Before You Conceive: The Complete Pregnancy Guide
by B. Blake Levitt, John R. Sussman

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Book Reviews of Before You Conceive: The Complete Pregnancy Guide

Book Review: Outdated, Needs Update/Revision
Summary: 2 Stars

First: The publication date of this book is **** 1989; TEN years ago. **** Science progresses very quickly and there have been many new studies, discoveries, and issues raised (*especially* in the area of prepregnancy and pregnancy) which the book undoubtedly does not cover at all, does not cover enough, or may simply have incorrect information on. Due to the publication date of the book, I found myself very suspicious about certain information in the book, especially when the author makes a statement such as "not much is known," or "studies are still needed." I also feel suspicious when I read the statement that MRI is a "new and still experimental medical procedure." Ten years ago, MRIs * were * new and experimental-10 years ago I sat in one for two hours to have 4 pictures of my hand taken-now, MRI is well-established and takes considerably less time. No doubt, more research on its uses and effects has been done. In another example, the book mentions folic acid somewhat, but recent studies have put a brighter spotlight on this vitamin and new information has come out that may benefit us.

Second: The book, in my opinion, spends too much time focusing on risk factors that are specific to certain ethnic groups, people with certain diseases, people with past pregnancy problems, and other issues that are not applicable to everyone. Pages 149-369 are just that, and I found myself simply skipping most of the pages because I am not from certain ethnic groups and I do not have pre-existing diseases, I have not been pregnant before, I am not over 35, and I am not particularly at risk for particular (ethnic-specific) genetic diseases. I was disappointed that I paid for such a large book, most of which I ended up skipping.

I do not deny that these issues are important, however, I would suggest that the book be revised to include, in addition to updated information, more explanation of the areas that are common to * everyone * in order to make the book more useful to everyone.

For this, specifically, I thought that the sections dealing with toxins and medications were not complete enough, and that they could be expanded, as I know that exposure to toxins and the effects of medication are my MAJOR concerns when it comes to pregnancy. The section dealing with toxins did not list HOUSEHOLD toxins, rather it listed toxins in the workplace. One occupation in the table was titled "homemakers and domestic workers" and vaguely listed the toxins as "detergents, soaps, hydrocarbons, solvents, alkalies, bleaches, formaldehyde." I would like to see a list of brand names of common household products (cleaners, detergents, soaps, fabric softeners, air fresheners, cooking sprays, etc.), what chemicals they contain, and what the risk factors are, similar to the list of prescription and OTC drugs. I would like to know what I should and should not be using in my house, and perhaps a list of toxin-free products could be included.

The list of OTC drugs should also be updated to delete medicines no longer on the market, those with changed names, changed formulae, and to include drugs that have been introduced in the past ten years. The same applies for the list of prescription drugs, especially to include the wide variety of birth control pills now available.

Therefore, if the authors read this, I want to suggest that this book DESPERATELY NEEDS an updated edition to accomplish what I outlined above, as well as to correct some spelling and grammatical mistakes I encountered in the first few chapters.

I did appreciate the list of questions to ask yourself about preferences for an obstetrician, and the list of questions to ask the doctor and the prepregnancy checklist were both particularly helpful.

For the reader, I would suggest a more updated book on the subject, if it exists, until the authors can revise and update this book. If there is no other such book, then this is an excellent start.

Summary of Before You Conceive: The Complete Pregnancy Guide

Pregnancy & Childbirth Books

• Subjects > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Women's Health > Pregnancy & Childbirth
• Parenting & Relationships > Parenting