The Pregnancy Companion: A Faith Filled Guide for Your Journey to Motherhood

by Jessica Wolstenholm, Heather Rupe

A doctor's counsel and a girlfriend's wisdom combine to create an information-packed, inspiration-filled Christian resource for the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of pregnancy. Halfway through her own pregnancy, author Jessica Wolstenholm realized that although she rushed to every book sitting on her bookshelf each time she encountered a question or a scary symptom, she found that the information there, while accurate, usually led to further questions or deeper fear, without the comfort she needed. ''If you are experiencing cramping,'' the book would explain, ''it is very normal. However, you could be experiencing a miscarriage so consult your physician.'' Fortunately for Jessica, she had the benefit of Dr. Heather Rupe, a Christian OB who answered every question with utmost honesty and accuracy, yet always included assurance that God was involved in every moment. Not all women have the benefit of a Christian OB, but they can have the next best thing in The Pregnancy Companion . This valuable Christian pregnancy book brings medicine and faith together with the same quality medical information as any ''expecting'' book on the market, infused with thought-provoking and spiritual messages. Organized in chapters that follow an expectant mother's OB appointment schedule, this unique resource will equip readers for a faith-filled journey through an informed peaceful, and joyful pregnancy.

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2011

Reviews

[Hannah Lenhert]

I found this book incredibly helpful in preparation for the arrival of our little one. It was a pleasant mix of organized information and faith driven devotion. It prepared not only my mind, but spirit as well for pregnancy and the daunting task of giving birth.

[Stephanie Cowart]

I purchased this book from Amazon.com. It is written by one of my best friends and her doctor.
Even though I am not currently pregnant (or planning to be since my two boys are keeping me plenty busy!) I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is such a wonderfully balanced perspective of the joys and fears that one experiences during pregnancy.
Both authors are very candid about their own journeys to motherhood, including miscarriage, infertility and adoption. I loved that I was hearing from "real women" who had been through this and weren't afraid to share their stories.
The book is divided into chapters that deal with each month of pregnancy. There is a section written by Dr. Rupe that concerns the physical aspects of one's pregnancy and that is followed by some practical information and advice for your emotional wellbeing from Jessica Wolstenholm.
Just about every concern is addressed in some form or fashion as well as just plain helpful advice like where to get the best deal on baby items. I loved how thorough it was without being completely overwhelming.
I appreciated their approach to sharing their faith throughout the book. It was very encouraging without being religious or "preachy". I would feel comfortable handing this book to any of my friends and acquaintances and highly recommend it for those of you who are thinking about entering this stage of life!

[SLM]

This book helped me get through my pregnancy with a healthy balance of facts and faith. I suffered a miscarriage, so my second pregnancy was full of anxiety and worry, especially because my husband deployed to Afghanistan for 12 months when I was only 10 weeks along. I read parts of this book every single day, and found comfort through their words. Now when I find out a family member is expecting the first thing I do is send them a copy of the book.

[Maresa]

Good book for Christian mothers to be. I like that each chapter has two sections: one written by a female OBGYN mother and one written by her patient. Each author offers unique insights and perspectives from both a spiritual and medical point of view. Main gist of the book is that Jesus is our pregnancy companion. Informative, thorough, and short chapters make this a good read.

[Linda]

This was an enjoyable read and it balances out faith-filled passages with some real MD/clinical advice. It's not as great as the Mayo Clinic guide to pregnancy but it's not really intended for that.

[Cynthia]

Best and most useful pregnancy book that I read.