Book Review

Book review: The Christian Mama’s Guide
to Having a Baby

by Diana Wiard

If you were at MOPS in February, you got to hear Erin MacPherson talk about making our friendships more genuine. You also got to hear me announce my pregnancy super duper early just to win her book TheChristian Mama’s Guide to Having a Baby: Everything You Need to Know to Survive (and Love) Your Pregnancy. The following weekend, while I was surviving loving my first trimester from a horizontal position on the couch, I was able to dig in.

I was expecting something along the lines of What to Expect While You’re Expecting with a few Bible verses thrown in periodically (because it’s a Christian book, of course). What I got was way better. She gives some general “what to expect” information for each trimester and also includes chapters on things like nutrition, baby gear, morning sickness and labor. But everything is interspersed with personal anecdotes of her own pregnancies and totally grounded in applicable Scripture.

This book is funny, laugh-out-loud and even snort-a-bit funny. I would compare her writing style to Jen Hatmaker – very honest and just like you’re chatting with a girlfriend. She gives good tips on tweaking your wardrobe to fit a growing bump and even talks about sex in each trimester.

This is a quick read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a genuine, encouraging and informative book on
pregnancy. Though it is targeted toward the first-time mom, I think any experienced mother would enjoy reading it as a humorous “refresher course.” This would make a great gift for any expecting mom you know, especially in the tough weeks of the first trimester. I felt better after reading it – her words were encouraging and all the endorphins released from laughing didn’t hurt, either.