Bumpology

January 20, 2014
For Geddes, a London-based science journalist and mother of two, this book began as a 14-part blog written for New Scientist magazine during her first pregnancy. As questions multiplied, the ensuing book became “a two-and-a-half-year obsession with the science of bumps, birth, and newborn babies.” Divided into three sections (“Bump,” “Birth,” and “Babies”), the text covers a wide range of questions: mundane, quirky, fascinating, and somber. Each section is then broken down into such topics as “Food and Drink,” “The Pregnant Body,” “The Big Push,” and “Weaning.” This structure helps readers focus on their specific interests, though the book might just as easily be read as an entertaining romp through the new parent’s mind. Geddes explains her method of sifting through the research, noting that many studies need to be carefully dissected, and often citing the Cochran Collaboration, a respected group with a mission to “cut through the confusion.” Because of the author’s journalism background, Geddes’s writing and science-based explanations are substantive yet accessible. Agent: Kristyn Keene, ICM.

February 1, 2014
A compilation of advice on pregnancy, birth and infants. When London-based journalist Geddes discovered she was pregnant, she began "obsessing over what this jelly bean-shaped blob (which already showed signs of extraordinary wit and intelligence) was doing in there." In order to answer the many questions she now had regarding pregnancy, labor and the care of newborns, the author dove into scientific journals, newspaper articles and the brains of doctors to sift the data and scads of conflicting reports. The result is this assemblage of 150 questions and answers. The many topics include eating ("How dangerous is it to eat Camembert and blue cheese?"; "Do pregnant women really eat coal?"; "Can unborn babies taste what Mom is eating?"), concerns about the growing fetus ("Can a baby detect its mother's mood?"; "Do unborn babies dream?"; "How do fingerprints develop?"); labor; C-sections vs. vaginal births; the pros and cons of a home delivery vs. a hospital birth; and the physical and emotional aftereffects of labor on the mother. In the section on newborns, Geddes covers pacifiers, breast-feeding and bottle feeding, the significance of the color of baby poop, infant sleeping habits and whether one can influence the gender of a child. "Having a baby can be one of the greatest joys that life bestows, but it is hard work," writes the author. "We can do without any unnecessary guilt, anxiety, and doubt." Geddes addresses the multitude of concerns any woman experiencing pregnancy for the first time may have and offers solid, no-nonsense answers, effectively alleviating much of the guilt, anxiety and doubt any new parent may face. She also includes a helpful glossary for readers unfamiliar with the many new terms they will encounter, including, among dozens of others, bilirubin, hindmilk, syntocinon and ventouse. Straightforward, stress-reducing answers to the most common pregnancy and post-pregnancy questions.

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