The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book

Yale University Press Health & Wellness

by Marjorie Greenfield

This up-to-date guide addresses all the subjects you would expect to find in an authoritative book on pregnancy plus issues of special concern to the 60 to 80 percent of women who hold jobs during their pregnancies: ·         Is my workplace safe for my developing baby? ·        When should I tell my employer that I am expecting? ·        How can I handle the discomforts of pregnancy when I need to work? ·        What laws will protect me when I take medical leave? The answers to these questions—and myriad others—can be found in the pages of this practical and reassuring book. Dr. Marjorie Greenfield draws from her experiences as an obstetrician and working mom, and from more than a hundred interviews with mothers ranging from factory workers to high-powered attorneys, to create a unique resource for working women. Dr. Greenfield includes checklists for multitasking working moms-to-be, helpful illustrations, stories and advice from experienced mothers, and information on everything from planning a pregnancy to balancing life after the baby is born. The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book is an invaluable expert resource that will inform, reassure, and empower any working woman throughout the miraculous journey of her pregnancy.

Genres: Parenting

584 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Betsy]

About 75% of the information found in Greenfield's pregnancy guide for career women can be found in other pregnancy preparation books - information on what to expect each month, tips about finding and communicating with doctors, advice for easing discomforts, etc. However, the book does include helpful tips about talking with your employer about work and maternity leave, preparing for the return to work and managing pregnancy symptoms and problems within the workplace. Greenfield, facing a daunting task to capture the experience of all working women when her examples range from FedEx delivery personnel to nurses to advertising executives, cannot possible present a comprehensive picture of pregnancy that fits all women. However, the anecdotes from diverse women on a range of topics were amusing and sometimes insightful. Is this the only pregnancy book you'll need? Probably not. But if you're concerned about how pregnancy will affect your work, this is certainly one to add to your shelf.

[Sarah]

My second-favorite pregnancy book. Like From the Hips, this one is full of quotations from working moms-to-be, and that provides perspective that a single author never could. I judged this book by its cover, so my hopes weren't high. But it's very smartly written and easy to read. I was surprised how much the "working woman's" starting point brought up issues no other book covered. Why isn't when you start maternity leave discussed as much as whether you get an epidural? I don't even work full time normally, but (paid) work is a huge part of a pregnant woman's life. And this book made me consider exactly what work-health balance I need - both before and after the baby is born. Also, the medical descriptions seemed more respectful and less cutesy than other books. Now if only they'd get a designer for the cover/layout...

[Kara]

Although I'm not working right now, this book was written by my current OB. It is a very long book, but very comprehensive. Although none of the information was surprising, I was impressed at how thorough it was. If you were just to read one book, I think this could be the one. In addition to covering getting pregnant and the stages of pregnancy she discusses all options for types of classes to take to prepare for birth, medical interventions that may be necessary (or not), and details about how women deal with pumping at work and balancing family and work after the birth. It was very good.

[MargaretAnn]

This book pretty much the generic guide to pregnancy that you can find with a few tidbits thrown in that might relate to a working woman. However, I found those tidbits to be ridiculously unhelpful such as the advice to sit by the door during meetings so you can easily escape if needed to toss your cookies. Or how about this gem... tell your boss that you are pregnant by making an appointment to talk to him or her - that's a big duh.

[Brenda]

I liked this one. It was straightforward, and the vignettes from the women I found to be helpful, insightful, and thoughtfully quoted by the author.

It was balanced - neither too laid-back nor too alarming.

I did feel like the info on work accommodations could have been fleshed out more. It was a little bare. But I suppose with laws changing all the time, this was unavoidable.

[Danielle]

Nothing new here.

[Lori]

This book had lots of quotes from actual women which I really like and it was an overall thorough book with a couple of standout sections.

[Cameronse]

I really liked this book. I really liked the ase studies & if I had to choose only one pregnancy guide, this would be it. Much better practical advice that what to expect!

[PChie]

Meaningful and explicit! The details are very helpful and easy to comprehend...