refresher. There are so many elements I would have read and reread throughout my pregnancies had I had this in hand.
I also had the privilege while pregnant of researching these topics and working with the legendary neonatal nurse and birth prep coach Sarah McMoyler founder of The McMoyler Method. Sarah's classes, books and online prep were a godsend if you were lucky enough to get in. Her approach much like Leslie's was always Happy Healthy Baby and Mom no matter how you get there. Sarah passed away far too young just after my son was born 3 yrs ago and I think were she alive today she would love this book and utilize it in her training curriculim.
So much of the content in Bumpin cuts through all the BS, removes judgement about whats right, wrong, perfect, etc and just gives you what's essential. It also underscores one of the scariest and most important lessons of pregnancy and parenthood....learning to let go (we can't control everything) and trusting our instinct.
Now I just hope Leslie will write a followup to this called Thumpin: Surving and Thriving the Toddler Years because that is a whole other rollercoaster I've yet to see anyone properly prepare parents for and that help I could use right now! Grateful though for this work, it is so so important for parents to be to feel empowered and informed, not overwhelmed by the sea of information and the tyranny of Dr. Google.
This book, like parenthood, changes everything. After having purchased and scoured every pregnancy book out there THIS one is the one I wish I'd had in hand for both of my pregnancies. And this is the book I will gift and reference to every prospective and expectant parents I meet from here on out.
I write this after having read this book in its entirity while being house bound mid potty training my 3 yo. It was a refreshing read and Leslie's approach is so real, raw and relatable I found myself reliving so many moments through her eyes and honoring how far I'd come with my own little ones. When you are in the thick of battle with a toddler it is hard to keep perspective most days on whether you are coming or going.
This book is such an awesome up to date collection of insights and essential information, I reccomend it for first, second and third timers (and onwards if you continue) as a refresher. There are so many elements I would have read and reread throughout my pregnancies had I had this in hand.
I also had the privilege while pregnant of researching these topics and working with the legendary neonatal nurse and birth prep coach Sarah McMoyler founder of The McMoyler Method. Sarah's classes, books and online prep were a godsend if you were lucky enough to get in. Her approach much like Leslie's was always Happy Healthy Baby and Mom no matter how you get there. Sarah passed away far too young just after my son was born 3 yrs ago and I think were she alive today she would love this book and utilize it in her training curriculim.
So much of the content in Bumpin cuts through all the BS, removes judgement about whats right, wrong, perfect, etc and just gives you what's essential. It also underscores one of the scariest and most important lessons of pregnancy and parenthood....learning to let go (we can't control everything) and trusting our instinct.
Now I just hope Leslie will write a followup to this called Thumpin: Surving and Thriving the Toddler Years because that is a whole other rollercoaster I've yet to see anyone properly prepare parents for and that help I could use right now! Grateful though for this work, it is so so important for parents to be to feel empowered and informed, not overwhelmed by the sea of information and the tyranny of Dr. Google.
May 6, 2024
instagram announcements are out, making it obvious via your goodreads activity is in ✨
not a bad pregnancy book but it definitely doesn't feel like it's enough to be a full guide on its own. it's written in an accessible tone and it's nice that it includes sections for both pre-pregnancy and postpartum as opposed to just the three trimesters but idk, something was off. I think it's that it felt like it was mostly the same old advice in new packaging without any fresh investigation into why that advice still stands (or if it should be changed) combined with the fact that it's incredibly cis- and heteronormative despite the "partner" title on those sections.
not a bad pregnancy book but it definitely doesn't feel like it's enough to be a full guide on its own. it's written in an accessible tone and it's nice that it includes sections for both pre-pregnancy and postpartum as opposed to just the three trimesters but idk, something was off. I think it's that it felt like it was mostly the same old advice in new packaging without any fresh investigation into why that advice still stands (or if it should be changed) combined with the fact that it's incredibly cis- and heteronormative despite the "partner" title on those sections.
October 30, 2022
I'm going to be a masi soon so I thought I'd prep myself by reading all the things that my sister is dealing with along the way. Not super detailed but a nice introduction to pregnancy, and perfect for someone like me who isn't actually going through it.
September 21, 2021
I’m not pregnant! But this was a good overview and I appreciated the author’s research based info and mix in of personal anecdotes.
December 16, 2023
Read each section as I get to a new trimester! Loved how it was more conversational and less like a textbook. Helped me feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing without adding stress!
June 8, 2025
I read most of this, skimming and skipping parts that weren’t relevant to me at this time. I took most of the info with a grain of salt, trusting my doctor and hospital recommendations more than the author.
I learned doulas are birthing team members who are worth looking into. I didn’t know much about them. The author seemed to have a good experience with them.
The beginning section briefly touches on infertility and IVF. That info should also be taken with a grain of salt. For the embryo transfer procedure, a full bladder is needed, which isn’t mentioned at all.
I felt like my takeaways from this book were more from my own judgmental nature. The author really hates ab crunches and thinks they should never be done anytime in pregnancy. The author did not want a c section but medically needed one. She included emojis on her birth plan. On the one hand I appreciated her sharing parts of her personal birth story, it’s hard for me not to compare or judge.
Kudos to separating out the authors pregnancy memoir and the medical advice. That distinction was appreciated.
I learned doulas are birthing team members who are worth looking into. I didn’t know much about them. The author seemed to have a good experience with them.
The beginning section briefly touches on infertility and IVF. That info should also be taken with a grain of salt. For the embryo transfer procedure, a full bladder is needed, which isn’t mentioned at all.
I felt like my takeaways from this book were more from my own judgmental nature. The author really hates ab crunches and thinks they should never be done anytime in pregnancy. The author did not want a c section but medically needed one. She included emojis on her birth plan. On the one hand I appreciated her sharing parts of her personal birth story, it’s hard for me not to compare or judge.
Kudos to separating out the authors pregnancy memoir and the medical advice. That distinction was appreciated.
December 21, 2024
I’m giving this book 4 stars, but seeing as I haven’t been through the birthing process myself, I don’t feel able to give it a full five.
As someone who HAS NOT given birth but is highly considering it, I found this book fascinating in terms of learning a lot of things I think I should probably have learned a long time ago. It made me feel more comfortable with the idea of having kids, so four stars for that. I figure any pregnancy book that doesn’t scare me shitless, but feels detailed in its information, seems like a 4 star book.
Lastly, I greatly appreciate that Shrock has done research and compiled it for me ALONG with sharing her own birth story. The dual narrative was helpful for me as someone who thrives within stories and community, but also appreciates the facts and numbers.
As someone who HAS NOT given birth but is highly considering it, I found this book fascinating in terms of learning a lot of things I think I should probably have learned a long time ago. It made me feel more comfortable with the idea of having kids, so four stars for that. I figure any pregnancy book that doesn’t scare me shitless, but feels detailed in its information, seems like a 4 star book.
Lastly, I greatly appreciate that Shrock has done research and compiled it for me ALONG with sharing her own birth story. The dual narrative was helpful for me as someone who thrives within stories and community, but also appreciates the facts and numbers.
April 17, 2023
By far the BEST resource I’ve read my entire pregnancy, and will be recommending it to every pregnant friend from here on out! It’s comprehensive without feeling like information overload and my only wish is that I’d come across it earlier in my pregnancy (however it was still packed with relevant information for third trimester on, as well, so it was still VERY useful even reading it further along)
May 17, 2025
There’s a lot of mixed reviews on this book but I found it overall helpful. It was easy to read, straight forward and shares information without going too far into nitty gritty detail which is what I was looking for. Great intro book with solid foundational information. Also appreciate the explanations of the simple exercises. Although it is American based, it was simple enough to skip over the parts that didn’t feel relevant for a Canadian context.
February 4, 2024
An okay read- some parts were helpful and informative, but others left me questioning if her explanation of certain medical issues was really accurate or not… I plan to bring up a few of her statements to my OBGYN and midwife to see what they think. I also morally disagreed with some of her decisions and opinions.
November 21, 2023
Very solid overview of what to expect but too conservative / outdated for me regarding exercise, eating / drinking, and breastfeeding. Would recommend reading in tandem with both Cribsheet and Expecting Better.
January 27, 2024
I actually enjoyed this straightforward guide. There isn’t a lot of science background discussion but I liked that it seemed based on science and logic. Allayed a lot of my fears and also touches on things such as returning to work and pelvic floor exercises.
November 1, 2024
I liked how this book was significantly shorter than the classic what to expect book. It was quite opinionated, but still a decent resource for a spectrum of base level pregnancy info. I liked that the chapters continued past delivery and into postpartum and beyond.
May 23, 2024
Read this slowly throughout my pregnancy and found it very helpful! I appreciated the author’s writing style, and was glad she covered a wide range of topics. It’s broken down by trimester, which was very practical for reading during pregnancy. 4.5 stars.
February 9, 2025
Will absolutely be purchasing a physical copy to highlight when the time comes. Excellent precursor for me!!!!
April 3, 2024
A great overview on everything pregnancy & birth & some.
May 20, 2023
SO GOOD!! I would highly recommend this to any expectant mother or anyone who’s considering trying to get pregnant now or in the future. This book was full of helpful information and shared personal experience from the author, herself. I really enjoyed this book!
August 14, 2025
I found this really informative and helpful and I liked the tone
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