The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book

The moment I found out I was pregnant with Dawson, I went to the nearest bookstore and purchased two or three pregnancy books, one of which was What to Expect When You're Expecting. The book was jam-packed with facts and information, but it scared me silly.

I was obsessed with my pregnancy and I thought if I read every book written on the subject I would be prepared for anything that could happen over the course of nine months until my baby arrived. But that book had me worried about every possible ailment my baby could be born with and I spent 90% of pregnancy in a scared, irrational tizzy.

"What if he has spina bifida because I didn't take enough folic acid?"

"What if I forget to take my prenatal pills and he's born with an illness?"

"What if I don't eat enough carrots and he needs glasses by the time his 10 days old?"

The What-Ifs were driving my poor husband crazy. He practically had to pry that book from my hands to keep me from worrying about things that were out of my control anyway.

And maybe all the worrying I did raised my blood pressure because at 31 weeks I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and I was sentenced to 5 weeks of bed rest. At 38 weeks my BP was so high that my doctor decided to induce labor via pitocin and after a 5-day hospital stay (and much frustration with the inconsistency of each on-call doctor) I finally had a baby.

Best rest and maternity leave nearly threatened my job, too. The HR person at my company tried to tell me that I would not have a job when I returned because I hadn't been employed long enough to qualify for FMLA. I celebrated my one-year anniversary the day before Dawson was born, but she explained that my five weeks of bed rest didn't count. Turns out she gave me incorrect information, because I had worked more than 1250 hours in eleven months.

No pregnancy book was available to prepare me for that course of events. I wish I had a copy of The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D., back then. Right off the bat, she explains that every mother is a working mother, and her book is a comprehensive resource on pregnancy and childbirth without scaring the expectant mother with all the What-Ifs.

The best part? She has written several chapters dedicated to pregnancy and its effects on work, communication at work, how and when to tell your boss you're pregnant, how to arrange maternity leave, and breastfeeding after returning to work (as well as advice for pumping at work).

Oh, how I wish Dr. Greenfield's book was available four years ago, but I'm so happy I was sent a copy to review. Expectant moms (and their partners) will reap the benefits of Dr. Greenfield's experiences as an obstetrician and working mom, and will enjoy reading the hundreds of interviews the author conducted with mothers, including factory workers, journalists, technicians, attorneys and teachers.

This book offers checklists for multi-tasking moms-to-be, helpful illustrations, stories and advice from experienced mothers and everything from pre-conception planning to balancing life after the baby is born.

The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book is realistic and addresses the concerns of working mothers, yet still offers a comprehensive look at the joys and challenges of pregnancy and motherhood. This book is a must-read for every expectant parent.