Rating: 
Summary: Great book!
Review: I read A LOT of pregnancy books, and let me tell you, this is the best out of all the ones I've come across. This book does a great job of answering most of the questions you will have, and a lot of others you hadn't thought of. I really like how the complications are in their own seperate section- if you don't want to read them, they don't force them on you. In my experience, thats the main flaw of many other books. The eating plan was a little ridculous- skip it.In conclusion, I read a lot of other books, but I kept coming back to this one. No book is ever going to be perfect, but this is definately a must read for any pregnant woman.
Rating: 
Summary: Disapointing
Review: I had far from a perfect pregnancy and I still felt that this book did not live up to the hype. Much of the useful information in it could be found in the info packet my dr's gave me. It actually contained information and sugestions that went specifically against what my dr's told me. Many of the topics covered in this book are both frightening and dated. I would recomend staying away form this one and getting Your Pregnancy Week by Week and a technical reference and The Girlfriend's Guide and a practical one. This book is actually the only one I did not save to loan to friends. Instead I tell them not to buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: More fuel for the fire . . .
Review: This book did more to stress me out during my pregnancy than anything else I experienced in those nine months. Yes, it's true that some women do experience rare conditions explained in this book, but most women won't, and throwing every possible complication into a book on general pregnancies probably needlessly frightens many of women. Our babies don't need that added stress! My certified nurse midwife laughed out loud when I asked her if I should avoid deli meats and goat cheese (as advised in 'What to Expect'), telling me that I'd be better off not reading it, and our doula told me she wished she could burn every copy she came across. And the way the authors gloss over c-sections really gets my goat. It's *major* surgery, one with many, many more risks for both mothers and babies, not something to be taken lightly. I'd recommend books like Henci Goer's "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" instead.
Rating: 
Summary: A potential life-saver: get it
Review: Pregnancy should be fun, and wonderful. It isn't always. Some problems are merely uncomfortable. Others are much more serious. This book describes the good and the bad. It's important to know what's normal what's not, and how best to determine which is which. Granted, it's not warm and fuzzy to learn that excruciating cramps and bleeding might mean an ectopic pregnancy. But such advice--which this book contains--could very possibly save your life. In my experience, the book precisely and accurately described the symptoms of that condition. Fortunately, I lived to tell the tale. This book is a potential life saver. Get it. ---Alyssa A. Lappen
Rating:
Summary: Preachy, overrated, rude, and condescending
Review: Many people consider this book to be a staple for pregnant women and partners. Why?? Ladies, have you met a nurse who talked to you as if you were ignorant and condescended to you with every sentence? Those kind of nurses wrote this book. They write their book as if should be the Bible of pregnancy, and women who disagree are idiots. Let's not forget their obsession with keeping to a perfect diet. After reading this book you may fear an occasional cookie will leave your child with birth defects. They frequently overstate the harm of various activities, and treat the reader as if she were unable to do her own research or read other books. They also frequently insult the overweight mother, and reading the book as one I was left infuriated. I practically wanted to burn the book. If you're not an example of nurse's ideal physical perfection (overweight, underweight, underexcercising, bad eating habits, diabetic, asthmatic etc) prepare to be made to feel like crap for having the gall to get pregnant in the first place. How dare we? Not only does the book manage to do all this, but it manages to read as if you're being told this golden information from a greater being on high who has deigned to speak with us lowly types, and plainly has a better grasp on everything than we do. Personally I prefer a book with balanced views, that backs up it's conclusions with hard evidence, and speaks to me as if I were an equal. As far as pregnancy books in general go, I recommend Kitzlinger's Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth, which has a pleasant writing style and tasteful photos of birth itself. Overall though I would say that investigating your condition via the internet will give you all those things you want from a book and give you a better chance to find what you want when you want it.
Rating:
Summary: What can go wrong when you're expecting...
Review: Hate is a very strong word, but wow, my wife and I really hated this book. In fact, it breaks what should be the first rule of pregnancy and child rearing books -- do no harm. What to expect, in almost every situation, will give you the disaster scenario of what could be wrong. Cramps? The baby could be kicking or you could have a massive hemorrhage! Feet swelling? Could be normal pregnancy symptoms or you could have blood clots! Seriously, the book drove my wife and I crazy during our first pregnancy. Indeed, it's the only book I've thrown away in recent memory. Pregnancy books should be calming and fun, not scary. We enjoyed the Girl Friends Guide, which was better written, more accessible, and less likely to lead to panic in the middle of the night.
Rating:
Summary: if you're pregnant, this is a MUST HAVE!!
Review: this is the absolute best book (and only book) you'll need during your pregnancy. It gives you all the info you need, and want. I got this book for my first pregnancy in 98, i'm on my third pregnancy now and have had 3 enjoyable experiences b/c of this book.
you get lots of sections in each month.
what your body is going through
what the baby is doing
what the baby looks like
and FAQ
lots of info for each month definitly get this book if you are pregnant, or planning on getting pregnant
Rating:
Summary: Inaccurate, waste of money
Review: This book is an inaccurate, misleading load of garbage. The authors gloss over c-sections as a "minor" procedure, when in reality, c-sections result in 4 TIMES MORE maternal deaths than vaginal births. "What To Expect" makes bettter burning material than reading material.
Rating:
Summary: Expect To Learn and Grow
Review: I get so tired of people saying dumb things about this book. Very few books will have everything that you need. Surely you know this by now? This is a book that will teach a lot in a lot time or a little in a little time. This means, read a section and then let it sink in before you go on to get the maxium benefit. It will be around forever and I am very happy that it will be a treasure for ever more. There are certainly other books that will fill in other gaps for different areas in your life with your family: Gentle Baby Care, by an author who has been around, Elizabeth Pantley, and for when the baby goes into toddler hood and preschool stages, Mommy-CEO, revised edition, by Jodie Lynn. All of these authors are surely in every household as they should be especially for the first five years of life.
Rating:
Summary: Stupid Book
Review: This is a terrible book. Buy one of the many other books that provide helpful information. This book is competely unrealistic--like telling you that every time you put something in your mouth as a pregnant women you should think about whether it is the best possible nutrition for your baby. Give me a break.
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