THE FATHER BOOK: Pregnancy and Beyond

by Rae & Others Grad ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1981

What it's like to be a father-to-be--from the emotional upheavals to what-to-do-when. The authors, all health-care professionals and members of the Alliance for Perinatal Research and Services, in Alexandria, Va., provide the expected, run-of-the-genre reassurance and support (cf. the Osofskys' Answers for New Parents, 1980), along with specific down-to-earth information: ease your wife's leg cramps with the warmth of your hands, get plenty of sleep to combat your own postpartum blues. Particularly welcome is a balanced presentation of the various options for fathers' participation during labor. Men who choose the waiting room over the delivery room are not stigmatized, while those who do elect to participate are supplied with a list of what to take to the hospital (lots of change, a sandwich, a clean shirt), hints for avoiding queasiness (dress lightly and eat a high-protein snack before leaving home), and pointers on helping during each stage of labor. (During active labor, remind her to change position often; don't forget her glasses when moving into the delivery room.) Unexpected events like prematurity, multiple births, and stillbirth are discussed briefly and straightforwardly, with suggestions for finding additional support and information. ""Life with a Newborn"" provides a quick summary of a neonate's competence and nutritional needs; the chapter on interacting with the new baby, however, is devoted almost entirely to instructions for 22 exercises (the ""foot flex"" and the ""tummy tightener"" among them). It's the prospective father, in short, whose needs are best attended to here.

Pub Date: April 1, 1981

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Acropolis

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1981

Categories: NONFICTION