There are a lot of pregnancy books around and it's a subject that just about everybody who has ever been pregnant feels they are an expert on. Tom, a journalist and mother of one, was like most women, surprised by the life-changing effect of the birth of her first child. With women delaying childbirth, having fewer children and affecting a devotion to careers, the biological impact of a pregnancy can come as a revelation. The shape changing, hormone spikes and medical dramas of even a normal pregnancy can leave women feeling like they are starring in that old sci fi film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Their normal lives and feelings are suddenly out of control.

This is not a medical guide to pregnancy and beyond. If you need this sort of advice, see your health professional or buy a different sort of book - probably not one with a lime-green cover and a screaming woman on the front.

Attack is not a serious tome about anything much. At least this is the first impression, but underneath the irreverence and humour is a thread of wise counsel. Pregnancy is a turning point in your life and a time when your emotions can overwhelm you. For many women the emotional changes and challenges during pregnancy are more unsettling than the physical changes. Tom's approach throughout the book is to be kind to yourself; this is an experience of a life time, one that will challenge you but one that need not frighten you.

At 526 pages, Attack is a big book and unusually for any sort of pregnancy guide, it has no illustrations. The layout is in the form of a diary, weeks 1 to 40. Each week diariese Tom's experiences of her own pregnancy in 2007 and highlights particular topics you should know about - or laugh about. throughout are interest vignettes from women and referrals to other books and online resources. None of the sections are more than three pages in length. It is a book to dip into, have a laugh and reflect on the issues. Smiling at your fears and laughing at Tom's frank stories can leave you feelings less alone and out of control.