From Publishers Weekly
Pregnant women will sigh with relief (likely in between retches and dry heaves) when they read Kaledin's breezy been-there, done-that look at an under-examined aspect of pregnancy. The medical correspondent for the CBS Evening News deftly dispels the myth of crackers as a panacea for morning sickness in the first few pages, and then goes to address other, ahem, misconceptions about the illness, including that it occurs only in the morning and that copious vomiting must harm a fetus. Beyond this, the book offers a slew of personal anecdotes from women who have suffered through what's known clinically as Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP), and some practical advice for coping with prolonged nausea: the suggested stretches with accompanying photos and the Morning-Sickness Survival Kit are especially useful. Readers looking for hard science, though, should turn elsewhere. While it contains some data and medical facts, "the whole point of this book," as Kaledin puts it, "is to make people feel better." By that measure it succeeds: those who are already expecting will appreciate the sisterly reassurances, while those who are still considering pregnancy will wonder why this grittier side of the nine-month glow is rarely discussed. The structure is somewhat loose, and the proliferation of bold words in capital letters followed by exclamation points seems at times a bit, well, hysterical, but this is nevertheless a valuable collection of advice, ideas and plain, old-fashioned sympathy.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Description
The Morning Sickness Companion is a book by and for women suf-fering from morning sickness-which is a reality of pregnancy affect-ing two thirds of all women. It is a vastly under discussed part of pregnancy and many women who suffer through it really have nowhere to turn for advice and support. Pregnancy books generally include a paragraph or two on this subject, and the advice is old-fashioned. The Morning Sickness Companion will provide a brief history of morning sickness, the latest scientific thinking, research on the emotional toll, and lots of tips and first-person accounts from other women about what they ate, how sick they really were, and how to survive. Written in an engaging, warm, and often funny and informative style, The Morning Sickness Companion offers comfort to women who are suffering and will find a readership clamoring for this book.
