Loving pregnancy

When the Belly Button Pops, the Baby’s Done: A Month-By-Month Guide to Surviving (and Loving) Your Pregnancy Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press. 2002. 215 p. $19.99

“When the Belly Button Pops the Baby’s Done” is a zany and hilarious look at pregnancy from the vantage point of an average mom who has managed to gain some perspective. Far from being a comprehensive guide to pregnancy, Craker’s book adds some valuable insights into the heart and mind of a pregnant woman. She tells the good, the bad and the ugly, offering helpful tips on everything from pregnant brain and varicose veins to ‘panic-proofing your pregnancy’. While her advice is mostly anecdotal and her research is usually second-hand, Craker’s encouraging, take-it-all-in-stride style is a refreshing change from other books that reduce pregnant women to guilt-ridden tears because they’re not adding wheat germ to their breakfast cereal. Rather, she ministers to the every-day, suggesting some practical, tried and true ideas for surviving, and loving, every aspect of pregnancy. Possibly the most important contribution that Craker makes to a pregnant woman’s journey, however, is an emphasis on the Creator who made it all happen in the first place. She consistently and gently refers to God as the ultimate companion through the highs and lows, comforter in the midst of anxiety and source of strength through the finish. This book is a valuable addition to any pregnant woman’s reading list. I give it a strong recommendation.

Lori Unger Brandt is a member of the River East MB Church in Winnipeg. Currently residing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she is a full time mom to Ezra, age 1.