From award-winning science journalist Linda Geddes, a fascinating and practical companion for expectant parents that makes sense of conflicting advice about pregnancy, birth, and raising babies. Can I eat peanuts during pregnancy? Do unborn babies dream? Can men get pregnancy symptoms too? How much do babies remember? How can I get my baby to sleep through the night? The moment she discovers she’s pregnant, every woman suddenly has a million ques­tions about the life that’s developing inside her. Linda Geddes was no different, except that as a journalist writing for New Scientist magazine she had access to the most up-to-date scientific research. What began as a personal quest to find the truth behind headlines and information that didn’t patronize or confuse is now a brilliant new book. In Bumpology , Geddes discusses the latest research on every topic that expectant parents encounter, from first pregnancy symptoms to pregnancy diet, the right birth plan, and a baby’s first year. Despite the glut of pregnancy books, moms-to-be often can’t find answers to questions like, “Can I eat peanuts?” Geddes, a science journalist with two young kids, was one of them. So in this fascinating guide, she set about sharing little-known tidbits about everything from when fingerprints start developing (between the third and fourth month) to whether newborns sweat (full-term ones typically can from day one). She wisely devotes most of her chapters to topics not included in many other books, though she also tackles many common concerns, such as, “How much alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy?” Not everything is black and white, including the answer to that one. Geddes is not a medical doctor, but she adds credibility to her book by citing many physicians and studies. One MD, for example, sensibly advises pregnant women to avoid falling-off and getting-hit activities such as horseback riding or skiing after the first trimester, when the bigger baby is no longer protected by pelvic bones. Geddes could write a specialty Trivial Pursuit game with these facts. --Karen Springen Linda Geddes is a London-based magazine journalist who writes about biology, medicine, and technology. She has worked as both a news editor and reporter for New Scientist magazine. She has received numerous awards for her journalism, including the Association of British Science Writers’ award for Best Investigative Journalism and the European School of Oncology’s Best Cancer Reporter. She was also shortlisted for the Paul Foot Award in 2011 and the Press and Periodicals Association’s Writer of the Year award in 2009, 2011 and 2012. Bumpology Food and Drink . 1 . Why do pregnant women crave unhealthy food? Angelina Jolie craved chocolate with cinnamon and chile, Cate Blanchett wanted pickles and ice cream, while Britney Spears is said to have wanted to eat soil. A recent study on the pregnancy website www.babycenter.com found that about 85 percent of American women experienced at least one food craving during pregnancy. Around 40 percent craved sweet foods, while 33 percent lusted after salty snacks. Spicy foods came in third, at 17 percent, followed by fresh fruit, at 10 percent. Surprisingly few scientific studies have been carried out on food cravings during pregnancy. Those that have been find that pregnant women often have a desire for salty foods and become less sensitive to the taste, as well as becoming more sensitive to bitter tastes. The salt craving may come about because, as their blood volume expands, pregnant women need slightly more salt to maintain the balance of fluids in their bodies. An aversion to bitter flavors is less easy to explain, but some have proposed that it steers women away from poisonous plants, which are often bitter (see 3: “What causes morning sickness?”). As to why pregnant women crave sweet foods, studies of how taste preferences vary over the menstrual cycle may provide some clues. Women tend to want foods that are high in carbohydrates and fat during the second half of the menstrual cycle, when levels of the hormone progesterone are high. They are more sensitive to sweet tastes during the first half of the cycle, when levels of estrogen are higher. Although both hormones increase during pregnancy, there is relatively more progesterone than estrogen, which may explain why women long for sweet, energy-rich foods like chocolate or cake (or preferably both at the same time). A lot of people assume that you crave the foods your body needs. Although no one has studied this specifically in pregnant women, there is some evidence that it may be true. Leigh Gibson and his colleagues at the University of Roehampton, London, gave their test group two flavors of soup to try: one that was high in protein and one that was low. A few days later, the volunteers were either starved of protein or given a protein-rich drink before being offered a choice of the two soups for lunch. Those who were protein-st