| Product: |
Dr Miriam Stoppard's New Pregnancy & Birth Book - Dr Miriam Stoppard |
| Date: |
25.10.07 (74 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Packed full of great info
Disadvantages: Dated Pictures
Finding out I was pregnant for the first time was a bit of a shock, I had no idea what to expect and while my mother tried to provide advice I thought it would be helpful to doing some reading up on what to expect over the 9 months that were to follow. On my trip to Waterstones one book stood out from the acres of other pregnancy manuals and it was Dr Miriam Stoppards New Pregnancy & Birth book, I don't know what it was about the book that drew me to it, perhaps it was the gaze of the baby on the front cover, whatever the reason I returned home with my very own copy.
Miriam Stoppard-
Dr Miriam Stoppard was born in 1937 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She studied at Kings College (Renamed Newcastle university in 1962) and went on to work in the Victoria Royal infirmary. She began her writing career in the 1970s and has gone on to provide endless information on health, especially to new and expectant mothers.
New Pregnancy & Baby Book-
Described as the complete practical guide for all parents-to-be the book starts from deciding to have a baby and the point of finding out you (or your partner) are pregnant and goes right onto post natal check ups and enjoying parenthood. Split into 18 specific chapters with a pregnancy calendar at the front and some helpful information pages at the back of the book it really is a comprehensive guide to pregnancy.
The pregnancy guide takes you through the different weekly stages of pregnancy and gives you info on the babies development ay each stage, the changes in your own body as well as how to take care of yourself at each stage, what tests you will need and even provides a helpful diagram of what the baby will look like at each stage. One particularly helpful part of this section is a photographic guide to the changes to the body, they've used the same lady and have charted her progress throughout her pregnancy so other expectant mums can have and idea of what to expect (it's not graphic and is sympathetically shot so as not to be offensive)
The "deciding to have a baby" chapter should perhaps be something that everyone considering trying for a baby should read first. It has lots of information on the effects of people's lifestyles not only to the baby but to the chances of conceiving in the first place, it also gives information on fertility and knowing about the bodie's natural cycles in order to choose the best times to try to conceive. I think it's particularly helpful in this section that she gives information on ensuring you are healthy enough to conceive, after all pregnancy is a hard thing for a body to take and you also want to ensure your child has the best possible start, if you are not in an appropriate physical and mental condition then the pregnancy could be a stressful and harmful time to both mother and baby.
"Finding out you are pregnant" takes the reader through the various symptoms of pregnancy from the seemingly obvious missed period to cravings, changes in taste, need to urinate frequently and the feeling of nausea, it does explain also that many of these symptoms can also be caused by the stresses of daily life, even the missed period and so you should never presume from such signs that you are pregnant and rather you should take a test, whether it be a home test or at the doctors, to confirm your pregnancy. There is a very helpful chart in this chapter allowing you to be able to work out your due date from either the date of your last period or the date of conception if you know it, I can confirm the accuracy of this chart after predicting my 2nd child would arrive on the 8th of May, the very day I was in labour, ok she didn't arrive until 4 minutes past midnight on the 9th but that's a mere technicality! This chapter also tackles the issues of working through pregnancy and ways to take care of yourself during this time, naturally not all pregnant women will be able to give up work straight away and will need to work through many months of pregnancy so I think this part of the book is great, always ensuring that you're taking care of yourself.
"Choices in childbirth" comes next and tackles the very practical aspects of pregnancy advising you on the different options available such as home births or hospital deliveries, birth partners, medical procedures and feeding options. It provides a helpful yet balanced view on the pros and cons of each thing, never preaching one particular method, rather it tries to properly inform you and support your choice, a very helpful way to approach giving such advice, while I was carrying both my children I found no matter how helpful people tried to be they were usually biased to one particular choice or method so it was always reassuring to see a more neutral view in the form of this chapter.
"Antenatal care" is yet another practical chapter and may at first glance seem a bit overwhelming in the science department, it guides you through such things as the tests you may receive but goes on to explain the purpose and significance of each test, leaving you clear as to what you will go through at antenatal check ups and meaning you wont need to be anxious or worried as you already know what it all means. I was always eager after a check up to see what had been written in my file but occasionally they'd use abbreviations which I didn't understand, step up- New pregnancy & birth book, chapter 4, which is complete with a guide to the abbreviations so I could work out precisely what all those little notes meant, once again providing me with much appreciated peace of mind.
Chapter 5 "The growing baby" is a wonderful chapter, much the same as the earlier pregnancy guide but charting the changes in baby rather than mummy. I always enjoyed checking up on the different stages of my baby's growth and looking at the illustrations of the different stages, imagining what my little ones looked like. With each illustration is a picture of a hand, growing larger with each stage, this represents the actual size of babies hand at that age and helps you truly imagine the baby inside you.
"Physical changes" gives more in depth information on the changes a woman will experience from such simple things as hair and nail condition to the changes to your vital functions. "Emotional changes" approaches the other side of parenthood and is often something couples do not think about when planning a baby. This chapter addresses the changes that may happen in your relationship as well as how you may view yourself differently as your body changes. I think it was a good addition to the book as it is an aspect of pregnancy that is often ignored but should be seriously considered before trying to conceive, pregnancy changes many things not just a woman's body and it is important that couples consider these things.
The next 2 chapters "Health and nutrition" and "Rest and relaxation" are absolutely essential in my eyes, providing nutrition, diet, exercise, even fashion advice to help you get through your pregnancy in the healthiest state possible, you may wonder why there would be advice on clothes but I can assure you remaining comfortable while still looking human is a big part of pregnancy for a woman, you've lost that once great figure your partner always loved, it's hard to move around because you're swollen and exhausted at the very least you can look smart and maintain a small portion of your sanity. There are many good tips on safe exercise with your bump as well as relaxation techniques, vitally important as too many expectant mothers, myself included, do not take proper care of themselves and tend to over do it. I always found the nutrition section was one of my most frequently read parts, my diet is usually somewhat casual despite my recent attempts to gain weight, pregnancy is a very different time for me though as I try to eat the right things to keep me and baby healthy, all the information needed is right here in this book.
"Common complaints" was another of my favourite chapters, constantly convinced something was wrong or uncertain about a certain ailment I found the chapter very reassuring as I could see if it was listed and have its presence and treatments explained to me. "Special care pregnancies" details precisely that and also features information on miscarriage which is a particularly devastating experience but one that a woman should always know is possible and what happens during that time.
The remaining chapters take us through labour, delivery and the first days at home with baby, giving you information on everything from pain relief to resuming sexual relations after the birth. It's packed with tonnes of helpful information and while I did not use these sections in the first 6 months of pregnancy I found myself regularly reading up on possible pain relief methods, birthing positions even what to take to hospital with me. It's a great section to refer to in those later sections of pregnancy where your babies arrival is imminent and you want to make sure you're properly prepared.
As well as the usual information on possible further reading and details of sources, the book also includes a section on your rights and benefits while pregnant and after the birth as well as an example and blank birth plan that you can use to write down all your preferences and take into the hospital for the delivery, this ensures your wishes are met (providing they're safe for you and baby) and you are not, for example, given pain relief you do not want. The birth plan was a great help as I tried to work out my wishes with my first child, I was far more sure of myself and what I wanted 2nd time round and was vocal enough to let people know, but first time round I was still unsure of what I was doing and was thankful to have such a helpful guide.
The book is well laid out with each section and stage clearly labelled, it is not to scientifically written making it easy to understand, many pregnancy books can be too overpowering which is not helpful during what is a special but often worrying time for expectant mothers. I always found this book reassuring and would always return to it's pages if I had a question in my head I needed answering, it generally provided all the answers and reassurance I needed and guided me through many moments in my pregnancies that may often have otherwise left me upset or confused.
The book succeeds in its aim to provide helpful facts to expectant mothers as well as remove any fear or uncertainty. It written openly and objectively, never clouded with judgement or opinion. It does not care if you're having your 1st baby or your 15th, or if you're a teen mum or an "elderly primipara" more commonly known as an expectant mother over the age of 30, it is there to give you the information you want to guide you through your pregnancy with no bias.
One of the wonderful things about the book is that Miriam Stoppard is a mother herself and can add a personal aspect to the writing, rather than a guide book by a male Doctor or scientist who has never had first had experience, Miriam can fully understand what each of the mothers reading the book will be thinking and feeling after having experienced those exact same emotions and sensations, I think it is this reason that the book has ended up so clearly laid out, easy to understand and helpful in it's nature, because it would have been something that Miriam would have liked or expected during her own pregnancies.
Another nice aspect of the book is that, although mums and babies are the main focus, dads are never left out. Miriam understands the importance nowadays of the fathers involvement and their desire (at least in most cases) to be involved and understand what is happening with their partner and child, it is all too easy for dads to be forgotten at such times and this book helps them feel more a part of the experience and gives them the tools to be of a real help to their partner during pregnancy, labour and daily life afterwards.
I only have one small complaint with the book and that is of some of the photo's used, occasionally they are quite dated and I feel they could be bought a bit more up to date (watch out for birthing pictures too, if you're of a sensitive disposition!)
This book was my most used tool during both my pregnancies, I wont deny I used lots of websites and forums during the time I carried my children but it was always this book I reached for first or in the middle of the night when a niggling question came into my head, it's also a lot easier to take with you on the bus to work then a desk top pc with internet access! You may wonder why you would need to return to such a book second time round as you should already know the information but you'd be surprised how quickly you can forget such things as development stages, correct eating and tests when you're busy with daily family life. I would happily lend the book to a friend or sibling who was expecting a baby (providing I wasn't pregnant at the same time of course) and would highly recommend it, I will certainly be returning to its pages during any future pregnancies of my own.
The book has a RRP of £9.99 and is still available from Waterstones, it is also available online from such places as Amazon.co.uk. £9.99 may initially seem like a lot of money but the book has got me through 9 month long pregnancies, will see me through any future ones and can be passed on to other expectant mums and dads, looking at it that way the book is great value for money.
Go to www.Miriamstoppard.com for more on the lady herself, her writing and products.
Summary: A must have guide for mums to be.
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