I have a bad habit of starting about five new books or novels at the same time and it ends up taking me months to finish just one of them. Maybe one day when all my children are in school I will have the time to sit down and finish a book in a few days like I used to in college; but that is just the way things go when you are chasing a little one around the house. If you are pregnant for the first time, you probably have a lot of time on your hands, and if you happen to be on bed rest, you probably have a lot of time on your back as well. If you are looking for a little light reading, I have the perfect suggestion for you.
A few months ago (see above paragraph), I received a review copy of “Hands Off My Belly! The Pregnant Woman’s Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers, and Moods.” The book is written by two obstetricians, who are also married to each other and have four children, Shawn A Tassone, MD and Kathryn M. Landherr, MD.
My initial assumption was that this book would be entertaining (I was right), but it wouldn’t contain any myths that I had never heard about (I was wrong). Combining anecdotes, personal experience and solid medical information, the authors created a book that is funny, informative, interesting and quite original. I have to admit, much to my delight, that there were several myths that I had never encountered. For instance:
“Eat a clove of garlic and if the smell is discernable from your skin, you are having a boy.”
“If I crave lighter-colored foods, my baby will have lighter-colored skin.”
“When I arrive at the hospital, I will be greeted with a shave and an enema.”
What I really love about this book is that it reads smoothly from start to finish, not like a reference book. It contains a lot of the same useful information you will find in a book like “What to Expect,” but with a lot more interesting supporting text. It puts pregnancy in the context of both history and current events (it even mentions Nadya Suleman) with a global perspective, pulling myths from both US and international culture, past and present. Some of the myths end up being true, which is especially interesting. The authors explore the origins of each myth and explain in detail why each one is true or false. I learned a lot from this book, and laughed quite a bit, too.