The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy: Fresh and Practical Advice for Navigating the Next Nine Months

by Erika Lenkert

A 21st-century alternative to the now ten-year-old Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, this upbeat and cleverly written resource is packed with must-have information for today's pregnant woman. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0756633869
• ISBN13: 9780756633868
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley)
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Good all-around general advice

Just as funny as *The Girlfriend's Guide* with a little bit better organization. Ms. Lenkert manages to be pretty unbiased about most of the information that she presents. I like both Iovine & Lenkert for the simple reason that they answer questions that most women are too embarrassed to ask their MD's. This book is especially helpful for first-time moms who may or may not have a "Mommy Menagerie" of their own to ask questions. As a first-timer myself, as well as an Labor & Delivery nurse, I found that the informal nature of the book was very comforting. All of my medical knowledge (including that found in many pregnancy books) has a tendency to make the entire process of pregnancy terrifying. This book was well-organized - you can flip through it to find the inforemation you need without having to read straight through. I especially liked the various lists that she had - like "what to pack in your hospital bag". All together, this has been one of my favorite books, and will recommend/gift to all of my friends.

Could have saved reading 14 other books

We wish we'd read this book first, and we could have saved a lot of money and time on other books. My favorite part is the middle-of-the-road, practical advise on every topic you really need to worry about, and just a bit on the 1/10,000 oddities that other books fill the pages with. I also like the layout, with creative visual graphics that made it a lot easier as a guy to keep visually interested. Hope she writes a book on surviving toddlers!

Great Gift, Easy Read

Of all the pregnancy books people gave me, this is the one that stuck. It's a short and easy read, reassuring without any of the fear tactics that haunt classics like What to Expect When You're Expecting (god, I hated that book). Perfect for smart moms who want a quick overview. For more detail and a reference tome get the Mayo Clinic book.

A very funny and easy to read guide

This should be required reading not only for all expecting moms, but all guys as well! I learned more about the subject matter in a couple of hours than I have in my entire adult life. I love how the author shared so many personal experiences. The book's format and the author's writing style made it a real easy read. Her sense of humor definitely came across nicely in the book!

Like hearing the real deal from a friend

This entire book is in author Erika Lenkert's friendly voice as she fills the reader in on all the important things a pregnant woman needs to know, adding a dash of her own experiences and down-to-earth perspectives. I love that she suggests traveling. (Can't dwell on it because for me traveling right now includes a 50% potty trained three year old and an eight-month old who doesn't sleep through the night.) I am grateful, however, that I didn't miss out on page 226, where we get the real deal: (excerpt) The first six months are really hard. Women who were born to be mommies will disagree, but those of us who have enjoyed being self-indulgent rulers of our own domains and defined ourselves through professional or social achievements accomplishments might beg to differ. ... In conjunction with moments of parental glory is the relentless and all-consuming task of navigating new parenthood, caring for a newborn, and realizing that you and your desires are no longer the first priorities in your own life. (end excerpt) I LOVE to hear other women spell this out for soon-to-be-mamas. It's such an important message.