Customer Reviews

Expecting Fitness: How To Modify And Enjoy Your Exercise Program Throughout Your Pregnancy

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the most valuable prenatal information I've ever found. Thanks to this book, my doctor and I were able to determine the most suitable exercises for me at my age of 42 and carrying a very high risk pregnancy. I was ordered on bedrest at 19 weeks, but was able to do many exercises from the high risk chapter. Thanks to Birgitta's incredible knowledge and expertise on High risk pregnancy exercise, I was able to make it to 38 weeks. And my doctor wasn't sure I'd make it through 30 weeks...but we are certain that the strength I was able to maintain by these very modified exercises may have saved my 7lbs. 4oz, baby girls life. Or at least her health. My OB is now ordering all of her pregnant patients to exercise for healthier outcomes. A MUST READ FOR ANY PREGNANT WOMAN. helen.

I want to compliment on this desperatly needed book. The book is excellent. It is medically accurate, motivating and on point. I couldn't put it down. - Michelle Kosik MD

Just wanted to say how happy I was for purchasing this book EXPECTING FITNESS. In my opinion, it was the book I referenced and followed the most throughout my pregnancy. I recommend it to every friend who's pregnant or trying... My experince was not as most mothers had. While I was hoping to go earlier and have a leaner baby, I went two weeks late (as the book warned) and had a 10 pounder with a total body weight gain of 22 pounds! YIKES! He WAS lean and strong however, and I had the best blood chemistry any of the nurses on the floor had seen (they checked his blood sugar every two hours for the first day). I walked out of the hospital in my street cloths, feeling healthier and more fit than I had ever felt before. A week later, I weighed less that I did before I became pregnant. I am a sweep rower and rowed my last race at 5 months pregnant (we won by the way). My rowing club graciously loaned me an erg that I used religiously until the day before I delivered. I'm back on it, rowing hard to get my seat back!
The comments on endorphins were RIGHT ON! My delivery was intervention and drug free. Most of all, it was not painful (until 9cm), and even that was bearable, quite a change from my first delivery where I was out of shape and requested an epidural at 4cm. During this , my second labor, I briskly walked the halls until 7 cm , jumped into the shower until 8-9 cm and stood by the bed for the rest. It took me 6 minutes to push my 9 pound, 15 ounce, 22.5 inch son out! I TRULY BELIEVE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS HAD I NOT BEEN IN SHAPE. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE STANDARD ISSUE TO ALL EXPECTANT MOMS!

This book would have been quite different if it had been written by a woman who has actually experienced pregnancy and childbirth. While much of her research seems clinically accurate, there is no experiential connection on the part of the author. She doesn't know enough about what feels good and what feels wrong when you're pregnant. In addition, the author warns against certain Yoga positions (like downward dog and other inversions), which are not only a safe, standard part of prenatal Yoga practice, but feel really good when you're pregnant. Having not had the experience of pregnancy, the author is not adequately familiar with the extent of the abilities of a pregnany woman who is fit to begin with, and therefore spends much of this text warning against activities which are quite safe and beneficial during pregnancy.

Great book! Very informative. Although research is limited in exercise and pregnancy, the book references up to date information that is available. This will be a gift book for any of my friends that become pregnant.

I bought this book when I was 4 months pregnant and was somewhat disappointed in the exercise descriptions presented in the book. There were too many exercises presented without a description of what type of routine to follow. I felt like some of the exercises would place you at risk if you were not in top physical shape or if a trainer was not present to monitor your safety. Also the author did not indicate how many or which specific exercises you should do in a beginning session and how the exercise routine should progress from the first trimester to the last. The exercises should have included different fitness levels and I felt uncomfortable while attempting to do some of them.

There were too many chapters on other pregnancy topics that one can find in any prenatal care guide. I had hoped the book would contain more stretching/yoga exercises which are so helpful and calming during pregnancy. Overall I felt that this book would be a better source for someone who is in top athletic shape not for your average person. Also the book jacket describes the author as a former bodybuilder with no children of her own. I would recommend some of the other fitness experts prenatal exercise books because they were by women who had actually experienced pregnancy and childbirth.

This book has exactly what I was looking for in a pregnancy related exercise guide. I am an active woman, and I had been disappointed by other books that were vague or only gave 'beginning' exercise information. I think this book is appropriate for beginners or athletes - basically for anyone who wants to remain fit during pregnancy.

I appreciate the amount of detail and background information on muscles used during and after pregnancy as well as the role of hormones which helps the reader to unerstand why the exercises are important. The author seems to be operating with the latest medical advice regarding excercising in pregnancy. She also identifies the key exercises needed to assist in a smooth delivery and gives several different options for doing them (at a gym or at home and in several different positions in case your pregnancy is high risk or you are bed ridden).

Birgitta's book is a must have for anyone who's expecting, or who will be soon! Hers was the book I referenced and followed the most throughout my pregnancy (and now in postpartum). I recommend it to every friend who's pregnant or trying...

I had my son in November of 2000 and exercised using the book as a guide right up until the day before I delivered (I was 2 weeks late) I walked out of the hospital in my pre-pregnancy clothes, feeling heathier and more fit than I had ever felt before. A week later, I weighed less than I did before I became pregnant.

Birgitta's comments on endorphins were RIGHT ON! My delivery was intervention and drug free. Most of all, it was not painful (until 9 cm - transition time), and even that was bearable, quite a change from my first delivery, where I was out of shape and requested an epidural at 4 cm. During this, my second labor, I briskly walked the halls until 7 cm, jumped into the shower until 8-9cm and stood by the bed for the rest. It took me 6 minutes to push my EXTREMELY HEALTHY 9 pound, 15 ounce, 22.5 inch son out, with NO EPISIOTOMY! I TRULY BELIEVE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS HAD I NOT BEEN IN SHAPE. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE STANDARD ISSUE TO ALL EXPECTANT MOMS!

This is the best most comprehensive book on pregnancy fitness that I have found. It is very thorough and detailed. The exercise descriptions were very easy to follow and I was easily able to do these exercises during my pregnancy. As a result, I have a healthy fit baby and I feel like I am back in shape after just 6 weeks following my delivery. These exercises and all of the other helpful advice in the book enabled me to lose all except 8 pounds of the 35 pounds I gained during my pregnancy in just a few weeks. There is also an excellent section on post partum exercise. Overall, I was very pleased with this exceptional book and would highly recommend it to all expecting moms.

Well, now that I have my copy, I started reading through it and started trying several of the excercises, and I can honestly say I love this book and know it will make a huge difference for me. In fact, my sciatica is feeling better already after just one morning!

I did all of the leg excercises for bed-rest/high risk pregnancies, as well as attempted the abs excercises and several of the streches there. Not only did I feel the excercises doing what they are suposed to, but I did not feel any strain on baby, and when I finished, I felt great! At least as good as when I used to work out at the gym regularly, only not as tired and sweaty.

THe excercise instructions are written so that they are easy to understand and show lots of illustrations so that an idiot like me can follow along well. The excercises are also well targeted, and after finishing my workout, I felt refreshed and really good! Dh is impressed with it as well, since he was watching my workout with interest. It also does not take a great deal of time which is good too, but you can really feel the benefits right away!

I looked through other fitness books and passed them all up because I either could not understand them, or they did not have anything to offer me, a non-active person with a placenta previa... this is the only book that seems to have a whole section and lots of portions in other sections devoted to any kind of pregnancy risks, including multiple pregnancies. As she indicates though, if there are any risk factors present, it is best to check with your OB first before beginning an excercise routine. Mine cleared me to do this because I was complaining of sciatica, and I am already feeling better!

This is definately one book that will not be gathering dust on my bookshelf, and I hightly recommend it to anyone else!