Rating: 
Summary: An entire chapter devoted to miscarriages?
Review: I thought this book was great until I got to my 8th week and the book's 8th week - it is a chapter entirely devoted to miscarriages - what types exist, etc. I threw the book down and vowed never to pick it up again. Why devote a chapter to something so negative during a time where everything should be positive? I am not extremely anxious about my first ultrasound tomorrow thanks to this book that should have put my mind at ease.
Rating: 
Summary: Pregnancy Lite
Review: I bought this book for my husband so he could have a quick reference on what's going on week by week. I liked the pictures of the developing baby, but the actual information was not detailed enough and, at times, overly simplistic. And, I couldn't figure out why the author included some things. For example, in Week 22 he discusses appendicitis. HUH???Overall, this isn't a bad book, and my husband liked the format and soundbites of information, so it served it's purpose. But, I wouldn't recommend you buy this as your only pregnancy book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very informative with great format!
Review: This book was so much better than the "what to expect" book. The what to expect book follows a question answer format which can be scary and notinformative if you haven't had that particular issue. This book guides you through week by week through your pregnancy. It provides pictures of your baby each week, symptoms you may be feeling, what is happening to the development of your baby, etc. It also includes tips for DADS. I would highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: a bit patronizing...
Review: I found this book to be written for moms that don't want too much information about what's going on in their bodies. It is written from an old fashioned perspective where birth is something that happens TO you as oppossed to something you are an active part of, where the doctor tells you what's going on -- and it is a bit patronizing at times. I found Sheila Kitzinger's 'The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth' to be a much more realistic guide to what happens to your body during pregnancy AND how to prepare for the impending birth (although it's not in a simplified weekly format). The books by William and Martha Sears are also great and positive, as is 'Birthing From Within' by Pamela England, which focuses on your role during the pregnancy and birth.
Rating:
Summary: This is a must have!
Review: This book is a must for anyone who is pregnant!
Unlike other books, it goes week by week, not month to month. When you are pregnant it is often the happiest, most exciting time in your life. There are so many changes to track and look forward too waiting month to month is not acceptable. The pictures of the baby and your changing body are great! They really depict what you can expect.
Rating:
Summary: Very supportive
Review: Unlike "What to Expect...", I found this book supportive without being overwhelming. The focus is on what is happening within you, with regular notes on prenatal testing, nutrition, exercise and your emotional needs. The week-by-week schedule makes reading light and fun, something to look forward to each week. I highlye recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Way too negative!
Review: The back cover of this book says, "Relax and enjoy your pregnancy!" From the first page throughout the book, it is filled with too much medical information on what could go wrong. They tell you what can go wrong, but do not give the statistical data, as in a 1% chance; they leave that out making you believe that all these medical complications are a strong possibility. It starts out with entopic pregnancy and shows a chart with the baby implanting everywhere but your uterus, making it look like a strong possibility. Every week they come up with some such medical complication that leaves you scared, not relaxed like the back cover indicates! If you can overlook the negative, then the week-by-week information is good about eating right and Doctor's visits and the progress of your baby's growth with a good illustration of the size of your baby in the womb. This is my second pregnancy luckily, if it were my first and this was the only book I owned, I would be horrified! I'd say half of the book is about negative medical information that we do not need to know, and the other half is filled with good information. That is why I only gave it 3 stars. I just do not see how you can read this information without it causing fear if not panic. Not a good way to relax and enjoy your pregnancy!
Rating:
Summary: Great and Informative
Review: I recieved this book as a gift and just feel in love with it. It was great to have something to look forward to read each week and also helped me keep track of what week of pregnancy I was at. I found that the information was easy to follow along with and dealt with what I was going through. Once in awhile when I needed more info I would look it up in the index. When I first found out I was pregnant I was so overwhelmed by the info in all the other books and really liked how this one gave it to me a little bit at a time each week. I am now going to buy the your baby week by week as well.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent way to learn about what is going on in there!
Review: I have spent the last 12 years as a Labor and Delivery RN in a high risk hospital in the Midwest and when I became pregnant I was shocked at what kind of information was available. It appears to me to be grouped into 3 categories: for "dummies", for information overload seekers, and just right. This book is great to clam down some one who is "too excited" by giving them just enough information on what is normal and what isn't, but not a short course on perinatololgy. Why it was valuable to me was it helped me pace my expectations on where I was going and what I was feeling and kept me away from the clinical view of birth that has been my daily life for so many years.
There are a few areas that are missing- breastfeeding information, fitness for pregnancy and high risk complications. I believe if a mother has interestes in these areas that there are other books she can add to her pregnancy library that will round out her knowledge.
Enjoy your pregnancy and keep up with your fluids!
Rating:
Summary: Middle-of-the-road and rather condescending
Review: This book is so cautious and middle-of-the-road that it ends up being little use at all. The authors are constantly stating such and such, then adding "but not all doctors agree, so ask your healthcare provider". Why not give us a summary of the scientific facts so that we have the opportunity to make up our own minds? Or are pregnant women supposed to passively go along with whatever their doctors tell them? In several cases the authors advise, "discuss your concerns with your healthcare provider", but the underlying message seems to be that once you've done this you'll go along with what you're told, if you know what's good for you. The tone of the book is often patronizing as well, with the "doctor's notes" giving frequent examples of how Dr Curtis told his patients what was best for them. The "Dad Tips" in each chapter assume that, first of all, the father of your baby is even around, secondly that he's as excited about your pregnancy as you are (ignoring the fact that many men have ambivalent feelings about becoming fathers), and thirdly that he's so stupid he needs to be told to chip in and do some housecleaning without being asked. Oh, and if you're looking for information about childbirth, you'll need another book for that, because this one tells you virtually nothing at all -- except that episiotomies are really a rather good idea, and if you want to have a natural childbirth you're going to have to prepare extensively for it. If you blindly believe everything your doctor tells you, you'll love this book, but if you have a mind of your own you'd be better off getting your pregnancy information elsewhere.
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