Your Pregnancy and Childbirth

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

While this is not a book that impacts me at this stage of my life, I really think this updated version (its 7th revision) tackles timely issues that will be on the mind of every new and expectant mom. There is a lot of information on going through this process during a pandemic and while the information may change as more research takes place, it's a good place to start. The layout of the book is clean and visually appealing and the photographs are excellent-- not cheesy and represent the diverse women who will be reading the book. When you are thinking about starting a family, you want a book that is new, up to date and represents diversity in the photographs and information. This book is a great reference tool.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

This was actually the first pregnancy book I have read. While I have never been pregnant, I am happy to have had this as a resource as I transition into this exciting next phase of my life.

I had SO many questions when I was pregnant, and it drove me crazy that there were a million answers out there. I found this guide to be resourceful, helpful and I think it would have been a huge comfort to me during my pregnancy.

While ACOG's Your Pregnancy and Childbirth is far from the only month-by-month guide to pregnancy, it offers a different style and more updated information that many others. The chapters addressing the weekly milestones and monthly considerations read more like the content of a pregnancy app than a doctor-written text, complete with pictures of fruit that is comparable in size to the developing baby. What really makes this a great read, though, are the in-depth chapters covering topics like exercise, trimester tests and their accuracy, labor complications, stillbirth and nutrition. These topics are typically covered in other maternity books but rarely get a full chapter of analysis or have as many useful references for allaying fears and learning more. Overall, the book takes a balanced view of many of the issues pregnant women will face, both providing enough information to feel prepared and avoiding making assumptions about individual choices or circumstances.

This book covers an extensive variety of topics relating to childbirth, from conception to the postnatal period. The information is fact-based and scientifically backed but plainly written and easy to understand. The breakdowns by both month and topic are helpful. I appreciated that the term "partner" was used and it was not assumed that this partner would be male. Because of this, I also found it a glaring oversight that the only way this book acknowledged a woman becoming pregnant was through sex with a man. Overall helpful, although the format is quite difficult to navigate as an ebook-I would recommend a physical copy of this book.

This is a terrific update to Your Pregnancy and Childbirth. I appreciated in particular the section on giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, as that has changed so many things about how hospital birth happens. As a doula, I know my clients have had these things at the forefront of their minds and ACOG addressing these concerns directly is much needed. A recommended edition!

The book Your Pregnancy and Childbirth was medically sound and informative. As someone that is pregnant for the first time, I found it approachable and easy to digest. This is a text that you can continue to refer back to throughout your pregnancy and answers any questions that may come up through the process.

As someone who plans to get pregnant in the coming years I'm always looking to learn and educate myself on all things pregnancy and childbirth. I found this to be an extremely informative and helpful title and I definitely see myself referencing back to it when I do become a first time Mom! I truly believe knowledge is power and books like this are helpful and informative to eliminating the mystery surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy!