Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous Book, HIGHLY recomend
Review: First I'd like to start off by saying that I read some of the bad reviews for this book because I couldn't understand why it had so few stars, and boy-oh-boy are people picky! Not EVERY book has EVERYTHING that EVERYONE wants ALL the time!! Who ever wrote those awful reviews should have read the editorial reviews and taken advantage of the "Look Inside This Book" feature by Amazon before they bought the book.Second, this is a GREAT book. It is SO well organized, and I thouroughly enjoyed how each month was broken down into symptoms and what to expect at the doctor's visits. I loved being able to see what I should expect each month, what new pregnancy symptons to expect, and I was more informed at my doctor's appointments than I would have been if I had not had this book. In fact, when I went to the doctor's each visit, I already knew EVERYTHING she told me because of this book. Third, the section on special symptoms and complications during pregnancy are great too. I carried this book around with me everywhere, every time I traveled somewhere, so if I thought something was wrong, I could check the book. I would highly recomend this book to all pregnant women. And if you know someone who is pregnant, it makes a great gift! I received it as a gift and I read it cover to cover!!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent pregnancy guide!
Review: A friend gave me this book during the first month of my pregnancy and I read it religiously throughout the next nine months. I love the way it is divided into sections month-by-month, and I found that the question and answer format covered almost every topic imaginable. Everyday I found myself consulting this book for the answer to one question or other (some that were extremely obscure, but that the book still managed to provide an answer to nevertheless)! I read this book alongside several others in order to be sure that I was receiving the most well-rounded outlook possible on the ins and outs of pregnancy, but overall I found this book to be the most useful.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, very useful book.
Review: here is what my wife says:
It is a very good book. Deserves 5 stars. Every expecting couple should read this. The next book "What to expect in the first year" is also very good. This book has relieved anxiety many a time for us, especially at 3 AM. Also answered a lot of questions that I could not ask my doctor. Small questions that are not doctor worthy but you need to know.
Must buy.
Rating: 
Summary: Not perfect, but a handy reference.
Review: Like any book, you must sift through things you agree with and things you don't. Filled with great bits of information for pregnancy, month by month - both typical and unusual. Easy to read and handy to reference. A bit biased on some things, so don't let this be your only pregnancy book. A few others to pick up now: Baby Bargains, Baby Signs, and The No-Cry Sleep Solution.
Rating: 
Summary: Misleading - Pro Cesarean Birth
Review: Even though this book is well organized and easy to read with its month by month format, I found it to be a bit misleading as it does not give risks, side affects and alternatives to many medical procedures and medications. It encourages kind of a wait and see attitute instead of providing all the information so that informed parents can make informed decisions as they make plans for their birth. Perhaps a better name for this book would be Expecting...Expect a Ceserean. Birth is a normal, natural event in a women's life in most cases - not a surgical procedure. A bit misleading and somewhat irresponsible.
Rating:
Summary: Should only be used as fire kindling...
Review: This is the WORST book out there on childbirth. I bought this book with my first baby as it was highly recommended to me by my OB, and no wonder?! It teaches you how to be a completely passive patient with little or no information on side effects of medications and procedures done in the hospital. Don't waste your money, do an internet search on what you want to find out. I would recommend instead The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. The only plus side to this book is how it tells you month by month what your baby looks like, but again you can find that on the internet. This book makes you a good patient for the OB and not an active informed birther. Women do not NEED episiotomies, IVs, External Fetal Monitors, Epidurals etc. like this book makes it seem to birth safely. Please don't waste your money on this. Inform and empower yourself, be strong enough to be a bad patient and instead an awesome mom and terrific birther!!!
Rating:
Summary: Never again
Review: When I was pregnant with my first child, I had this book, and I even had the follow-ups as my son grew. I have to say in hindsight, do NOT get this book. There are so many books that are tremendously good, more caring, and full of BETTER advice. The William and Martha Sears books for instance are wonderful. What to expect will leave you clueless when you're facing important decisions, and often more anxious than you need to be. The section on breastfeeding is particularly bad, and will have you wondering which end is up, and weaning your baby far sooner than recommended. Instead, try something by Katherine Dettwyler on breastfeeding, or the Sears Complete Pregnancy Book. You'll be much happier and better informed.
Rating:
Summary: Very Informative book!
Review: I would recomend this book for anyone with a first time pregnancy. I thought it was very informative and helpful in a lot of situations. You are not going to call you Doctor at a every little pain or disturbance, you just open the book and read it and in most cases it's very soothing. I don't know about other people that thought it was a disturbing book, or with too much information. there is never TOO MUCH information. I think it's helpful to know MORE that you are suppose too.
Rating:
Summary: Informative Book
Review: I liked this book - it was informative and provided lots of information in a month by month format (which I found most useful). I don't get the "it's too scary" comments - isn't knowledge power? Don't you want to know about things that can go wrong, and be able to potentially recongnize a problem earlier? I find the more I know, the better I feel. "It's too scary" complaints look almost childish! Grow up, ladies! I remember reading the diet section, but I don't recall that it left a lasting impression on me. If you can't follow their particular diet, don't! The book is not supposed to provide you with a day-to-day menue, it just gives you basic guidelines of what kinds of things you should be eating. Too many times, women think that pregnancy is their ticket to eat ice cream by the gallons, and the book emphasizes that healthy eating is important in pregnancy, as well as healthy weight gain. So, don't take everything that's in this book literally, but remember that it does contain useful tips.
Rating: 
Summary: Rather misleading...
Review: I found that even though this book is well organized and is easy to read, it does not provide risks, side affects, and natural alternatives for many medical procedures presented. It encourages kind of a wait and see attitude in terms of preparing for labor and birth instead of really providing the information in a factual way so that women and think about and make the best informed decisions regarding procedures and meds. I found that to be somewhat irresponsible.
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