Book 34: The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy
The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy
Vicki Iovine
Nonfiction; chick lit
250 pages
For first-time mothers-to-be, this candid, funny and very reassuring guide to pregnancy is just what the doctor ordered-or would if he/she knew about it. Iovine, who has had four babies and who seemingly has girlfriends with many more, believes that women learn the really valuable things about pregnancy from other women. Since too few women in today's mobile society have a close circle of experienced female friends to turn to, Iovine's sharing of her own and her friends' experiences and knowledge fills a genuine need for comforting, straightforward, non-euphemistic woman-talk. Without stepping on any medical toes, and in language that is neither technical nor cutesy, she tackles morning sickness, swollen breasts, exercises, stretch marks, sex during and after pregnancy, delivery and just about everything else, from maternity clothing to bladder behavior. Iovine anticipates every conceivable question, and her responses are warm, wise and witty.
I thought that this was an fairly informative read. The real problem that I had with this book is that the author has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and while I can take some of that, a little bit of sarcasm goes a long way. It just was difficult at times for me to tell if the author was being serious at times or if she was being sarcastic. The fact is that I didn't know much about the labor process and while there was vital information thrown in the book, the lack of seriousness at times irked me.
***Next read: I just started reading Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell.