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

This is a great book for those new to pregancy and very helpful. It doesn't talk down to you! I read it all in one sitting and then broke up the sections by week. Great book an dresources

This book really helped answer alot of the questions I had about my pregnancy. It was a helpful guide along the way. It let me know what to expect from my body and mind and let me know what was happening week by week with the development of my baby.

I really enjoy this book. It's probably one of the only books I'll buy!

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.

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.