What to Expect When You're Expecting: 4th Edition Reviews

• To All the Expecting Fathers ...

  
  By ADKA2MJQQCMTO on 2008-05-31
  Guys ... consider this a warning; this will be the worst book that your significant other can read and will make your life utterly miserable for the next nine months. It's been three years since I had to deal with this serie's 3rd edition and I still can't stand the sight of it.
  
  It may have been intended as a self-help guide, but its alarmist tone and condescending attitude leads this to act more as a bible for every worst-case scenario imaginable. After spending a few hours perusing this book's contents, your wife, girlfriend, whomever will become so overworked and paranoid that every little ache, pain, and irritation will become a sign of the baby being born with a forked tongue and three heads. The diet your partner will be instructed to keep is impossible for any human being alive to follow. She will be told to try and avoid ... damn near everything it seems like.
  
  I was also incensed that after reading up on the author, all of this "wonderful" information was being brought to me by someone with NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND. If I'm going to want advice on dealing with pregnancy issues, wouldn't I want to consult an expert (i.e. someone with a degree)? Murkoff is no more an expert then I am ...
  
  I'll be blunt, WTEWYE seems to be an EXTREMELY popular gift for someone who's pregnant for the first time and it's probably unavoidable. I came into three copies without any effort at all. I'm not going to stand here and pretend I know of a better source for information either, because (outside of ... oh I don't know ... a doctor) I don't. All I know is that if THIS is the definitive volume on the pregnancy experience, then God help us all.
  
  I absolutely guarantee you, someone your partner knows WILL buy this for her. Your mission is to "lose it." If you're already stuck with it and you can't hide it or burn it, at least do your best to temper its pages with as much perspective as you possibly can. Again, for a first-time mom-to-be, who, frankly, is probably a bit nervous anyway about all the changes her body is going through, all this volume is going to accomplish is completely freaking her out.
  
  Batten down the hatches and break out the antacid my friends, it's gonna be a long nine months
  
  
  

• Scare Tactics.... Read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth instead!

  
  By A3ME0L2OIYAQH5 on 2008-06-16
  I am a midwife and so many of my clients complain that this book is disempowering and scary. This book may match the mainstream maternity care system that is quickly spiraling downward in America. In the city where I live there is a 38.5% C-section rate. Of course, there is a place for C-Sections. Of course, there can always be comlications, but remember that your body was built to do this! As a new mother, please do your research before choosing how to birth your baby. Read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Henci Goer's Thinking Woman's Guide to a better birth. Read anything by Sheila Kitzinger. Read books by Marsden Wagner and Robbie Davis-Floyd. Be sure to watch the new movie "The Business of Being Born" by Ricki Lake.
  
  This book is the one book that midwives love to hate : )
  
  

• Disappointing

  
  By A1QBYUALQL7NWH on 2008-04-16
  Since this is my 2nd baby and I had read the last one many years ago, I was hoping to find a more updated and positive version. It isn't much different than the old one and I still think it has too much unnecessary information in it. It makes pregnancy seem complicated -- even my doctor recommended against it. If this were my first baby, I would find way too many things to worry about in it. My doctor suggested a book called The Joy of Pregnancy which is written by an RN and I really like it. I also like Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I would save your money on this book.
  
  

• Surprisingly good

  
  By AP8HW6LF3UILX on 2008-06-20
  I bought a few books the months after we found out that my wife was pregnant. Initially i stayed away from this book, because even though the reviews were pretty good, i was really turned off by the look/design of the book, especially in the previous editions, with the image of the depressed, near suicidal woman wistfully looking out into space (that really didn't sell this whole pregnancy thing to us!). I know it sounds shallow, but stuff like design does make an impression.
  
  Anyway, We bought two other books: The complete book of pregnancy (recommended by our mid wife - a bit too hippy dippy for my taste, but okay) and The Mother of All Pregnancy Books (also okay, but it really didn't follow a cohesive chronology of pregnancy).
  
  Then, I found out this book was out with a new edition (and new cover design to boot!) and purchased it. It's been a great help. We love reading the month to month rundown of things, it contains some excellent chapters on various problems and questions that arise while you go thru the many months until delivery.
  
  The drawbacks are very few. One was what we found to be the same with many of these books, that fathers are pretty much treated as an afterthought. Granted we're not the ones who have to carry the baby and deal with all that come with itt, but we are still along for the ride and most of us want to be. To be fair this book has one "dad" chapter, which was pretty good.
  If you're interested in that aspect of it, I'd highly recommend The Expectant Father book, which is very thorough and insightful.
  
  The other drawback is how little there is about the delivery and labour part of pregnancy. Again, something we've found to be very little info on (especially for us novices). I was given the book The Best Birth, which deals with that and only that topic. Very much worth a read.
  
  Long review, but i hope it helps people.
  
  

• A big book about pregnancy.

  
  By A1HSZWI3AAJYS9 on 2008-04-01
  I didn't know there was so much to know about pregnancy! This book is huge and covers, I would think, every single thing about being pregnant, even going over (briefly) labor and post-partum things. It is an ideal pregnancy book because it leaves you with more answers than questions. I highly recommend this one, along with another one called You Know You're Pregnant When. Reflections on the Longest Nine Months of My Life.
  
  
• A comprehensive book
  By A30TWZW2JE5FOM on 2008-04-07
  I can't compare this edition to past editions since I only flipped through them when I was pregnant with my 1st child, but my husband just bought this for me for my 2nd child so I thought I'd read through it. It covers a lot of topics pretty well, though of course doesn't go in-depth into most of them. I thought there was a good discussion of post-partum depression (including PP anxiety, OCD, and psychosis) and labor info--there's even an assumption that you might be hiring a doula. The section on childbirthing methods could have been more comprehensive and I felt that the whole topic of C-sections was handled pretty lightly (at one point the book made it sound like they weren't a big deal, maybe even preferable to laboring!) but then there was a fairly honest, non-biased section on elective C-sections and VBACs. So if you're a 1st time mom needing some basic info, this isn't a bad place to start. Just keep in mind that if you're looking for detailed info on any one topic you'll want to supplement with other books.
  
  
• Good but not great info
  By AU4D8SEEPHBVO on 2008-04-16
  I really didn't like this book. The BabyCenter Essential Guide to Pregnancy and Birth is so much better - and highly recommended, especially for first time moms.
  
  
• Good but read with a grain of salt!
  By A1UGRP4A82VN0L on 2008-06-04
  What to Expect When You're Expecting is an interesting read. I picked up this book when my husband I started trying to conceive and promptly freaked myself out. It seems that a large part of the book is dedicated to showing you exactly what can go wrong and every possible thing that can go wrong with your child before it's even born. To me (a worry wart), this was the LAST thing I needed to read when preparing to bring a child into this world. Luckily, I picked up several other pregnancy-related books that were much more toned down and friendlier than the Doom and Gloom of WTEWYE. While I think this book is okay for someone who has absolutely no knowledge of babymaking or how anything can affect your body, I'd actually recommend Ann Douglas' books and/or Your Pregnancy Week by Week. Having a baby is a happy time: don't let WTEWYE scare the bejeezus out of you!
  
  
• The Baby Bible For Couples
  By A6T1RHMQ9NSE4 on 2008-05-25
  When I was pregnant, I lived by this book. It is a plethera of knowledge and insight. So, when my best friend got pregnant, I gave her this book as a gift. It's not just a book for expectant mothers. I honestly believe that new fathers will get just as much use out of this amazing guide book. It's an expectant "couples" guide. I know so many fathers that have found this knowledgeable and helpful in knowing what their wives are going through. This book is a plethera of information.
  
  This has to be THE BEST book on pregnancy out there. It really helps explain things in a non-threatening way. The "voice" of this book is gentle and caring. Best of all,it's not a book that needs to be read from cover-to-cover, but it is a great resource. When I had a question in the middle of the night and it wasn't urgent, instead of bothering my OBGYN until morning, I would just consult the book!
  
  It's like having your best friend there with you twenty-four/seven. I can honestly recommend this book to any expectant mother without reserve and know that she will just love it! Give it a try, the descriptions and pictures in this book are very informative and not scary at all. I used this book from conception to birth and then passed it on!
  
  Congratulations on your new editions and enjoy your pregnancy, it goes by so fast!
  
  
• this book sucks
  By A3NVSH30J8W7MP on 2008-04-07
  this book was not at all recommended by my dr. I am pregnant with our first and I am at 30 weeks. When in doubt ask your doctor do not consult this book. I still have read it and tried to follow it. Some of the info is ok, the rest of it is not. If a problem arises this book will not be helpful at all. There must be better books out there than this one.
  
  
• Dry, bland, and uninformative
  By A1MP3WUYOH3R5N on 2008-06-04
  Unfortunately, this book wasn't really what I expected. If you are looking to be scared by you pregnancy, than I suggest this book to you. However, the offensive and judgmental tone of this book will do you no good. Try something else that won't make you feel bad while you read it.
  
  
• Practical, Calming, Comprehensive Resource
  By A3JY01GD5YNX8E on 2008-06-18
  This is my first pregnancy, so I didn't read the previous editions. But from what I can gather, this one is truly revised and revamped. I think the "Cover Mom" illustration - standing and in maternity jeans instead of sitting in a rocker in a pregnancy mumu-like top - says a lot about the differences between the older versions and this one, from the way it deals with contemporary issues to its voice and tone.
  
  I've had a different experience from the reviewers who suggest that it makes people anxious. What I've found is that it covers just about every topic I've thought to ask questions about so far, and typically answers them with something that makes me feel normal and *not* worried for experiencing that feeling or issue. Yet it's very clear when you should be concerned, so that you know the difference between something normal and when you should take action. It also does all this in a way that doesn't make you feel bad for calling your practitioner to double-check. I like that it's written in small sections, so that you can read and/or use the index to individualize the reading experience to be targeted to what you are experiencing. The advice feels realistic and practical for the most part. My husband also enjoys checking out the week-by-week guides as well as reading up on any issues that I'm experiencing. There is also some content in there just for him as a Dad.
  
  This edition also appears to have much of the content that the Girlfriend's Guide has that might feel embarrassing or awkward to talk about with your practitioner, but with a much more positive and objective tone (the Girlfriend's Guide was too sarcastic/negative for me). It also made me feel more confident to ask my practitioner a few of those questions since I knew that I wasn't alone in feeling that way and also knew that I wasn't the first to ask.
  
  If you want extra details on a particular topic, you might need to get a topic-specific book. But this one has given me the detail-level I need on just about every topic so far, and the language to "ask the right questions" to get more information about the topics I need more depth on.
  
  So, for folks who read the previous editions and didn't care for them, I would say that it would be worth borrowing or having a look at this one to see if it fits your needs this time around. And since pregnancy is different for every person, it does help to have a look out there and find the tone and information presentation that works best for you. This one does fit well for me, and has kept me and my husband calm, having good attitudes and feeling well-informed.
  
  
• Really unhelpful and alarmist
  By A3QOK68RA24N9M on 2008-08-06
  This book offers only one version of pregnancy and childbirth - a managed, highly medicalized version. Which is totally fine if this is what you want, but this book doesn't present it as, "Well, you have this option or this option." It is straight away one version of high-drama childbirth that totally discounts the ability of most women to have a healthy, normal birth and healthy normal baby. Granted, all birth books seem to have a slant, but why not err on the side of what is healthiest for mom and baby? Sure, if you feel like you cannot birth without drugs or you don't care about having an episiotomy, this is fine and good, but lots of people find that when they are not scared into these procedures, and scared by birth in general, things tend to go more easily. The Sears pregnancy and birth books acknowledge the need/option for fetal monitoring, ultra-sounds, c-sections, drugs, etc., but at least give you the information about them rather than assuming that they are routine and 100% without risk. More on the alternative side is Having a Baby, Naturally: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth, but even if you don't end up going that route, everything in the book is well documented by studies, so it is a great source of information. I'm not trying to be harsh on this book, but it really stinks at giving a balanced, comprehensive view of your options, or of portraying birth as a natural, normal process. Try to avoid it if you can - it just makes you feel more nervous and stressed.
  
  
• this new 4th edition is awesome!
  By A24YXH1HYSEL32 on 2008-04-17
  this is my second pregnancy. I had an older edition with my first pregnancy, and decided to get the new 4th edition for this pregnancy. My doctor HIGHLY recommends the series. I love the new book. It's so warm and friendly. Totally not scary like some other pregnancy books out there. I love the new cover. It gives you a glimpse into what the newly rewritten inside feel like. It's totally hip and modern but it still answers all my questions. It's got all the info any pregnant mom needs. Most other books leave you hanging and wanting more information. They don't even cover half the stuff that's in What to Expect. Great book. It still really is the BIBLE.
  
  
  
• Great book for hypochondriacs, all others STAY AWAY!
  By AMFJG8W6NFW3L on 2008-10-08
  This book will scare the ever living crap out of any pregnant mother-to-be. We picked it up due to its inexplicable popularity to find it's full of useful little tidbits like "too much sugar will permanently ruin your child" and "if you drink unfiltered tap water, your baby could DIE". It's like handing someone a medical journal and watching them self-diagnose terminal illnesses. Mothers, unless you want to find out how every little thing you do is going to damage your fetus, DON'T BUY THIS BOOK. Fathers, unless you want your wife to break down in tears because they thought they were giving your unborn child brain damage (like my wife did), DON'T BUY THIS BOOK. Friends, unless you think 9 months of OCD makes a great baby shower gift, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK.
  
  Useful recommendation: Your Pregnancy Week by Week, 6th Edition (Your Pregnancy Series). After chucking "What to Expect", we found this book told us everything we actually needed to know without causing us to wake up in cold sweats.
  
  
• Pretty boring & dry...
  By A10UCW533RLBH on 2008-05-20
  I've read other pregnancy books that are MUCH more entertaining...everyone said that it's a "must-read" & they're ALL wrong!! Has some good info, but it's just not presented other than in textbook format.
  
  
• Don't bother
  By A2OOKZDPLYVWJY on 2008-07-31
  This was the first book on pregnancy I purchased. I was extremely disappointed. Not only is it poorly organized, but it is not very informative. This book is supposed to be the the holy grail of pregnancy books, but I say don't waste your money!
  
  
• Scary for 1st time Moms
  By A13RJB55GLZ1T8 on 2008-08-08
  I bought this book at a Wal Mart, and started reading it that night. Some of the things they cover in this book are very scary to think about, and not very likely things most women need to worry about. I called my sister freaking out about one of the things I read, and she asured me that she never had that done in either of her pregnancies. I understand that I'll be going through a lot of tests now that I'm pregnat, but I don't want to start freaking out about something I will probably not have to do. My sister recommended the book Your Pregnancy Week By Week instead, and I am loving it.
  
  
• There are far better books out there!
  By A1COX4K7S3ITN3 on 2008-09-24
  I got two copies of this book in my first month of pregnancy. This is supposed to be the holy grail of pregnancy that everyone carries with them for 9 months, so I dutifully read my chapter each month and didn't read ahead. Then I bought the Mayo Clinic Guide to Pregnancy and realized how much time I'd been wasting.
  
  The way this book is set up is a little ridiculous, with the question- answer format. It makes it really difficult to find things if you have a question, and it leads to some information being jammed in odd places. One of the monthly chapters was almost completely about how to deal with STDs during pregnancy and childbirth. A large segment of the population skipped about 20 pages there and didn't learn anything much about that month of their child's development.
  
  Aside from that little issue, there's the freakout I had every month thinking that something was going to be wrong with my child or myself, or that I was going to perish in a bloody c-section mistake. This book is really pretty alarmist in that regard, filling you in (but just a paragraph or so, just enough to scare you and then move on) on just about everything that could go wrong along the way. Never diagnose yourself because you read something in this book. Go to the doctor.
  
  I actually stopped reading this around my 4th month, and just read the first page of each chapter now to see what their description of the developing baby is compared to the other books I own. If you're looking for a comprehensive medical guide to pregnancy, try the Mayo Clinic book. It's laid out better and has way more information than this one has.
  
  
• Want a Terror-Filled Pregnancy/Birth? Read this Book!!!
  By A45V752HS8PQI on 2008-10-18
  Seriously! If you take this book to heart, you *will* have a miserable pregnancy and an even worse birth. The basic gist of it is all women's bodies aren't meant to birth, and we should have every medical procedure done under the sun.
  
  Better books out there are "Ina May's Guide to Birthing," and "The Birthing Partner" (gives *fantastic* suggestions for alternative birthing positions to help with less painful births).
  
  
• Wonderful Help for the First Timer
  By A38ZMJ6J7E0GNZ on 2008-04-25
  This is my first pregnancy and I waited to tell people until my first doctors' appt. at 10 weeks. So I needed information now. I had always heard girlfriends talking about the "what to Expect" book and what great info it gave. So, I ordered it and it has been a wealth of knowledge for the first timer. Some may say that it is a little on the negative side, ie: explaining things that can go wrong. But I think that this is just as important as explaining the things that are suppose to go right. I for one would rather be prepared for everyhting. Although, I am gatheing that this is not really going to happen, ie: being prepared for everyhting... Atleast I feel a little more informed. My girlfriend also recently told me that I should look into reading "the Girlfriends' guide." So, it is next on the list~ Good Luck
  
  
• Greatest Update to Help Pregnant Women
  By A2QUMNO3RU2LFF on 2008-04-28
  I read the last version of the book and then when I finally got pregnant a couple years later I just bought the update. All my questions, fears, and doubts were almost 95% resolved just by reading this book. Of course each woman's pregnancy is unique, but there are a lot of common factors that all of us women share and this book helped to bring those factors together. Especially for the more...embarrassing moments that some women may feel uncomfortable to share with their OB or even BFF. I strongly recommend this book for people planning to be pregnant or even if you're 6 months pregnant, this book will be a blessing.
  
  
• Very Helpful
  By A3H60ONV4L71OC on 2008-05-05
  I found this book very helpful. A lot of the information in other books I have is also in this book. Nearly all of the questions I had about pregnancy were answered in the book.
  
  
• Wonderful
  By A2MH1W6PH5JW9E on 2008-05-05
  Seriously everything you need or want to know is in here. This updated version is fantastic. I call this my pregnancy bible. This is my first pregnancy and this book has answered all my questions.
  
  
• Wonderful Book
  By A3QC6QOE9JMXP2 on 2008-05-09
  Any expecting parent should read this book. Whatever questions you have about your pregnancy, will be answered in this book.
  
  
• Great book!
  By A2E4NUFTCAOTJI on 2008-05-10
  This book takes you through your pregnancy in such a way that it it easy to read and relate to. It is also updated from the previous editions. I highly recommend this book!
  
  
• Great book, lots of info!
  By A18SBOOE5OBW0F on 2008-05-11
  I bought this for my wife and I to read pre-pregnancy and it really gave us some good ideas and information. Neither of us had thought to get checkups ahead of time, and I would recommend this book to anyone expecting or expecting to expect!
  
  
• Great book!
  By A3NAT7R54859TH on 2008-05-21
  Everything you need to know ... and more!! A must-have for all pregnant women! It's been my pregnancy Bible.
  
  
• read
  By A1V4HWSH1UWLR1 on 2008-05-23
  a fine good read pick up any time as you do forget stuff when pregs.
  
  
• Don't Have A Baby Without It!
  By A25MCSXYE5MUJX on 2008-05-27
  Fantastic read! I'm constantly flicking through it but also really good to read from cover to cover or month by month as you progress in your pregnancy!!! GET IT!!!
  
  

• The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, Second Edition
• What to Expect: Eating Well When You're Expecting (What to Expect)
• What to Expect the First Year
• The What to Expect Pregnancy Journal & Organizer
• Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy