Book 1 for 2005

Before Your Pregnancy: a 90-day guide for couples on how to prepare for a healthy conception, by Amy Ogle, M.S., R.D., and Lisa Mazzullo, M.D.; © 2002, 426 p., Ballantine Publishing Group.

Darryl and I have been talking about starting a family for quite some time, and we recently decided that it was time to begin looking into it more seriously. I checked this book out from the DeKalb County Public Library system to help me think about ways to prepare for pregnancy. This is an easy-to-read and very skimmable book that has a lot of common sense information, and also helps to disspell some common myths about conception and pregnancy. The main focus of the book is the overall health of the mother-to-be, but the health of the father-to-be is also treated. It contains very practical advice on how to make your diet more healthy, watching your body weight and preparing yourself for gaining weight during pregnancy, and the importance of exercise before and during pregnancy. Most of the information in this book would be applicable to just about anyone looking to improve their health and well-being, not just those who are preparing for pregnancy. Overall, I thought it was a helpful book and would recommend it to anyone else who is thinking of starting a family.