What Really Happens to Your Body -- from morning sickness and gas to eating everything in sight -- and what it's like to go from being a babe to having one.

The Many Moods of Pregnancy -- why you're so irritable/distracted/ tired/light-headed (or at least more than usual).

Plus, the latest scoop on . . .

Staying Stylish -- You may be pregnant, but you can still be the fashionista you've always been (or at least you don't have to look like a walking beach ball) -- wearing the hippest designers and proudly showing off your bump.

Pregnancy Is Down to a Science -- from in vitro fertilization to scheduled C-section, the latest technology provides so many options, alternatives, and tests, it can all be downright confusing.

. . . and much more! For a reassuring voice or just a few good belly laughs, turn to this straight-talking guide on what to really expect when you're expecting.

A couple of things I disagree with other reviewers about:

1) Some reviewers felt that Vicki hated being pregnant. I didn't get that feeling at all. I just felt she was being realistic that pregnancy is sometimes very hard on your body. It probably won't be the nine months of your life when you feel the healthiest and most relaxed.

2) She never said not to exercise! Folks, if you actually read the whole book (unlike some people who read one or two paragraphs), you'll realize that she does recommend walking and things like water aerobics. What she doesn't recommend (and which she felt may have endangered two of her own pregnancies) is strenuous weight lifting. Based on what I've read, many ob's agree with that.

I feel that alot of the reviewers may be basing negative comments on a couple of paragraphs read in a bookstore (some even say as much), which isn't quite fair.

Overall, I thought it was a great book, and while I may not agree with her on every little point, Vicki has certainly provided me with alot of laughs and alot of starting points for discussions with my obstetrician, my husband, etc.


If you have a sense of humor, this one's for you   December 14, 2000
 117 out of 130 found this review helpful

If you're the type who thinks your pregnancy is so special, so sacred, or so precious that having a few laughs about the changes in your body will upset you, then don't get this book. If, however, you already have a serious book or two (such as Dr. Sears's "Birth Book") and are looking for a light read, I highly recommend this book. The tone is upbeat and fresh, the advice is given lightly without being preachy, and it's just a fun look at all the ins and outs (so to speak) of what promises to be a crazy nine months!

Also, this book helped my husband get involved in what to expect more than any other book because it's non-threatening and fun. As I read, he'd get curious about what I was laughing about and next thing we knew, it was on HIS bedside table instead of mine!

I don't know why other reviewers found parts of this book offensive. I found it very easy to disregard any opinions of the author's with which I didn't agree. The very nature of her approach is personal, so whatever didn't apply to me I ignored (after the inevitable laugh that I found in every paragraph) I have yet to find a book about this topic that is so perfect that I agree with every word. Besides, how else do we form opinions, but by hearing those of others?

This book is great for the newly pregnant woman who has a sense of humor!


Is a Pregnancy Book Supposed to be so One-Sided?   October 8, 2003
 72 out of 109 found this review helpful

I found this book to be as equally disappointing as it was helpful. I have been preparing for motherhood for years before this conception, and have read 20-30 books on the subject, but never have I read one that angered and frustrated me so much! I, in no way, discourage the opinions of others, however, Vicki Iovine's constant mentions of Christianity and God were almost enough to make me toss this book. This religious overtone is something I have never heard in such a book, nor is it something that is particularly helpful. My biggest disappointment was the absence of positive talk regarding alternative birth options. Perhaps the author is a tad misinformed, but midwives and the concept of a conscious birth are of great relief and not so uncommon in this society. Not only does the author tell the reader, irrevocably, to have a medical doctor (usually a man, according to Vicki) perform the birth, give an epidural, and perform an unneeded c-section whenever mom requests for her personally reasons, but she does nothing other than bad mouth the alternatives. She actually tells us not to choose a midwife, because it is the role of Doctor that is revered as Hero in this country, and she kindly reminds the reader that midwives "were tried as witches in colonial Salem!" (pg 71). Perhaps someone should remind the author that closed minded Christians were fed to the lions in days past as well, but no one uses that method of persuasion anymore. Maybe she should leave her judgment at the door when she sits down at her typewriter.

Everyone knows that this book is a huge seller, and I'm woman enough to admit that I have derived a nice bit of new information from this publication. But us progressive thinkers of the world should be informed of the ENTIRE nature of the book, and not just the blurbs on the back cover.


Pregnancy, Beverly Hills-style   April 24, 2001
 57 out of 84 found this review helpful

Hey girlfriend, this is definitely not worth reading. For anyone of us who grew up in middle-class suburbia, we probably attended public schools, state colleges, and married men of similar backgrounds. Iovine apparently has had everything handed to her on a silver platter, and she appears to take each blessing for granted (money, marriage, children). She passes on this sordid "wisdom" in her shallow, misinformative, dark book on pregnancy. The things she's most concerned with are her hairstyle, weight, and wardrobe content. For those of us who were not voted prom queen in our younger days, this depiction is ridiculous and offensive, not to mention unrealistic.

While the book does have some cutesy little laughs about hemorrhoids, gas and stretch marks, what pregnant woman is in the mood to laugh about those things?? Well, following Iovine's philosophy on motherhood, pregnancy itself is just one big joke and annoyance...I mean, anything that gets in the way of Botox and a nightly bottle of Riesling, I suppose, would qualify.

Iovine provides little or no factual base for her statements on the avoidance of exercise and natural childbirth and her suggestion that the occasional glass of wine is not harmful to the fetus. And the FDA has not established a "safe" amount of alcohol for pregnant women, so the current recommendation is to steer clear of it altogether. As a nurse, I would NEVER recommend alcohol in any quantity to pregnant women. And then she has the audacity to chastise pregnant women for poor eating habits. True, you should take care of your body and remember that each bite is somehow nourishing the fetus as well, but name ONE pregnant woman who doesn't have occasional junkfood cravings. Heaven only knows how Iovine, her husband and her children survived her 4 pregnancies. I read through many of the reviews for this book, and agree with the women who said that she likely wrote this book to make a fast buck, probably to prove a thing or two to her seemingly insensitive, dim-witted, big bucks producer husband. I see years of counseling for her children, and her marriage is probably just one among thousands of sham Hollywood marriages maintained merely for show and to someday help someone write this couple a star-studded, bestselling eulogy.

Iovine also probably addressed the weight issue (over and over again) to deal with her own personal demons and possibly her insecurity.

If pregnancy were really this bleak, the world's population would be a heck of a lot smaller. Do yourself (and your unborn child) a favor. Buy a book with a healthy balance of humorous and factual content. Don't read a book that will make you feel ashamed of the way you look and inconvenienced by the beautiful baby inside of you. Pregnancy is a miracle, not a nuisance. (Having your teeth cleaned, doing your taxes...those are hassles!)


The most condescending, ignorant, untrue pregnancy book out there   February 19, 2006
 40 out of 40 found this review helpful

I really hated this book. Because I did spend money on it, I did read it all the way through, although very grudgingly. I have a FANTASTIC sense of humor and hardly anything offends me, but this woman managed to do it. Her whiny, self-important, condescending attitude actually made me hurl the book at a wall...and that wasn't just pregnancy hormones. It was THAT bad.

Ms. Iovine, a former Playboy playmate, would like you to believe that she is on YOUR side - she and her bevy of what I'm convinced are imaginary girlfriends. However, she goes on about what an evil thing pregnancy is and that it will rob you of your body and good looks...FOREVER. She clearly states numerous times that after having a baby you will be fat, overweight, unattractive, and have saggy breasts. This was one of the first books I bought after finding out I was pregnant and didn't know what to expect. I literally cried after reading it thinking my life was over. I was surprised Ms. Iovine doesn't have a Smith & Wesson ad in the back of her book. The "you might as well die" tone just unsettled me.

She is obviously unhappy with herself and her life and is looking to bring others down with her. She's like the girl who claims to be your "friend" but gives you backhanded comments every chance she gets (eg. "Oh, wow...those pants really make your butt not look as huge as it really is!"). In reality, I think SHE was probably too lazy to exercise after pregnancy and expects you to throw in the towel, too, and be just as miserable as she is.

For anyone else depressed after reading this, I had my baby and lost all the weight and now have six-pack abs and my breasts don't sag even after six months of breastfeeding. My husband DOES still find me attractive and my life didn't end. Thank you for nothing, Vicki Iovine and your fellow whiny, former size 4 girlfriends.

If you want the "I've been there" assurance from a non-catty girlfriend who is looking out for YOU with laugh-out-loud humor, buy 'Belly Laughs' by Jenny McCarthy or 'Pregnancy Sucks' by Joanne Kimes. Where I wouldn't have a cup of decaf and discuss my burgeoning belly with Ms. Iovine, I'd glady do so with McCarthy and Kimes.