Rating: 
Summary: I've read worse, but I'm glad I didn't spend money on it.
Review: My copy of WTEWYE (the second edition, not the new third edition) was handed down to me by a friend with a box of maternity clothes and a bunch of books on pregnancy and breastfeeding. She said, "I want the rest of the books back, but you can keep that one, or give it away, or recycle it -- I don't care." After I read it myself, I understood why. I wanted to give this book 1 star for annoying me so much, but I have to admit, there's some useful stuff in there, so I'm compromising on 2 stars.First, the good stuff: It is really interesting to read about what's happening at different stages during your pregnancy. I'm sure a lot of people are comforted to read how common their uncomfortable or weird symptoms are. And, yes, it is a good idea to eat nutritious foods and take vitamins while you're pregnant. However ... I found the month-by-month format really annoying, (a) because pregnancy is measured in weeks, so I could never quite figure out what month I was in and (b) it gets sooooo repetitive. The question-and-answer format was also irritating, also for two reasons: first, the questions are so maddeningly specific that the odds are very few will apply to you; second, if the question is even halfway serious, the answer is always "ask your doctor". Well, you know what? If I wanted to ask my doctor every single time, I would just do that. The book is supposed to help you find some of the answers yourself. Then there's the "Best-Odds Diet" (which I call the "In What Universe Could I Stick To This? Diet"). I've heard other women complain that with their horrible morning sickness, the BOD's expectations are ridiculous. I'm here to tell you that even if, like me, you are lucky enough to have almost no morning sickness, they're still ridiculous. Despite having an enormous appetite, I simply could not eat that much food in one day. Still less could I force myself to forgo ice cream and consider a bagel once a week a "treat". I am by no means a junk food addict, and I voluntarily eat brown rice and beans and whole-wheat bread, but following the BOD was just beyond me, and I can't tell you how much I resented that smug little phrase, "Ask yourself: 'Is this the best bite I can take for my baby?'." I gained 35 pounds; by 6 months postpartum I'd lost it all; and my daughter was born on time, healthy, and gorgeous. Just relax and eat sensibly. The section on why you should breastfeed is at best half-hearted, and it's "balanced" by a section on why you might not want to breastfeed. OK, I realize some people *can't* breastfeed -- but this isn't what the authors talk about. They're interested in people who don't *want* to, and they do nothing to dispell foolish myths like "my breasts will be saggy if I breastfeed." Yeah, they will. They'll also be saggy if you don't, because you've already been pregnant for 9 months and they've doubled in size. Get over it. Finally, and most annoyingly, this book encourages you to refer all concerns, questions, and decisions to your OB. There are times when this is appropriate, but there are many more situations when you really should do your research and take responsibility -- for your own sake and your baby's. If you are naturally inclined to do that, this book is going to cheese you off. If you aren't, you will get no encouragement whatsoever to change your ways and think for yourself. For example, I did not appreciate being told that if my practitioner allowed it, I might be able to drink some water during labour, or that if my doctor said it was OK I could try labouring in a position of my choice. All prenatal testing is treated as mandatory, although in reality it isn't. If you have any interest in non-medicated birth or "extended" nursing, you'll need to look elsewhere for support. In my edition, a lot of the prenatal tests I was offered are simply not discussed; presumably this has been rectified in the new edition. In general, there was insufficient medical detail for me (except in the sections on all the horrible things that could go wrong), but then, I'm an information junkie. If you get this book as a gift, try it before you toss it -- it's not all bad. But don't waste your money buying it new.
Rating: 
Summary: I found this book to be completely useless
Review: This book was given to me by someone as a gift. I found it to be no help at all. Often, it didn't address any of the questions I did have and was packed with a lot of information that I felt was pretty much common sense. I also found it odd that certain areas had a lot of information and other areas had relatively little or nothing. For example it had roughly three pages on the ill-effects of smoking but only about one page combined on alcohol and narcotics. Honestly, I would find a different resource for my questions.
Rating: 
Summary: Doom and Gloom
Review: I was very excited to get this book and to get reading about what my first pregnancy would be like and while it did give me the basics as to what to expect during my first doctor's visit and what was the cause behind initial cramping for example, it also scared me terribly. Now, I am not a "La La" type and need things sugar coated, actually I am pretty realistic but this book has you not making a move without consulting it and everything that you may do is absolutely going to result in a miscarriage. I am an older mother-to-be so have those concerns anyway so didn't need them compounded by the book. My doctor disagreed with most of the recs - flying, massage, cold medicines etc - and said that while she was pregnant she had bed rest and read about 20 of the books and this one should be dumped. She recommended, "The Girlfriend's Guide..." I will keep this book on hand because it is a good reference but I will also get "Girlfriend" to see what real women are feeling and ask my doctor if I have concerns. If I kept up with this book, I would never leave the house.
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.
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