The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy: Second Edition

by Vicki Iovine

book data

1362 ratings, 3.74 average rating, 382 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		25%
4		38%
3		23%
2		7%
1		4%

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published

January 9th 2007 by Pocket

binding

Paperback, 288 pages

isbn

141652472X (isbn13: 9781416524724)

description

Beginning with the "10 Greatest Lies About Pregnancy" (number 10: Lamaze works), and ending with postpartum dementia, Vicki Iovine's Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy ...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1521)

all | this edition

Bethany rated it:

01/10/08

Read in January, 2000

This book gets one star for humor. Other than that, this book is really degrading to women who strive to have a natural childbirth. The author tries to relate to all moms but it's kind of hard to relate to her when she starts whining about her nanny not showing up one day (she's a stay at home mom).

Overall this book just rubbed me the wrong way.

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Deborah rated it:

06/11/08

recommends it for: Princesses and total idiots.

I loathe, loathe, loathe this book. I have no idea why books about pregnancy fall into either of two categories: A) motherly reassurance which makes all kinds of conservative assumptions about your life and circumstances and B) chatty, conspiratorial crap that does the same but in an even meaner more degrading manner. To whit, Ms. Iovine sees it as her duty to warn your husband (assuming you have one) that diamonds are the very best way to reward you for pushing that baby out. Her tips about bir...more

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Becky rated it:

(review of isbn 0671524313)

03/02/08

Read in July, 2005

recommends it for: women who are scheduling their c-sections 6 months in advance

I'd heard nothing but wonderful things about this book, and since I'd been disappointed with several other "traditional," medically-focused pregnancy books out there, I thought I'd give this one a try.

One thing is for sure -- the book is hilarious. Laugh-out-loud funny! That's its biggest advantage.

It's not a medical book, and doesn't pretend to be. Vicki Iovine pulls no punches, which is part of the book's humor, but also what I found very off-putting about the book.

Iovine...more

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Eastofoz rated it:

10/20/08

bookshelves: non-fiction

Hilarious! When you feel like crap and you're fed up with reading the "serious" books that have you out of your mind with worry because you feel like you have ever pregnancy ailment/nightmare under the sun this book helps put things in perspective and gives you a few laughs during what could be a very hellish time in your life.

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Dianne rated it:

09/01/08

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Dianne by: sadly, my primary care physician
recommends it for: people who think that doctors are god

Or, as my husband aptly dubbed it, "The Girlfriends' Guide to Being a Self-Indulgent Twit."

Let me start by saying that there are a couple of good things about this one.

First, it is full of the kind of anecdotes about what pregnancy is like - swollen boobs, swollen feet, hemorrhoids, how to buy maternity clothes, when to expect morning sickness to end - that previous generations got from their mothers, aunts, grandmothers, sisters, and childhood friends. In a world where many o...more Or, as my husband aptly dubbed it, "The Girlfriends' Guide to Being a Self-Indulgent Twit."

Let me start by saying that there are a couple of good things about this one.

First, it is full of the kind of anecdotes about what pregnancy is like - swollen boobs, swollen feet, hemorrhoids, how to buy maternity clothes, when to expect morning sickness to end - that previous generations got from their mothers, aunts, grandmothers, sisters, and childhood friends. In a world where many of us live hundreds or thousands of miles from the most important women in our lives, it's nice to have a reassuring compendium of all the stuff that happens, and to learn that it is completely normal.

Second, the list of what to take with you to the hospital when you go into labor looks to me to be useful and includes items I wouldn't have thought of but plan to add to my suitcase.

So why do I rate the book so low?

Well, first of all, the constant theme of "x symptom is very common and normal in pregnancy, but we don't know why - ask your doctor" is irksome. With apologies to my doctor friends, who learns anything useful from a doctor in a fifteen-minute appointment? I have learned at least nine-tenths of everything I know about my health and my body from reading books and trolling the internet, and frankly I was hoping Iovine would add to my store of knowledge instead of brushing me off. Had I bought the book instead of borrowing it from the library, I'd feel cheated out of 20 clams.

But more important, I was alarmed, rather than reassured, by Iovine's insistence that interventions like caesarians, continuous fetal heart monitors, episiotomies, and the other, frequently unnecessary torture and mutilation that obstetricians inflict on women during labor and delivery are normal and somehow OK. She seems to have confused "frequent" with normal, largely because so many of her Girlfriends (the capital G is hers) suffered these procedures. This review is not the place to go into the alarmingly high 30% caesarian rate in the US, and how appallingly it exceeds the World Health Organization's recommendation of 10% or less. (Yes, folks, that is almost 1 in 3 pregnant American women who will go under the knife.) Suffice it to say that I couldn't help wondering if Iovine's insistence that it is no big deal for a pregnant woman to gain substantially more weight than the current recommendations, or her bizarre, completely unsubstantiated opinion that pregnancy is a great excuse to avoid exercise (she seriously says this), had anything to do with the fact that apparently none of her Girlfriends-with-a-Capital-G managed to have a perfectly normal, natural delivery.

Give this one a pass - go for an informative, truly reassuring book like the classic What to Expect When You're Expecting....less

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Erin rated it:

04/21/08

Read in November, 2006

I didn't like this book at all. Well, to be fair, I am sure there were a few little sections that were readable....but for the most part, the author was totally unrelatable to me (not that I have to be BFF’s with all of the author’s that I read – but with a book about motherhood and pregnancy, you want to feel some connection with the author). I was hoping GF’s Guide was going to be a hipper and more personal version of What to Expect When You Are Expecting. Vicki Iovine came across a...more

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Jessica rated it:

08/08/07

bookshelves: ha-ha-ha, parenting

Read in January, 2001

Vicki Iovine rather revels in her status as a princess type, with the money, the manicures, the jewelry, etc., but even if you can't quite relate, this book is a refreshing change from the bulk of pregnancy advice books that tend to the natural-granola-woo-woo-power of womanhood vibe (and don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of getting all woo-woo with your pregnancy and baby). It's funny, and it speaks to you if you're the kind of person who, while cooing over your new baby in the hospital, mig...more

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Ruby rated it:

09/12/07

bookshelves: maternal-health

this is one of the books i merely screened. i only read a few pages of the intro before knowing it wasn't for me. i am guessing i may turn out to be one of those fringe people who are willing to face delivery without a neonatal unit next door and a full-time anesthesiologist in residence she so easily dismisses, and though it is helpful to read various viewpoints, such an attitude is so out of line with my interests, that i think it would prove fairly useless to me.

however, it may b...more

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Amy rated it:

04/17/08

bookshelves: nonfiction, pregnancy-babies

I received this dubious book from a well-meaning relative. It is precisely the sort of dreck I would steer every would-be mom away from. Some highlights: what to do when you have a crush and more on your obgyn (want to know why you have one? because lady doctors inspire heroic fantasies in vulnerable women) and how to get the baby daddy to buy you a push gift. Read only if you want to feel demeaned.

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Jaimee rated it:

07/01/08

bookshelves: pregnancy-parenting

I loved the idea of a book written from the experienced point of view of "girlfriends." For those of us not surrounded by friends who are also mothers, someone has to fill us in on all the little details of pregnancy. Vicki Iovine writes well and sprinkles in a good dose of humor, which is always appreciated when you're pregnant. However, I disagreed with so many of her opinions that I had a difficult time really liking the book.

1. Exercise: while she doesn't outright say you shou...more I loved the idea of a book written from the experienced point of view of "girlfriends." For those of us not surrounded by friends who are also mothers, someone has to fill us in on all the little details of pregnancy. Vicki Iovine writes well and sprinkles in a good dose of humor, which is always appreciated when you're pregnant. However, I disagreed with so many of her opinions that I had a difficult time really liking the book.

1. Exercise: while she doesn't outright say you shouldn't exercise, she goes into such detail about why you shouldn't worry about exercising that she could easily convince you that exercising is not a good idea during pregnancy.

2. Outdated: her section on maternity clothes really cracked me up because she couldn't stop talking about stirrup pants and raiding your husband's closet for vests. She also mentions buying as much of your baby's layette used as possible, but most modern books agree that you should not buy a crib used if you can help it.

3. Losing your Body: in an attempt to really tell it like it is, I think that Vicki goes overboard when detailing the bad changes that will occur to your body. This is the first pregnancy book that actually scared me that I would forever lose my body. She basically tells you to get over the fact that you're going to lose your waist, your abs, your thighs, your bladder control, and your breasts- forever. She throws in one token sentence that says your post-pregnancy body MIGHT be better, but never the same. Instead of finding this helpful or insightful, I find it discouraging.

4. Breast Feeding: again, she didn't outright say don't breast feed, but her sarcasm regarding the subject was very negative. She even details stories of her girlfriends not breast feeding in an attempt to save their breasts, which she just goes on to say won't help since you're doomed to smaller, saggier breasts anyway.

5. Natural Birth: while I fully support every woman's right to choose which birthing plan is right for her, Vicki is clearly against woman trying the natural route. She doesn't see the merit in making it through delivery medication free and states that an epideral can't come early enough. Her attitude is, if you can do it with less pain why wouldn't you? She even supports the planned C-section for no other reason than convenience. I can't get on board with that.

6. Husbands/Partners: I feel sorry for Vicki because she portrays her husband as unhelpful, unsupportive, and unsympathetic throughout her pregnancies and deliveries. But she's quick to add not to worry if your husband/partner is unsupportive because he can still make a great father. Great. She goes on to talk about how her husband was down the hall talking with friends while she was alone in her hospital room contracting. Or my personal favorite, how he may need to be taking pictures instead of helping you through the pushing stage of delivery. I understand that there are plenty of husbands/partners out there that have trouble knowing how to support their pregnant women, but honestly, we should expect a little more out of them than Vicki does! I feel insulted on behalf of women with understanding partners and I think a lot of husbands/partners would be insulted, too.

Overall, if you really want another pregnancy book to read (and believe me, I know what it's like to want to devour every piece of writing out there on the subject) go ahead and read this one, too. But, be forewarned that you may not agree with many of her opinions and might be frightened by some of her comments. I highly recommend Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy instead! ...less

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2 comments

Kessie rated it:

06/03/08

This book is hilarious. It's different from the rest of the pregnancy books I've read because it isn't just a lot of facts but speaks in a way women think, especially pregnant women. I sat in my room reading it, laughing out loud, by myself, and then also groaning out loud when I read some of the things the author is very frank about but that I don't want to be true. At least I'll know what's actually going to happen to my body! I would highly recommend it to anyone pregnant. There's...more

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Laura rated it:

12/07/07

bookshelves: borrowed-from-public-library

This was probably one of the best books to read right away. What to Expect scared me and bored me, at the same time. While this book uses the term "girlfriend" excessively, and though I hate the term, it's worth reading. There are quite a few things in here that aren't mentioned in other pregnancy books, and some of them are gross enough that I'm secretly hoping they just won't happen to me. If (when) they do, at least I'll know that it's normal. I'm not sure I like that the autho...more

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Julianne rated it:

(review of isbn 0671524313)

10/27/07

bookshelves: absolute-favorites

I love this book. It is organized much better than "what to expect when you're expecting" and it reads like someone who is telling you intimate (and not-so-intimate) details of what really happened to them.

I found I picked this book up more often than "what to expect..."

NOTE: Do not read this until you're pregnant. My sister started reading the L&D portion before I had my son, and she was a bit freaked out. It's easier to take those "less than glamorous"...more

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Meredith M. rated it:

05/01/08

Read in April, 2006

I read this book a long time ago, but what I remember the most about this book is the author telling you not to exercise because you will likey miscarriage like she did. I liked the frankness of this book, but I felt like it had a lot of misinformation and most of the things she was saying were really not in the best interest of the mother. It might be somewhat entertaining, but I wouldn't recommend it as an acutal source of factual pregnancy information.

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Sandrine rated it:

04/21/08

Has a copy to sell/swap

Yep, I'm pregnant, that's why I read it. But I kind of got the feeling that she hated her husband the whole time I was reading it, always blaming him for everything (hey, it takes two, you know!), and I happen to love my husband...
It kind of ruined the whole experience for me. Plus, my pregnancy was nothing like the stuff she described, so it wasn't that helpful. But everyone is different, so it might be a great book for other people. Who hate their husband.

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Alicia rated it:

01/26/08

bookshelves: child-development

Read in January, 2006

This book was a good read as long as it isn't the only book you read about pregnancy. I appreciated the personal stories. It felt like woman to woman experiences as if I were talking to a bunch of friends about pregnancy. I liked this aspect of the book and made it worth reading. However, it wasn't always very scientific. It is a great read as long as you read something from a more scientific source as well. Try Dr. Sears' "The Pregnancy Book."

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Monica rated it:

02/23/08

Read in February, 2008

I wasn't so crazy about this book. While she provided good info & reassurance in some cases, I rolled my eyes more than a few times. I think I had a bad attitude towards Miss Vicki at chapter 8. I realize these books are based on opinion, but it was a little much to be force fed don't exercise...get an epidural & call your girlfriends...eat anything you want, you'll get fat anyway...I won't be passing it on to anyone I like :)

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Idahogirl rated it:

10/01/07

bookshelves: pregnancy

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: anyone even THINKING about a baby!

This was honestly the BEST pregnancy book I've read. I've done the "what to expect when you're expecting" week by week review - and that's great, but I can get that information on the internet. This one was an honest to goodness conversation with a girlfriend on what it is *really* like. I loved it, I'll buy it so I have it when I do get pregnant.

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Victoria rated it:

08/19/07

Read in January, 2006

recommends it for: First Time Mommys

Valuable information presented in a comical manner. I enjoyed the light presentation of the material. Being pregnant for the first time can me kinda scary and this book helped me lighten up. Not for those that need in dept answers to issues associated with pregnacy.

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Sarah rated it:

09/06/08

Read in January, 1999

An absolute Must Read for any pregnant woman! This is not your typical "This is every single thing happening to your body/baby" type of book. It is humourous but oh so true! Vicki takes a real life look at pregnancy and how it effects you and your spouse.

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