Book Review: Ask A Midwife by Catharine Parker-Littler

I was given this book as a gift by my friend who is herself, a midwife. She spoke ever so highly of it that I was extremely pleased when she gave me a copy and I couldn't wait to read it.

The book is called 'Ask A Midwife' and is written by Catharine Parker-Littler in conjunction with midwivesonline.com.

As a first time mummy-to-be, I often find that I have tons of unanswered questions running through my mind. It can be 3am and I'll sit up startled in bed and find myself panicking over all sorts of stuff that, quite frankly, could be pondered upon at another time of the day than 3am! I am very lucky that I have a best friend who is also a midwife; i feel that I can ask her anything and she can give me a professional answer. However, as much as she loves me, I'm sure she wouldn't be best pleased if I called her at 3am to discuss my options regarding pain relief! (which is probably why she gifted me with this book!)

As well as asking my friend, I find myself 'googling' for information. BAD IDEA! I am a stickler for self diagnosis and have been known to be suffering from some traumatic ailment when really, I've got something as simple as a summer cold! (I once convinced myself I had HIV from reading Google - I don't(!)but it goes to show why it's not such a good idea!)

So if you don't have a midwife on speed dial and you're not too keen on Google then what do you do? You can, of course, call your midwife or the hospital however calling them to discuss your toilet habits at 3am may not be the best idea! (Please though, if you suspect something is wrong - PLEASE CALL YOUR LABOUR WARD/HOSPITAL!)

If you do want a solution to your general niggles though, then this book is a great idea! It's written by a midwife so you can rest assured that the advice is coming directly from a professional, therefore it's much more reliable than some things you may read online. I am a frequent reader of chat rooms/baby pages on social network sites and it's lovely to hear advice from mummies who have been there but I find it a great peace of mind checking in this book.

The book consists of six sections: Trying for a baby, Now you’re pregnant; Your 40-week journey; Labour and birth, New parents; and New life. It's not a book that you have to read all in one go, we use it as a 'go-to' when myself or Mr C have a question. I've found it extremely 'daddy-friendly'; Mr C isn't much of a reader and he would be put of reading a 500 page book however he likes this as it is formatted in much smaller, accessible chunks.

It is aimed at absolutely everyone; young and older parents and doesn't take any sort of condescending or patronising tones. It covers a vast range of topics from physical and emotional changes to practicalities such as employment rights and practical parenting skills.

Overall, I would totally recommend this book to any mummies and daddies-to-be. It would also make a perfect baby shower/pregnancy gift; I know I loved receiving it and it comes in much more handy than yet another pair of scratch mittens! It allows you to access the information easily and above all, you can rest assured that the advice is coming straight from a professional. A real 10/10.

You can buy this book through http://www.midwivesonline.com/