Review
A book that lives up to its name, author Ann Douglas has packed a remarkable amount of text, charts and tables into this 500-plus page volume that covers nearly every aspect of pregnancy, from considering pregnancy (is there ever a "good" time to do it?) to nutrition, exercise, breast-feeding and the top 10 worries for each trimester.
Incredibly comprehensive yet easy to follow, Douglas, author of a number of pregnancy books, also covers infertility, high-risk pregnancy, miscarriage and infant loss. Charts and tables show how chronic disease, as well as prescription and non-prescription drugs, can affect a pregnancy. Wondering if you're too old to conceive or give birth? Douglas discusses the facts of pregnancy past ages 20, 30 and 40.
"The Complaint Department" chapter discusses nearly every conceivable ache, pain and medical issue that can arise during pregnancy and how to deal with them. Facts and figures, as well as quotes that are pertinent to each topic, are dispersed throughout. A huge listing of organizations and Web sites that deal with everything from breast-feeding to adoption rounds out this volume. Very little is discussed when it comes to postpregnancy and baby care; that will be covered in the author's upcoming book, "The Mother of All Baby Books." (Copyright 2002 Chicago Tribune Company, Chicago Tribune, June 16, 2002 Sunday)

"...my summer reading has been filled up..." (Eastern Eye, August 2003)


Review
"A book that lives up to its name.... Incredibly comprehensive yet easy to follow." (Chicago Tribune, June 16, 2002)

"...my summer reading has been filled up..." (Eastern Eye, August 2003)


Eastern Eye, August 2003
"...my summer reading has been filled up..."


Book Description
The ultimate guide to conception, birth, and everything in between.

Unlike all those otherbossy, tell-you-what-to-do titles, this funny, entertaining guide presents expectant parents with all the facts on such perennial hot topics as pain relief during labor, episiotomy, and circumcision, and empowers them to make informed personal choices. It's packed with tools you won't find anywhere else, including:Charts highlighting the risks of using various over-the-counter drug productsduring pregnancyLists of the ten best -- and worst --baby productsA set of emergency childbirth proceduresForthright discussions of difficult topics like infertility, high-risk pregnancy, and pregnancy and infant loss that other books are loathe to tackle


From the Inside Flap
"The must-read pregnancy book! Ann Douglas has created the most comprehensive guide to pregnancy we've ever seen." - Denise and Alan Fields, authors, Baby Bargains

"At long last, a new pregnancy bible for women of my generation and younger has emerged in the form of The Mother of All Pregnancy Books. With humor, sensitivity, an easy, no-jargon style and a million "extras" that the leading pregnancy books on the shelves don't cover, Ann Douglas holds nothing back. Not only do I love this book, but I will use it as a valuable tool in my own work as a women's health author." - M. Sara Rosenthal, author, The Pregnancy Sourcebook

"An extremely comprehensive and even-handed volume that provides just about everything but the baby! The Mother of All Pregnancy Books is an amazing resource and Ann Douglas is a reassuring and savvy guide." - Cecelia A. Cancellaro, author of Pregnancy Stories: Real Women Share the Joys, Fears, Thrills, and Anxieties of Pregnancy from Conception to Birth

"'Mother' knows. Start reading this treasure trove even before you get pregnant so you can make it through every jam-packed page before your baby arrives." - Paula Spencer, author of Everything ELSE You Need to Know When You're Expecting: The New Etiquette for the New Mom

"Finally, a pregnancy book that includes essential pre-pregnancy concerns, such as planning and physical and emotional preparation! Ann Douglas has written her masterwork Mother of All Pregnancy Books in the same unpretentious, concise style as her Unofficial Guide. She also stays true to her goal of informing parents and prospective parents as completely as possible, so they will be well-equipped to sort through the pros and cons of their own life choices as they see them. Not one to forgo difficult issues, her chapter entitled 'When Pregnancy Isn't Perfect' is one of the best I've read, both for its sensitivity and for its emphasis on coping and prevention. This is a book that will serve women and their families well." - A. Christine Harris, Ph.D., author of The Pregnancy Journal

"This is truly 'the mother of all pregnancy books' -- an intelligent resource that covers every pregnancy-related topic imaginable in a fun, reassuring way. Ann Douglas has done an exceptional job of arming parents-to-be with the facts they need to make the healthiest possible choices from preconception through postpartum. A must-have!" - Susan Newman, Ph.D., author of Parenting An Only Child: The Joys and Challenges of Raising Your One and Only

"The Mother of All Pregnancy Books is a comprehensive and incredibly informative resource about pregnancy (and what comes before and after!). Ann Douglas tells all in her witty style, entertaining readers along the way. Unlike other pregnancy books, Douglas combines thorough research and reporting with the human touch, offering her own experiences and insight while educating her readers at one of the most important times in their lives. This book is not to be missed!" - Elisa Ast All, Editor-in-Chief, Pregnancy magazine, Baby Years magazine, and iParenting.com

"If you're looking for an all-in-one 'Tell me everything, and tell it like it is' book for your pregnancy, The Mother of all Pregnancy Books is it. Not only is this hefty volume filled with facts about fertility, pregnancy and birth, it also contains hundreds of anecdotes from moms who lived -- and maybe even loved -- pregnancy. Author Ann Douglas knows her stuff, and is wise but not preachy friendly but not overbearing. Keep this book close at hand for instant guidance through the highs and the lows of this extraordinary time!" - Nancy Price, ePregnancy.com

Here's a book that's packed with up-to-date information and practical advice on almost every aspect of pregnancy--from prenatal testing to proper nutrition, from infertility procedures to financial planning, from bedrest to breastfeeding. Yet despite its breadth and depth, the text is not dry or dull. Instead, Ann Douglas's reassuring style and insightful anecdotes make readers feel like they're chatting with a savvy, smart, sympathetic friend. - Tamara Eberlein, coauthor of When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads" and "Program Your Baby's Health


From the Back Cover
Congratulations! Pregnancy is one of life's most incredible journeys. If you're expecting your first child, or even your fourth, you may be wondering about those exciting changes happening to your body and what to anticipate when you have a baby. The Mother of All Pregnancy Books walks expectant parents step-by-step through hot topics most pregnancy books shy away from. Packed with all the facts on preparing your body for pregnancy, breastfeeding, pain relief during labor, circumcision, the top ten worries for each trimester, and more, this comprehensive, forthcoming guide is a must-have for the most important nine months of your life!

Warm and entertaining, The Mother of All Pregnancy Books offers a hefty dose of reassurance for difficult subjects, such as infertility, high-risk pregnancy, miscarriages, and infant loss. Inside, you'll find helpful charts and tables to bring you up to speed on the latest information, a glossary of pregnancy and birth-related terms, and a sneak peek at life after baby! The Mother of All Pregnancy Books will be your bible to birth, babyhood, and beyond!

"Here's a book that's packed with up-to-date information and practical advice on almost every aspect of pregnancy—from prenatal testing to proper nutrition, from infertility procedures to financial planning, from bed rest to breastfeeding. Ann Douglas' reassuring style and insightful anecdotes make readers feel like they're chatting with a savvy, smart, sympathetic friend." —Tamara Eberlein, co-author of When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads and Program Your Baby's Health

"The must-read pregnancy book! Ann Douglas has created the most comprehensive guide to pregnancy we've ever seen." —Denise & Alan Fields, authors of Baby Bargains Visit Hungry Minds online at www.hungryminds.com


About the Author
Ann Douglas is the co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby and Trying Again: A Guide to Pregnancy After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss. In addition, she is the author Before You Were Born: The Inside Story and Baby Science: How Babies Really Work, a recent Book of the Month Club selection for both Canada and the U.S.A. She is a regular contributor to Canadian Living and CANOE.ca. Ann is the mother of four young children, and has been through a variety of pregnancy-related experiences, including infertility, miscarriage, and stillbirth.

FROM THE PUBLISHER