Making Babies: The Science of Pregnancy

By David Bainbridge

Book Overview

Drawing on past speculation and present knowledge, reproductive biologist David Bainbridge conducts us through the forty weeks of a human pregnancy, from conception to breastfeeding, explaining the complex biology behind human gestation in a clear and unassuming manner. Making Babies sets the latest findings in pregnancy biology in a challenging evolutionary, historical, and sociological context, proving that when it comes to drama, pregnancy has it all: sibling rivalry, a battle of the sexes, and a crisis of gender identity. Along the way, Bainbridge revisits some of the key puzzles about pregnancy: What's sex got to do with it? How does the fetus hijack its mother's immune system? What is the point, if any, of morning sickness? Just how does a fertilized ovum develop into eight pounds or so of baby, with ten fingers and ten toes? Does the baby or the mother control the onset of labor, and why is it such an ordeal for them both? Entertaining and informative, Making Babies shows how the study of human pregnancy can help us understand our genesis as individuals and our evolution as a species, and provide insight into who we are and why we behave as we do.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674006534
• ISBN13: 9780674006539
• Release Date: September 2001
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Understanding Pregnancy

I loved this book. It is not a guide about pregnancy in the "What to expect..." kind of way. It is instead a very detailed, fascinating narrative about the current state of knowledge on conception, fetal development and birth. This book satisfied my curiosity on the complex process that is procreation. I particularly liked the ease with which the narration flows. The language is simple and mostly non-technical, but it is also not "dumbed down", which is brilliant on the part of the author. As a scientist myself, I was delighted with the list of peer-reviewed journal references provided at the end. I will definitely consider gifting this book to all of my pregnant friends, although I would highly recommend it to non-pregnant ones as well.

Way Cool

This is awesome any mother father or pregnant person should see this if they want to learn more about the growth of babies in the womb. There are lots of pictures, and complex information in this book.

A detailed, scientific look

This book's subtitle "The Science of Making Babies" is completely accurate. The author delves into more evolutionary biology than I want or need to know, but it all makes for fascinating, if somewhat slow and clinical, reading. There are a few pictures, but they generally do not add to the ooh and ahh factor of the miracle of pregnancy. For that, I'd recommend "A Child Is Born" by Lennart Nilsson.

An unusually detailed view of pregnancy

I've read many pregnancy and birth books, but this one is unique. It goes into the how and why of human reproduction in tremendous detail, starting with why we even bother to reproduce sexually. He examines what happens at a cellular level during conception and details early embryonic development. He examines the role of evolution. He does go into various examples of things that can go wrong, so it might not be the best read for an anxious parent-to-be.One criticism: I think in his purely scientific view, he misses the mystique and spirituality of producing babies. The last chapter is particularly flawed in this way. He talks about "the tyrannies of conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding" as if these are things we would be better off without. I totally disagree. Although deeply scientific, he writes clearly. "Making Babies" was an enjoyable, educational read. I recommend it to anyone who wants to get more information on human reproduction than a standard pregnancy book would cover.