Rating: 
Summary: A GREAT book every pregnant woman should read.
Review: I read SEVERAL pregnancy books and while this one wasn't one of the entertaining ones, it covered every possible problem or question I had. I did think it was a little "strict" in some areas, like the "best odds" pregnancy diet, but if you are brutally honest with yourself, you have to admit that it is what it is- the diet that gives your baby the "best odds" of being born healthy. It doesn't try to sugar coat issues to make everyone happy. (And it didn't stop me from enjoying fast food a couple times a week, or make me feel guilty about it!) I especially liked the month by month breakdown of what is happening with your baby and your body. Get this book for the facts, and then get the "Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" to make you laugh and feel justified for being normal.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected while expecting!
Review: As a first time parent I was looking for something informative and to help me understand what my body was going through. As this book has lots of information, I felt that it did not give me all of the information I needed and expected. I guess it was the format of the book that I did not like. I was looking for a book that gave me more information on the development of the baby etc. This book I felt focused on the negative issues.....things that could go wrong. In short it wasn't what I expected while I was expecting....So I found other resourses that gave me the information I needed.
Rating:
Summary: PREACHY AND CONDESCENDING
Review: TAKE YOUR BEST ODDS DIET AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR HEALTHY, FIBER FILLED COLONS!
Rating: 
Summary: Well written & organized, but a bit idealistic
Review: There is a reason this book has been a huge seller for more than a decade; it's brilliantly organized, very clear, and usually on the money.What I like about this book is
1) it addresses what you want to know. The very title--what to expect--shows that the authors are sensitive about the exact issues pregnant couples are concerned about; they are in the dark and a little scared about it
2) it uses a question/answer format. And the authors often seem to read your mind. "I hear mixed things about sex at the end of pregnancy. What gives?" "I'm worried I'm going to lose control during labor." "My mouth is bleeding a little--is this normal?" It's surprising how often you have a question that you think is pretty specific and then find it posed and answered.
3) the month-by-month organization keeps the information manageable. You don't feel overwhelmed and you're always reading information that is most relevant. Also, the index is excellent, so it's easy to find what you're looking for.
4) each month is divided into sections: what you may be feeling, what may happen at your checkup, what you may be concerned about. . .
The down side is that the book does take a judgemental tone, as other reviewers have noted. It is surprising how often the answer to a medical concern is "if you are following the diet we recommend, you probably won't be having this problem." The authors *do* say that the diet is a "best odds" diet, sort of acknowledging that this is the ideal diet, not necessarily what you're going to be able to follow. But the implicit message throughout does seem to be that you are failing your baby--even in just a small way--if you're not eating grilled chicken, steamed veggies, and millet at every meal. Thus if you're kind of a worrywart (like me) and are likely to be hard on yourself about what might happen to your baby, it may not be worth buying this book; there is a guilt trip to be found here, and you don't have to look for it that hard. If you're the kind of person who doesn't conjure up dark possibilities where they probably don't exist, it's a useful book.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Waste Your Money(more info on FREE websites)
Review: The free book the doctor gave me at my first appointment gave me more useful information than this book(and all the baby websites have more info as well). I didn't see the point in separating each month out. The what to expect this month were basically the same every month. There were questions and answers that should be organized by category not month. I did not read the entire book because I got bored with it but I do not remember any section on single mothers. Some of us are single not by choice and don't like reading about husbands and wives all the time.
Rating:
Summary: a great companion
Review: At almost 600 page thick, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING covers everything in a clear, month-by-month format starting from In The Beginning to Nine Months and Counting; from Last But Not Least to Of Special Concern to The Next Baby. Each section contains information on What You Can Expect; What You May Be Feeling; What You May Be Concerned About, & What It's Important to Know. A worthy effort, impossible to rate because WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING is a fount of information, all you'll ever need to know & then some! A great companion for everyone involved in the anticipation & progress of this wondrous event, so you can all be on the same page, so to speak.
Rating:
Summary: way too preachy
Review: While probably containing valid and scientifically correct information, I doubt that even 5% of pregnant women are able to follow the suggestions in this book. This is most apparant in the insanely strict diet guidelines and alarmist presentation of what can go wrong. Also I mistrust any pregnancy publication that does not adequately prepare you for the pain of childbirth.
Rating:
Summary: Some useful info, lots of patronizing attitude
Review: You might as well ask your mother in law for advice, because the ladies who wrote this book are sure that they know it all too- and that you just might be too stupid to understand it. I think the last straw was when I looked up nosebleeds occuring during pregnancy and they said something like this "blowing ones nose correctly is an art, one that you would do well to master..." Hey! I thought I was the mommy here! If you must buy it, buy it used, enough people want to get rid of this book and you will get a good deal.
Rating:
Summary: What can go wrong when you're expecting
Review: This book is full of idiotic statements and scare tactics and
the majority of "information," it seems, is about all the discomforts and illness you might have during what is supposed to be a very joyous time in your life.
First of all, I'd like to say that I don't condone smoking during pregnancy, but the book tells us that if you smoke while pregnant your uterus becomes filled with smoke and causes your baby to cough. Uhm, exactly how deep would one have to inhale for the smoke to reach and fill the uterus? And, how can the baby cough when it doesn't even breathe until it first reaches the air outside thewomb? You'll get tons of tips like that...oh, and God forbid you eat something they don't allow and gain more than 25 lbs in your entire pregnancy! If that doesn't make you feel bad enough, it says that miscarriage in the second trimester is usually the fault of the mother. Isn't that nice? To me, the book is not much more than a sermon and as many others have said, it takes the most
natural experience the world and makes it into a serious medical condition. If you really want to read this book, check it out at the library first. I wish I would have!
Rating:
Summary: incites anxiety and needless fear
Review: I did NOT like this book, it doesn't seem to help at all and is very preachy. I am healthy and am doing everything right in pregnancy, but this book makes me doubt myself. A good pregnancy book should not incite anxieties and false fears. PLUS, there is minimal info on morning sickness, which is my worst problem. Very disappointing. The diet section is just ridiculous - I am a very healthy eater who eats organic foods as much as possible but this book still made me feel like a junk-food hog (and I am NOT). I would only recommend this book for women with little-to-no prior knowledge of pregnancy, because it does have most of the basic clinical information. Women who are already educated about pregnancy basics would benefit more by reading other books.
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