THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO PREGNANCY AFTER 30: From Conception to Delivery—All You Need to Know to Make the Right Decisions

Winkelman, a Pulitzer Prize–winning medical writer, has written a comprehensive guide to pregnancy aimed at older mothers. She includes information on infertility treatment and drugs, multiple births, genetic testing and age-related complications. Winkelman also explores the use of midwives, nonhospital deliveries and other "natural" therapies—advocating such treatments when possible, but recognizing that midlife pregnancies may require high-tech medical interventions. Especially helpful are checklists that readers can use when consulting their doctors. For example, she provides a list of symptoms that can indicate preeclampsia, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can develop during pregnancy. The discussions of medical history and preparation for a fertility workup are also useful. Winkelman's fundamental philosophy is that most older mothers need not be stuck with anxiety-provoking "high risk" labels simply because of their age, nor should older women automatically assume that it's too late to have children. Throughout the book, the author uses quotations and anecdotes from a panel of older mothers, doctors and midwives. Some readers will find these perspectives reassuring, while those using the book as a quick medical reference may feel they're distracting. In any case, the breadth of material covered here should make this book appealing to women looking for a single-volume resource on midlife pregnancy. (Mar.)