Rating: 
Summary: Informative, but a Lousy Bedside Manner
Review: Probably no other pregnancy book gives the reader more information. But there's probably no other pregnancy book with such a condescending attitude toward the parent. "What to Expect" assumes that no pregnant woman has anything better to do than serve as a baby factory, and the authors practically ignore fathers completely.If you want to have a healthy baby and you also want to get through pregnancy with your self-esteem intact, go to another pregnancy book for everyday matters and read "What to Expect" only when you need in-depth information.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a Bible!
Review: I'm now 8 month pregnant, and when I first got to know that I was pregnant, I was very excited but also very confused and scared. Naturally I headed straight to the bookstore and started to find a nice pregnancy guide book, which I wanted to buy JUST ONE! Well, I've seen this "What to expect..." then, but didn't buy it, since I thought it was TOO boring and TOO much! So I bought something else, more illustrated and colourful. Then about a month ago, someone gave me this book, and Ifound out that this was what I really needed. This "What to expect..." has every information that you seek, from serious abnormalities to stuffed and bleeding nose. Now I know what to recommend to a new mom-to-bes out there... This one's it! You'll never need anything else.
Rating:
Summary: Book is missing vital information - read this!
Review: Many women experience vestibulitis after childbirth, a painful vulvar condition that can be treated by an OB/GYN. There is no mention in the book of this condition or to see your physician if intercourse is extraordinarily painful even weeks or months after having a baby. Also some women break their pubis (pubic bone cartilage separates) making walking almost impossible after having the baby. I did not expect to have difficulty walking and to need extra help weeks after vaginal delivery. The book should at least mention these. I thought I knew what to expect after reading the book but with this info missing, I really didn't.
Rating:
Summary: Living Life through a Plastic Bubble......
Review: I'll be honest, I really don't like this book! When I was pregnant with my first child, it was, as a previous reveiwer put it, my "bible". Now, having gone through pregnancy and being pregnant with my second child, I find the book rather depressing! Pregnancy is suppose to be a time of joy, getting familiar with the changes in you body and the life that is growing inside you, etc. Instead of listing all the things a pregnant woman has to look forward to, this book is filled with a lot of "No!" and "Don't". I recommend instead reading the Sears Family Library's book on pregnancy!
Rating:
Summary: Preachy or Not- it is the best source of information I found
Review: When I became pregnant with my first child, someone suggested I buy this book. Thank you to that nurse. When I got pregnant a second time, it was to this book I turned to for information. When I had complications, it was this book that helped me understand what was happening, why and some possible considerations. I walked into each Dr. appt. prepared with an idea of what tests he would do, what questions he would ask and what he would look for. More importantly, I knew what kinds of questions I needed to be asking. Having something that explained what was happening to my body and to my baby each month, took much of the mystery out of being pregnant. I particularly liked how the information is continually updated through revisions and editions. I will admit that the diet stuff is a bit much. However, I didn't think there was a lot of diet information in this book, mainly because there is the compainion book "what to eat when you're expecting." I strongly suggest that if you are pregnant, you buy this book. This is one book I haven't loaned out or given away. I truly expect to be turning to it again sometime (soon I hope?!)
Rating:
Summary: This was my bible during my first pregnancy
Review: I bought this book because a friend of mine had it when she had her kids. I figured I would get it and some of the stuff in it might be helpful. Everything was totally on track.. If I had questions, i didn't bother with asking other people, I went to my book first. My husband and I are working on baby # 2 and to better prepare our son for this blessed event, we ordered 2 books jsut for him from the same authors, "what to expect when your mommy's having a baby" and "what to expect when the new baby comes home". I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have
Review: As a guy, I thought I'd lend a different perspective. We have one child, and my wife considers this one of the most vital books she's ever bought and has purchased each of the rest in the series ("What to Expect--Toddler Years", etc). Various reviewers have ripped this tome for being preachy, for recommending unrealistic diets and many other reasons. But it's best used when the mother-to-be reads the information and utilizes what's best for her. If nothing else, it's an invaluable source of information in the middle of the night when it's far too late (or early) to call your mother, neighbor or pediatrician with non-emergency questions. Again, all books in this series are highly recommended for these reasons.
Rating: 
Summary: I would never recommend this to new expectant moms!
Review: I have to agree with a lot of the other reviews out there when I say "don't buy this book"! First, I do not like the question/answer format - it is not helpful, and sometimes a question might occur outside of the month it's lumped into. Second, I was unable to find a lot of answers to my questions, but I could find them on the internet relatively easily. Third, why on earth is this book considered a "must have" for the expectant mom? It's more of a nutrition book than anything, and if I were to follow the "best odds diet" I'd be eating all the time and worried about everything I put in my mouth. I will never recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Fear-based and mysogynistic
Review: Please do yourself a favor and stay away from this book. Pregnancy has the potential to be an amazing time in which you can connect to the power and effectiveness of your own body. These authors seem determined to frighten and pathologize you for the normal, healthy, and miraculous event taking place in your life. Having read literally hundreds of medical studies, I can attest that the "doctor knows all" philosophy which is so rampant in the United States (although not in the 22 countries with better birth outcomes) is misguided. Do yourself the favor of doing a little research of your own, and steer clear of this fear-based book. Better-educated authors include Sheila Kitzinger, Penny Simkin, and Gayle Peterson. (Hint: if you're interested in the pregnancy and childbirth literature, look up books by Henci Goer. She summarizes the literature clearly and accurately.)
Rating:
Summary: extremist, alarmist, and highly overrated
Review: It is no wonder that every midwife or doula I have come in contact with warned me away from this book. During my first pregnancy, this book was the LEAST helpful to me, by far. I found it to be both extremist and alarmist in its guidelines and recommendations. The suggested diet is ridiculous (a bael made from refined flour is considered a treat? Please!), and the concerns about environmental and day-to-day "hazards" made me feel like I should either hibernate during my pregnancy or live in a plastic bubble. Most upsetting to me was the actual childbirth information, or lack thereof. I was planning a natural birth and wanted to be as informed and prepared as possible. This book let me down. Not only was the section on labor and childbirth extremely vague, it was also dubious in tone regarding natural childbirth, which unnerved and frightened me. The two resources that made me feel the most informed, prepared, and empowered were "With You and Your Baby All the Way," by Jerri Colonero, and "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn," by Penny Simkin, et al. They were both practical, highly informative, and realistic. If you are truly interested in having the best pregnancy and childbirth experience you can, get these two books and give "What to Expect" a skip.
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