Your Pregnancy Week by Week- Fifth Edition Description:

Pregnancy should be a time of wonder and hope, but these days, it's associated more often with paranoia. Dr. Glade Curtis is keenly aware of the anxieties heaped upon expectant women: he has written several pregnancy-related books. So while he covers pretty much any topic that an expectant mom might be concerned about, he does not overload the reader with extraneous information or horror stories that can be found in that other best-selling pregnancy guide. In this completely revised and updated edition, Curtis describes the physical developments from weeks 1 through 40--or 41 or 42!--such as the size and weight of the baby, emotional changes in the mother, typical medical tests offered, and nutritional requirements. (The iron found in prenatal vitamins may exacerbate morning sickness, he writes, because iron supplementation is usually not needed until the final trimester.) It is too bad that Dr. Curtis does not recommend more alternative-medicine approaches for treating common pregnancy discomforts. In the chapter covering Week 8, he rightly describes sciatic-nerve pain as excruciating, but does not advise yoga or chiropractic treatments for its relief. However, he *is* hip to the use of doulas, or labor coaches, he encourages breastfeeding, and includes numerous tips for making your partner feel included in what should be a thrilling experience for you both. --Erica Jorgensen