What to Expect When You're Expecting by Arlene Eisenberg (1991, Paperback)

When you are expecting your first baby...this is the book you will be recommended...by your Doctor, by other moms, by baby magazines, and it is easy to see why this is such a widely read and loved publication. It has sold over 10 million copies which in itself tells you that this book has something to offer the mom to be.
The first thing I liked about this book is the fact that it has individual chapters that correspond to each month of your pregnancy; which is ideal for easy reference. It allows you to understand what development stage your baby is going through as well as experiences you may be having. Also this is not a one size fits all book - it takes into account that we are all different and allows for this. It has questions and answers written into each chapter and it not afraid to address some of the more obscure or embarrassing questions that a mom may have and be afraid to ask her doctor.
Another useful feature of this book, is its guide to nutrition. Many moms to be get confused on this issue and the old adage -eat for two is still sadly a common myth. This addresses the fact that is reality, we only need add 300 calories a day to our diet and the book explores ways this can be done in a healthy and nutritious manner!
There is a section for the daddy to be - few books address this issue, and lets be honest, a first time dad is also likely to have many questions - about not only his baby, but his pregnant wife. This is all covered here in one book rather than the need to seek out different titles for each parent!
I found this a great book - no book on pregnancy can answer every question but this does come close in way that is well referenced and easy to understand! I would say however that this is a great book for first time moms to be - after which point , on subsequent pregnancies it may be something you flick to really quickly if you have a quick question!

had this book with my two pregnancies, and thought it was very informative. I The thing I didn't like about it was that it only gave monthly information rather than giving weekly, or even bi-weekly about how the pregnancy was progressing. Its a great book for a first time mother that doesnt have a mom to ask questions too. If I had a question about the pregnancy chances are the book had the answer. It had 80% of the answers to my questions.

I had this book for all 4 of my pregnancies with my 5 sons & never passed it on. Paranoia is what this book is all about. Yes, it does have some helpful information, but it mainly leaves you feeling like no matter what you do it's bad for baby. I found it to bring me down & get me worrying even more than I already did. Only buy this book if you don't like the person you're giving it to!

I bought a copy of this book when I first found out I was pregnant with my first child. I used it with all of my pregnancies. For some reason I still have it. So watch for it to go up for sale.
The book breaks pregnancy down month by month. It tells you what symptoms are normal and how your baby is growing. There's even illustrations on what your body may look like as it and your baby grow.
There is a diet section of the book that gives great healthy snack and meal ideas for pregnant moms.
The labor and delivery section is a great read to assist in reducing those labor jitters.
The end of the book has a nice section on breastfeeding and postpartum care.
The best part of all there is a section for the expectant father.
I highly recommend this book to any expectant woman. It will answer so many of your questions.

This is an absolutely WONDERFUL book! I just love it. I wish I would have had it for my 1st 3 pregnancies, it would have saved me a lot of worry. I used this book through my last 5 pregnancies and it was a lifesaver! This book covers month by month what to expect throughout your pregnancy. I loved the parts about the foods. It helped me to decide what foods I should be eating to help my baby develope at the different stages. There are so many topics covered in this book, starting with the big question: Are you pregnant? This book covers all the months of pregnancy, delivery, postpartum, breastfeeding, multiple babies and a section for the expectant father too! What to expect when you're expecting is a VERY through book. I would highly recommend this book, it is EXCELLENT!!!!!

When we decided to get pregnant, we read something like 25 books. One year and one baby later, I kind of feel like an expert in baby books. So let me say that this book is far and away the best pregnancy book and it is no surprise that it has been a bestseller for many years.

This book is a complete, professional, non-judgemental reference. A lot of books try too hard to be funny or cute. WTE is not humorless, but it deals with subject matter in a refreshingly straightforward way. The advice and help given echoes what our doctors have said and answered most of our questions before we even saw our Obstetritian (no, it's not a substitute).

This book covered EVERYTHING. It answered all our questions about diet, medication, flu shots, cat ownership, false labor, vitamin supplements, cramps, ultrasound, breastfeeding or how to judge your OB/GYN. All the answers were in here, along with tons of other stuff we didn't think about until we came across it here.

Most importantly, this book isn't judgemental. There are a ton of controversial issues associated with pregnancy (medication, breast feeding, circumcision). Lots of books out make a lot of assumptions about religion, single parents, "modern times" or they just avoid some issues entirely. This book assumes you can make up your own mind once you're presented with all the information. This book wasn't a replacement for our doctors, but it gave us a lot of really useful information without taking a side.

If the book has a flaw, it is the diet section. Do yourself a favor and skip that section. In all fairness, this is a flaw of a lot of the books we read (some of them reading like 1950s "Keep Young And Beautiful" rants). Our doctor gave us a 10 page handout that gave us all the information we needed.

Like I say, we read a lot of pregnancy books. It's pretty shocking how many we found to be completly WORTHLESS! I don't want to name names, and I've already written a couple of negative reviews, but I'm thinking particularly of the ones full of Erma Bombeck-esque anecdotes about La Maz classes, the "staying chic while you're pregnant" fashion mag type, the old-fashioned preachy church-lady books, or--worst of all--the "nutrition" books that focused almost entirely on weight. Some of these books are written by people with no medical qualifications at all!

A good rule of thumb: if the author has no medical qualifications, the book will be useless from a medical standpoint. Would you allow a fashion magazine editor to make up your mind about having an epidural?

Just about every pregnancy book uses the "What Nobody Will Tell You" tagline. Once you've read this book, there will be very few surprises left. There isn't a topic that isn't touched on and just about everything you need is covered in depth. That's not to say this is the only book you need, but it goes a long, long way.

I'm only harping on this because I was pretty shocked to read some of the negative reviews that complained about WTE containing a lot of information on rare pregnancy situations, saying that such information was "scary" and "unnecessary". WTE gives plenty of information on what is serious as opposed to what is a false alarm. Nobody PLANS on having a troubled pregnancy! Aren't you better off knowing what's involved and how to detect and prevent such things? I suppose for some people ignorance is bliss, but we were MUCH happier being prepared. When we went into labor 5 weeks early, we felt at least somewhat prepared for

I got this book for my second pregnancy - and though I knew what I was headed for, this book answered every question to the things that can pop up all through pregnancy with CLEAR, EASY TO UNDERSTAND answers that don't confuse and leave you with even more questions.

The BEST part of this book is how it completely breaks down each month fo your pregnancy into things that might, should and will happen to you and your growing baby each month. I found that most facinating! It also gives topics you might want to rasie with you doctor each month, as well as what to expect during each doctor visit.

This book also has a website which is highly interesting and very useful!
This is the first book in a series that helps families with the new addition, and their growth and development.

Highly recommend as a must for any mom - first pregnancy or not!

I also

When I was pregnant with my first baby, a friend bought me this book. I wasn't much into wanting to read it but decided to pick it up and look at it anyway.

HOLY COW did I learn alot. I read that book so many times I could recite it with it closed. It has all the stages of pregnancy and helps walk you through it all. I was so scared about a c-section before, but after reading the book it eased my mind a little.....just a little though.

It had what you could expect at each appointment. As far as when they might draw blood. I just needed to know when someone was going to sitck a needle in my veins so I could take a puke bag. I am so scared of needles I pass out and then wake up and hurle on the Lab Tech.

It lets you know when they will need to do exams, SO make sure you read up so you can be all clean and shaved.

Even though I did what I thought was best for my baby anyway, it was nice to have a guide to help me if I needed something to look back on. I learned so much from this book. Nothing can prepare you for the real thing, until you are screaming at the top of your lungs wanting to choke your partner for doing this to you.

But in the end, its all great.

I give this book for every baby shower.

This book is a MUST have for ALL new mothers. It should have been called the Baby Bible. I read it cover to cover when I was pregnant with my first child and when there was a problem or I was unsure about something that could be embarrassing to ask about I was always able to find it in the this book. Even my mother read it and said "I wish I had this book when I was pregnant. It was nice to be able to go to a trusted reference. It calmed my new mother jitters. I think it is the most valuable reference book for any pregnant woman. I paid alot for mine because they were fairly new back then. But know you can get them for a song on ebay or at a used book store. Invaluable at 2am..trust me!

Overall I'd say this is a helpful book full of good information. It is very "mainstream" so you probably won't find much new advice in here. If you are looking to have a homebirth, home prenatal care, then this book doesn't have much information for you. If you are going about your pregancy in the classic way - going to an OBGYN, hospital birth, etc, then this book will give you loads of information. I would recommend this book, but read other books, too, to give you a more complete source of information.

In my opinion, this is a horrible book for expectant parents. I base this opinion on the fact that it is ladden with out-of-date information. As a certified doula I would recommend Henci Goer's book The Thinking Woman's Guide To A Better Birth!

I had this book with all four of my pregnancies, and thought it was very informative. It even has a section on emergency labor when you can't get to the doctor. The thing I didn't like about it was that it only gave monthly information rather than giving weekly, or even bi-weekly about how the pregnancy was progressing.

When you are expecting a baby, there is lots to learn about, and lots of question you might have. What to Expect When You're Expecting by Arlene Eisenberg is a great book to get when you first find out that you are pregnant for the first time. From Morning sickness, to a monthly update on what is happening with your growing baby, this book will be very helpful!
The index of this book is a great guide to helping you find the information on just the subject you are looking for.
I give this book a 5 because it is very helpful and informational!

Great book,very useful.I have been all 9 months away from Mom or best girfriends.So I didn't have anyone to ask a lot of questions about pregnancy.Every time if I had problems-always went to my favorite book!
Good deal fo Mom -to -be!

THis book is great! I bought this with my first child 8 years ago and it was very helpful. I used it with my 2nd child 6 years ago, and again last year with my 3rd child. It was as helpful on the 3rd child as it was with the first to serve as a refresher course! ALthough with the first child I skipped the entire section on C-Section, I wound up having one. Then with the 2nd and 3rd I read every word of it with the knowledge of having C-Sections then. This book gives information of every aspect of having a baby, including what to take to the hospital with you and what to have on hand for bringing baby home. 5 stars.....

My "babies" are 10 and 14 years old now! However, when I was expecting with both of them, I carried this book around constantly. I would read and reread exactly what was going on in each month. I do agree with one of the reviews that it can make you feel kind of panicky if you have a strange symptom here and there, but, for the most part it's right on. It also provides a lot of reassurances that things are going just fine.
I would buy it again if I became pregnant or if someone I know is expecting.

I have 2 children and used the book for both pregnancies (more during the first) I found the information actually quite calming as the more informed I was, the less panicked I was likely to get. I would recommend this book to all first time mothers-to-be, the diagrams and information on the month to month changes going on in your body was fasinating!

I decided to buy this book when I was preganant with my son. I'm glad that I threw it out. You need reassurance and peace-of-mind when pregnant, and I found that this book only made me scared - moreso then I already was. A pregnancy book should be funny, warm, encouraging, reassuring. This book read like an encyclopedia.

This book was my pregnancy Bible. I turned to it to see what was going on with my baby and what was coming down the pike. It delivers the medical information in plain English.
This book shares the generalities of preganancy and some common complications. I "just happened" to read over the C-section part days before I had an emergency C-section. It helped prepare me for what could have been a traumatic incident. That information ahead of time helped me stay calm.
I liked the fact it gave you specifics about the size of your baby and how it was developing from month to month.
I would recommend buying this for first-time moms. I don't think it is a "must-have" for those who've already given birth to a child unless there is a long gap between births.

This is definately a wonderful book to read while awaiting for your bundle of joy. My doctor gave me this book when I was pregnant with my daughter. As a 1st time mother, it explained alot that other people hadn't. This also helped me be prepared for my emergency c-section. I read it from cover to cover, and If I have another baby I will definately read it all over again!

Next to my Bible, this book is top of the list! This is perfect for first time mothers and fathers. It answered alot of questions for me & helped me not to bother my doctor so much or waste time searching the internet. It was all in one book. I kept it around until after the birth of my second child. Altough by that time, you won't need to read the book all over again, you will still refer back to it once in awhile. Every pregnancy is different & different problems will occur. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" covers them all. Great investment for yourself or that gift for your loved one who is expecting!

I liked this book because it gave me plenty of answers to the millions of questions I was having with my first pregnancy. It does have a tone to it though of "What to Be Afraid of When You're Expecting". I have barely used it with my second pregnancy except to check on milestones such as when I might feel the baby move for the first time, etc. I recommend it for the first time mom, but don't take all of the warnings too seriously (except the alcohol and drug warnings!) or you'll worry way more than you need to.

I LOVE this book. I had my baby when I was 18 years old and everything question I had was answered by this book. I also recommend What To Expect The First Year.