Nice book to read in the mornings to get the mind set for the day. Think new mothers will enjoy this.

Pregnancy is a unique time when a woman feels a plethora of emotions. Surrounded by everything "baby," at times, she can forget about herself. Daily Wisdom for the Mommy-to-Be: Everyday Encouragement during Your Pregnancy addresses motherhood before, after, and in between. This book is a keepsake to mark the milestones and to nurture the mom-to-be during the process. I recommend it for all moms-to-be.

Mommies to be need all of the encouragement and positive thinking they can get. And Thureen delivers.

I felt like this book touched on some good topics that moms-to-be might experience but didn't really care for the hypothetical story telling style that each entry was written in. It seemed to detract from the devotional perspective and turn it more into a short story esq collection.

This is a sweet, perfect-length devotional for a spiritually-minded pregnant woman. As a mommy-to-be 14 years ago, I would have delighted in this book. Stacey Thureen has written a perfect gift book for the woman you know who is pregnant, no matter how many children she has.

Stacey writes a very brief devotional for each day of the 40 weeks of pregnancy. The short length is ideal for busy moms. I enjoy how Stacey crafts them around issues specific to each trimester.

She also shares many stories of other mommies in her devotionals. When I was pregnant with my first child, I was hungry for pregnancy stories, and this book reminds me of my search. Even though the stories may be fictional, it doesn’t matter, because it feels like you’re receiving pregnancy stories from a community. I think every mommy-to-be finds encouragement from hearing how other women handle pregnancy.

I also like that sometimes she carries a single story over several devotions to dig in a little deeper. Even if a woman picks this book up in her second or third trimester, the devotions are short enough to read through a whole week in one 15- or 20-minute setting. Pregnant women will be uplifted and inspired by the scriptures and devotions in this book.

Stacey’s encouragement is gentle and sincere. Here are examples of the truths Stacey shares:

"To be a mommy-to-be is a high calling. One that demands a lot of time, attention, and responsibility. When you acknowledge Christ’s presence, He is always with you."
"Reflect on who God is, what He has concealed for you in this pregnancy, and what He is letting you see. Commit to trust Him in this process as your body continues to change."
"Whether this pregnancy so far has been a breeze or filled with some bizarre twists and turns, He’s holding you together."

A mommy-to-be who loves Jesus will appreciate this book! Know a newly pregnant mom? This will make an encouraging gift to last through her whole pregnancy.

Netgalley generously provided me a free review copy of this book.

Stacey Thureen does a good job of walking along with the mommy-to-be. She gives little tidbits at the beginning of each week to explain what’s happening with the baby. She also explains some of the things that the mommy-to-be can expect.

What I liked about this devotional were the pregnancy stories. Some days included the tale of a mommy-to-be. It outlined her struggles, her thoughts, and her fears. The message was “You are not alone.” Too often women feel as though the journey they are on is unique to them and that no one is there to offer advice. Daily Wisdom for the Mommy-to-Be let the mom know that she’s not alone. This is true if she’s on her first pregnancy and scared, or on her third and wondering why everything is different.

I looked forward to the next days' devotional for a continuation of the stories of some of the women featured. Not every woman mentioned was a Christian, but each was aware that they needed to actively seek God. This reminded me of my own experience.


What I also liked was the journal and prayer prompts. The mommy-to-be is reminded that she needs to call on God because she will not be able to do it alone. She is also reminded that being a mother is a calling. God has given her an awesome responsibility to be involved in the formative years and experiences of one of his creations.

I will start with the pros:
+This book is very encouraging for pregnant women.
+It offers a consistent format of scripture verse, anecdote and prayer for each day, that is a good length for someone who doesn't have a ton of time.
+It is biblically-based; each day's verse connects to the anecdote (although a handful of the verses required quite a stretch to make the connection).
+Each week begins with a sentence or two describing physical or emotional symptoms you might be going through that week.
Now for the cons:
-This first one is reader's preference. The verses vary in version/translation from day to day; ranging from KJV, NKJV, NIV, AMPC, Message etc. I would prefer consistency (or at least the elimination of the message translation, as I find the modern language off-putting).
-Some of the anecdotes are cheesy or contain dialogue that seems unrealistic.
-It seems like the writer assumes that every mom or pregnant lady is part of a mom's group, and makes those who are not feel like they missed the boat.
-There is a SERIOUS overuse of the term "mommy-to-be", which is especially strange since the writing indicates that this book is for anyone expecting; first or subsequent pregnancy, and those having subsequent ones would in fact be mommies.
Overall, I liked the ideas and format, but have a preference for a different style.