What to Expect When You're Expecting
- When can I take home a pregnancy test?
- How can I eat for two if I’m too queasy to eat for one?
- Can I keep up my spinning classes?
- Is fish safe to eat? And what’s this I hear about soft cheese?
- Can I work until I deliver? What are my rights on the job?
- I’m blotchy and broken out—where’s the glow?
- Should we do a gender reveal? What about a 4-D ultrasound?
- Will I know labor when I feel it?
Reviews (205)
Careful! They might send you the UK version!
Be careful when ordering that you get the right edition. The first time I ordered, they sent the UK edition. It isn’t labeled at all, you just start reading and notice that they talk about different healthcare issues and use a lot of different British slang. Reordered and got the correct edition. Frustrating though. See picture for different versions. UK is on the left.
Did not enjoy.
This is my first pregnancy and I was looking for a useful resource to educate myself on what I was going on with my body and what I needed to be prepared for. I really tried to read this book, but every time I picked it up it made my morning sickness worse. The writing used made me feel more like a child (which made me feel more out of control and panicked) when I wanted to feel like an educated adult. I ended up throwing the book away. My husband asked me why and I told him I didn't think it would be helpful to any other woman I know and I wouldn't want to give someone something I didn't personally like nor recommend. I bought the Mayo Clinic book and find it well organized and informative, and I feel more at ease about pregnancy in general when reading the book. I truly am enjoying that book and would definitely recommend it. In particular, they discuss what you need to think about when traveling which I found helpful when my husband and I were planning our "babymoon". I'm not sure if What to Expect did this also, I didn't get far enough, so I can't compare regarding this section.
Areas of misinformation.
I purchased this book because it’s well-known. Admittedly, I felt like it was one of those books every expecting mother should read and I didn’t investigate the type of content that would be covered. I found very little useful information in the book and certainly nothing was covered that wasn’t discussed in every app out there. I also found it annoying that there were sections on HIV, diabetes (gestational and non), etc—these topics do not pertain to the general population and those that do need information about these topics need an entire book and close monitoring by a professional to be at all prepared for pregnancy with those conditions. It felt like fluff to bulk up the book as nearly no reader could benefit from the included information, even if they had the conditions. Furthermore, the writing style is a little too cliche, filled with puns and childish humor. Just because you’re an expecting mother doesn’t mean you now talk and think like a child. The target audience feels like expecting teenagers, not expecting adults. Finally, there are a few areas of misinformation and, when I read them, it discredited the whole book. For example, page 155 under the Manicure and pedicure section it discusses cutting calluses and notes, “...(never mind the fact that the more you cut calluses, the more they grow back).” This is completely untrue and is written in as FACT! I won’t get into detail about how calluses form, but they don’t form because they’re cut away. They form as a result of friction or overloading caused by a biomechanical or musculoskeletal factor. I almost quit reading after that point and once I got to the end, I wished I would have.
No Science Here
I feel like this is the book every newly pregnant woman thinks she HAS to read to be prepared for the next 9 months. Things are presented as facts, but provide no scientific backing. A cursory search of Heidi Murkoff does not reveal what exactly makes her an "expert" in the field. There is a section in the book about how to contour with makeup, in case you're worried your face has gotten too fat. Not exactly what I was hoping for. She also says the "for dad" sections are for any partner involved, so why not word it as such? I read Emily Oster's book first, "Expecting Better", this is the only one I needed. She looks at studies and sites actual numbers, doesn't just pull weird facts out of thin air and body shame pregnant women. The what to expect app is also just one giant amazon advertisement and I don't recommend it.
Riddled with inaccuracies (and annoying interjections)
This book is riddled with factual inaccuracies -- while smoking during pregnancy is definitely harmful, the womb absolutely does NOT fill up with smoke if you do -- and makes claims that have been repeatedly refuted by science. In addition, the constant interjections (always in the form of parentheticals) got old after about the first page, but they continue throughout the book (it gets annoying) (doesn't it?). There are a TON of books and other resources out there on pregnancy -- choose a different one if you want accurate information that doesn't sound like it was written for a third-grader.
Very very thorough, all your doubts and questions (even weird ones..) are answered here. Good for daddies too!
I wish I have had this book when I had my first child (18 years ago!). Lots and lots of very useful information, specially for those mommies (like me) that are a bit apprehensive or anxious and get easily concerned. The information is presented very thoroughly, yet in a way that is very warm and sympathetic. The app is a very nice complement for the book, as you can get videos, picture, forums, etc. that add to the reading. My husband really LOVES this book, and he says it has been very helpful for understanding all the changes (and challenges) that I'm going through. He also loves to to learn week by week how our baby is growing and what to expect for that week. Absolutely recommended for all the moms and dads to be!!!
Great reference guide for parents to be
Husband and I love to read this together, as we feel it gives us a nice heads up on what to expect week to week. The Q&A part is also great, as there are many questions on there that we can relate with, and we get giggles out of some of the Dad components, which are really a nice add-on and make this book feel like its made for all participating members. Pregnancy really is wonderful thing, but there are so many unexpected and unknown components to it, it can get really intimidating and scary. Reading what others are going thru or have done thru is really comforting, and it helps us get our questions ready for our monthly doctors visit (there are so many things you don't even think about asking!). Its also been great to truly have a reference guide on what to expect, and what tests are coming up, so when they do happen, we are better prepared and can get to the core questions answered by our OBGYN. Recommend this to all expecting families, it has been really helpful for ours.
I recommend this book for all expectant parents.
Bought this for my son and his girlfriend to read together as they take the journey into parenthood together. I read an earlier version 23 years ago, and this version is proving to be as helpful and interesting to expecting parents as the older one was to me. As I watch them reading together, I am struck by how this book helps to foster an immediate connection for both of them to their developing baby. Very cool when a book can provide important information and evoke an emotional response.
I hated this book
I really wanted to like this book. As a first time mom, I was excited to be pregnant, but nervous about pregnancy and delivery. I thought What To Expect When You’re Expecting was going to be some definitive guide to alleviate concerns; after all, it’s so popular - it is just what you read when you’re pregnant! Well, unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything particularly useful or informative. The language is way too fluffy, casual, and cutesy. It is very much like “hey girl, do/don’t do this”. I seriously read through maybe 1/3 of this before I had enough. I truly hated this useless book.
Highly recommend for new moms!
I found this book to be very informative. I am entering my third trimester and it has been pretty spot on with everything. It's an easy read and I always look forward to reading what is coming next. I highly recommend this book for new mamas. There is A LOT of information in here but I am the type of person who wants all the details so it worked for me. I highly recommend this book!
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