What to Expect When You're Expecting
by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway
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Book Summary Information
Author: Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee HathawayEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Unabridged
Published: 1996-11
ISBN: 089480829X
Number of pages: 454
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Product features:
- 1991 - Workman Publishing - Paperback
- What To Expect when You're Expecting
- By Arlene Eisenberg / Heidi E. Murkoff / Sandee E. Hathaway
- Revised & Expanded Edition - 2nd Edition
- Rare - Collectible
Book Reviews of What to Expect When You're Expecting
Book Review: You've got to be kidding me
Summary: 1 Stars
My husband and I are in the process of trying to conceive our first baby. I have a couple of friends who just had their own first babies and one of them offered me all her pregnancy books "except 'What to Expect...'. I am not giving you that one." I asked her why and she said reading it made her feel so nervous and guilty that she had an anxiety attack. I cajoled her into giving it to me just so I could flip through it. Thankfully I had been forewarned, so most of it I just found funny.
The "Best Odds Diet" is a total joke. It is really too extreme to be believed. One of my friends asked her OB about this diet. She was panicked half to death when she read "What to Expect" after she got pregnant and got to the diet chapter, because she hadn't been following any of the recommendations. She said her OB looked at her over his glasses and said "Women have had healthy babies in concentration and refugee camps, in the middle of war zones, and in the darkest jungles of the world, and they've been doing it for centuries. You are way overthinking this whole thing. Go home and put that book in the trash, that's where it belongs." After perusing it I agree with the OB's assessment. The horrible, horrible guilt the authors try to inflict on pregnant women is nearly criminal. "Is this the best bite you can give your baby?" Maybe not nutritionally, but there are many more studies out there linking maternal stress to pregnancy complications and later development problems than there are studies linking the consumption of a few Cheetos to catastrophic pregnancy failure. I think it's more important for expecting moms to be happy and relaxed than totally anxious and stressed out the entire time, and stress and anxiety is what this book encourages. I think as long as you are not eating low-nutritive junk foods all the time, manage to eat reasonably well, and don't use pregnancy as an excuse to literally "eat for two" you'll be fine having the occasional ice cream cone or slice of pizza.
The other thing I objected to in the book was the constant referencing of "husband," "father," etc. I am a heterosexual married woman but I have women friends who are lesbian mothers, friends who are single mothers by choice, etc. Where is their voice in this book? Not every woman has or wants a man to be their partner in pregnancy. And the tips for keeping your husband happy sound like paragraphs pulled verbatim out of some 1950s homemaking manual. I think it's important to focus on your spouse and not just on your pregnancy while you're pregnant, but the whole tone of the book seems to be that you as a pregnant woman are better off sitting at home, cooking organic, precisely balanced meals and knitting socks, waiting for your mayyunnn to come home and give you a little pat on the rump (which you have to make sure doesn't get too big, GOD FORBID you gain too much weight while pregnant, you'll become a blight on society and physically unattractive to your husband, which we all know is the most important thing) and then leave you to finish dinner while he watches "the game" with his feet up. Sorry, I don't have that kind of marriage, and I don't actually know anyone who does.
As far as the rest of the information, it's good, but there's better and more updated info out there on the web and in other books. I was amazed at the cavalier attitude towards c-sections. In many cases c-sections are done for the convenience of the doctor and/or hospital, NOT because it's best for the mother or baby. The book doesn't encourage women to take an active role in their prenatal care or make a comprehensive birth plan, or be vocal in any way about their treatment during pregnancy. The whole tone, once again, is "honey, you just git back in the kitchen and finish supper and don't worry your pritty little head about complicated stuff like this."
I think what should tip everybody off about the content of this book is the picture on the cover. Look at that girl. Does she look chic or modern? Does she look happy? Look at the hokey graphics. Look at the girl's dress. That throwback image of womanhood on the cover is exactly the message you get on the inside of the book too. Feh. Leave "What to Expect" to the insecure, timid, and clueless and find a better book about pregnancy to see you through your 40 weeks.
Summary of What to Expect When You're Expecting
Now with over 9.9 million copies in print, What to Expect When You're Expecting is AmericaIs pregnancy bible. Featuring an easy-to-follow month-by-month format, this indispensable book reassuringly leads readers through a wealth of information.Here is what parents-to-be need to know about choosing a caregiver, prenatal diagnosis, exercise, childbirth options, second pregnancies, twins, making love during pregnancy, having a cesarean, and coping with common and not-so-common pregnancy symptoms. Also included are step-by-step guides through labor and delivery, postpartum care, and breastfeeding, a full section just for fathers-to-be, and a 24-page "Pregnancy Notes" insert for keeping detailed records of prenatal test results, weight gain, doctorIs visits, observations, and more.
Updated with each printing, What to Expect When You're Expecting incorporates the most recent developments in medical science and responds to the many letters and queries received from readers. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, the Better Homes & Gardens Family Book Service, and ABA Basic Booklist. Winner of the ParentIs Choice FoundationIs 1991 Parenting Shelf Award.
This traditional, popular guide to pregnancy covers every possible aspect of the prenatal period: pregnancy tests; choosing a caregiver; month-by-month fetal development; eating correctly; sex during pregnancy; common illness symptoms; and childbirth options, including cesarean section and pain medications. The authors also provide a healthful approach to prenatal nutrition, though some women may find it hard to consistently meet their high standards. They use a reassuring and informative tone to describe and answer common concerns and not-so-common problems, and the month-by-month format is particularly clear and helpful. While What to Expect When You're Expecting is an excellent overall guide, parents-to-be interested in a less physician-centered approach are advised to use it in conjunction with other pregnancy resources, such as The Pregnancy Book by William and Martha Sears. --Ericka Lutz
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