Pregnancy Do's and Don'ts: The Smart Woman's A-Z Pocket Companion for a Safe and Sound Pregnancy » (1ST)

Dr. ELISABETH ARON is an award-winning, board-certified specialist in obstetrics and a senior clinical instructor at the University of Colorado’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

For when you need the facts—not fear—about what food, drinks, activities, and procedures you should avoid during each month of your pregnancy.

Over the years, Dr. Elisabeth Aron has soothed the worries of many soon-to-be moms who have come to her with questions such as:

• Can I exercise during my first trimester?
• Is canned tuna safe to eat throughout my pregnancy?
• Do self-tanners contain chemicals I should be worried about?
• I have to fly for work during my second trimester. Is this safe?
• Is cookie-dough ice cream safe to eat?
• Can I wear an underwire bra during my pregnancy?
• I’m six months pregnant. Is it alright for me to have a glycolic peel facial?
• Are peanuts safe to eat or will my baby develop a peanut allergy if I eat too many?
• There is a lot of chlorine in my health club’s pool. Is that a good or bad thing?

Pregnancy Do's and Don'ts includes hundreds of entries on possible concerns—from apple cider to zinc and everything in between. In each entry, Dr. Aron identifies the item, the possible cause for concern, and explains the bottom line—whether it is something a woman should avoid completely, something to take a better-safe-than-sorry approach toward, or something that is perfectly fine.

Library Journal

The list of things that pregnant women should avoid seems to be constantly growing. Fueled by media reports, web sites, and even old wives' tales, parents-to-be are more worried than ever about potential risks to their unborn child. Obstetrician/gynecologist Aron (senior clinical instructor, Univ. of Colorado) provides a handy, portable reference book that tackles these concerns. Hundreds of entries, from "Accutane" to "zinc," are arranged in a dictionary format, with each documenting the issue, noting any possible concerns, and explaining and interpreting relevant studies and recommendations. Further, each entry concludes with a "Bottom Line," e.g., "cell phone use during pregnancy appears to be safe" and "electric blankets should be used with caution, especially during the first trimester." This easy-to-read and reassuring compendium on a critical subject is a welcome supplement to more general pregnancy guide literature. Recommended for consumer health collections and individual purchase.-Linda M.G. Katz, Drexel Univ. Health Sciences Libs., Philadelphia Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.