Real Women Share the Joys, Fears, Thrills, and Anxieties of Pregnancy from Conception to Birth
edited by Cecelia A. Cancellaro
This is a book I read several years ago when expecting my own child. I think I picked it up off a shelf at the library when browsing by subject. It intrigued me because unlike many other pregnancy books, this one isn\’t full of advice and medical information. Instead, it\’s a collection of individual experiences, women sharing what they went through and how they felt about it. The women in Pregnancy Stories come from a wide range of backgrounds. Married, single, working, stay-at-home, first-time mothers and those who\’ve been through it before. Mothers who have an easy delivery, others with medical difficulties. Women who\’ve longed and planned for a baby, others who were surprised at finding themselves pregnant. There are even stories of a lesbian couple, and some from the fathers\’ point of view. All the stories are short, and begin with a paragraph introducing the author. They\’re helpfully arranged chronologically, through conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences. Compelling in their honesty and frankness, there\’s something every expectant mother can relate to in these stories. I remember coming away with the thought: it will never be what you expect, so prepare for anything.
Rating: 3/5 260 pages, 2001