The Complete Organic Pregnancy,
by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu

This is the perfect book for the green mama-to-be. In fact, it is quite useful for anyone, as many recommendations for detoxifying one's body and home are applicable to any population. Of course, readers who are contemplating pregnancy can use the tips in this book to get an early start on preparing for pregnancy. (Ditch the vinyl shower curtain and forget nail polish!)

Those with small children can also benefit from Dolan and Zissu's book. The need for a nontoxic environment extends beyond this point. In fact, they inspired this reviewer enough to purchase an all organic futon to replace the traditional twin mattress in her daughter's room. As Dolan and Zissu point out, more hours are spent in bed (especially by children) than in almost any other single place, and inhaling off-gassed chemicals from a conventional mattress may not be the best for a child.

Besides the information contained within this volume, several first person essays are included. Barbara Kingsolver, Catherine Newman and Moon Unit Zappa are some recognizable names included within the essays. These brief narratives cover everything from weight gain during pregnancy to breast feeding and focus to varying degrees on the whole organic angle.