Pregnant women are vulnerable -- especially first-time mothers. They're filled with excitement, hope, optimism, and a little panic around the edges. Their bodies are changing in ways that make them feel they no longer know who they are. They've probably heard a hundred different versions of what to expect, and they still don't really have a clue what childbirth and motherhood are all about.

They want to do everything right, and they soak up information and advice in a desperate race to learn everything before baby reaches the finish line. Some of them will no doubt reach for Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven, A Gutsy Guide to Becoming One Hot and Healthy Mother!

If you have any influence, stop them.

There are a lot of things that are plainly wrong and plenty more that are questionable about this book. In fairness, the authors get a few things right -- but they're pretty obvious and nowhere near enough to offset its dangers. And I mean "dangers" quite literally. I think this book could be harmful to mothers-to-be and their young ones.

Bun in the Oven is a thinly disguised diatribe against the meat and dairy industries. It supposedly offers pregnant women information about health and nutrition, but what it really does is apply a baseball bat to readers' heads without restraint. The authors acknowledge their "tough love" approach right from the start: "We didn't write this book to make friends."

If the authors were authorities on their subject and had amazing information to offer, I might be willing to overlook their nasty tone. They're not. In fact, they "strongly recommend" (in the fine print on the book's copyright page) that readers follow their own physicians' advice. Disclaimers about their lack of qualifications show up here and there -- e.g., "We're not gynos" on page 1, and "we're not doctors, research scientists, or anything of the sort" on page 244.

So, what are they? Rory Freedman is a former model's agent who has been "studying nutrition for 15 years." Kim Barnouin is a former model who actually has a degree: a Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition. What her bio doesn't tell readers is that the degree is from the Clayton College of Natural Health, a nonaccredited correspondence school. "CCNH does have one potentially valuable aspect," according to Quackwatch. "Its credentials are a reliable sign of someone not to consult for advice."

OK, so they're not qualified, and they say so. Sort of. So what? Pregnant women get advice from everyone and their Aunt Fanny. Why not let Rory and Kim have their say? My main problem with Bun in the Oven is that the authors use scare tactics to guilt-trip expectant mothers into buying into their vegan lifestyle. In essence, they tell their vulnerable, earnest readers that if they eat any meat or dairy products -- even organic -- then they and their babies will be doomed to all sorts of health problems throughout their lives: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, birth defects, etc., etc.

Now, I'm no authority either, but I highly doubt that many physicians would recommend pregnancy as the time to switch to any radically restrictive dietary program, including veganism. And supposing it were possible to get adequate nutrition for mother and baby on a vegan plan, this book doesn't give readers the information they would need to accomplish it. The authors have a whole lot to say about what not to eat and very little advice about what's good for mum and junior.

They provide a list of acceptable food products, down to the specific brand label, but many of these are processed soy-based meat substitutes that have engendered their own controversy in the nutritional world. In any case, many of these products are not widely available. They further provide four weeks worth of detailed menus -- but no recipes for exotic-sounding dishes like "pumpkin, sage, and pecan ravioli with soy butter." For the recipes, I guess you have to buy another book.

There are a great many holes in the authors' arguments. They cherry-pick study conclusions to suit their purposes and cram the book full of footnotes in much the same way an ambitious high school student might cobble together a term paper. The sources are all over the map, the conclusions are taken out of context, and the authors provide no analysis of their own. They're delivering propaganda and trying to make it look academic. Doesn't work.

Even if readers of Bun in the Oven aren't swayed by the authors' passionate appeal, they can't escape the graphically disturbing images they present to make their case. Included is a chapter devoted exclusively to inhumane treatment of animals. There's a place for this discussion, but not in a book for expectant mothers. The authors berate their readers repeatedly, "you're eating fear, grief and rage." I assume this idea is important to them in a spiritual sense, but in the context of nutrition, it's just plain ignorant.

The book's title grabs attention, which is its purpose, but it's not that innocent. It also sends a subliminal message: Pregnancy doesn't mean you have to be fat. Late in the book, the authors advise women that they shouldn't really aim to keep weight off during their pregnancies. Yet the cover of the book -- and illustrations throughout -- depict seriously anorexic pregnant women. If those images are supposed to be consistent with the authors' style of "bawdy humor," I confess I don't get it. Nor do I get the joke in calling pregnant women -- or any women, for that matter -- "bitches," "shitheads," and so forth. Nor do I see the humor in referring to a newborn as a "whiny asshole." In fact, I didn't laugh once when I read this book.

Pregnant women should be treated with tenderness and care. They are going through a time in life that will tax their physical strength and make great emotional demands upon them. Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven is nothing short of abusive.

Don't buy it. If you already have, don't read it.

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From Brie Turner-McGrievy, M.S., R.D.:

As a registered dietitian and vegan mother of twin babies, I think science strongly supports the central message of Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven. Vegetarian and vegan diets can benefit pregnant mothers and their children.

The American Dietetic Association, the nation's largest organization of nutrition professionals, states that "well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence."

Meatless diets offer many advantages, including lower levels of saturated fat, and they can help women avoid the unhealthy hormones and environmental toxins often found in dairy, meat, and fish.

Moms-to-be deserve to know that a well-planned diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other plant-based foods can provide all the nutrients pregnant women and their children need and can help keep mother and child healthy.