What to Expect Before You're Expecting [Paperback]

Heidi Murkoff (Author), Sharon Mazel (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2009

Announcing the prequel. From Heidi Murkoff, author of America's bestselling pregnancy and parenting books, comes the must-have guide every expectant couple needs before they even conceive—the first step in What to Expect: What to Expect Before You're Expecting.

An estimated 11 million couples in the U.S. are currently trying to conceive, and medical groups now recommend that all hopeful parents plan for baby-making at least three months before they begin trying. And who better to guide wanna-be moms and dads step-by-step through the preconception (and conception) process than Heidi Murkoff?

It's all here. Everything couples need to know before sperm and egg meet up. Packed with the same kind of reassuring, empathetic, and practical information and advice and tips that readers have come to expect from What to Expect, only sooner. Which baby-friendly foods to order up (say yes to yams) and which fertility-busters to avoid (see you later, saturated fat); lifestyle adjustments that you'll want to make (cut back on cocktails and caffeine) and those you can probably skip (that switch to boxers). How to pinpoint ovulation, time lovemaking, keep on-demand sex sexy, and separate conception fact (it takes the average couple up to 12 months to make a baby) from myth (position matters). Plus, when to seek help and the latest on fertility treatments—from Clomid and IVF to surrogacy and more. Complete with a fill-in fertility journal to keep track of the babymaking adventure and special tips throughout for hopeful dads. Next step? What to Expect When You’re Expecting, of course.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Book Description
More and more couples are planning for conception, not only for financial and lifestyle reasons, but in response to recent recommendations from the medical community. In the same fresh, contemporary voice that has made the 4th edition of What to Expect When You're Expecting so successful, Heidi Murkoff explains the whys and wherefores of getting your body ready for pregnancy, including pregnancy prep for both moms and dads to be. Before You're Expecting is filled with information on exercise, diet, pinpointing ovulation, lifestyle, workplace, and insurance changes you'll want to consider, and how to keep your relationship strong when you're focused on baby making all the time. There are tips for older couples; when to look for help from a fertility specialist--including the latest on fertility drugs and procedures--plus a complete fertility planner.

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Read Heidi Murkoff's Introduction to What to Expect Before You're Expecting
Pregnancy, as you probably know, is nine months long (or 38 weeks from conception, if you're really serious about keeping count). And if you've ever been pregnant before, you probably think that's plenty long enough. But is nine months really long enough? Does that time-honored baby-making timetable really stand up to the latest obstetrical science?

According to more and more research--and more and more experts (including the Centers for Disease Control, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American College of Pediatrics)--the answer is maybe not. That traditional nine-month figure is being challenged by a surprising new suggestion: It’s time to add more months to pregnancy.

That's right, more months. At least three more months, in fact, for a full year (or even more) of baby making. But before you panic (three extra months of not seeing my feet? Of passing on the sushi? Of waiting to hold that bundle of joy?), here’s what you need to know: Those extra months aren’t meant to be spent being pregnant, they’re meant to be spent getting ready to be pregnant.

Before you're expecting--and before you even begin trying to expect--is the best time to get both your bodies into tip-top baby-making shape. And that's why I've written What to Expect Before You're Expecting--a complete, step-by-step preconception plan to help you and your partner prep for pregnancy. Whether you're hoping to fill your nest for the first time or the fourth (or more!), a little conception know-how--which lifestyle adjustments you should make now (cut back on caffeine and cocktails) and which you can hold off on (get your sushi while you can!); which foods are fertility-friendly and which are fertility busters (say yes to yams and oysters, so long to saturated fats); how extra weight can weigh on your fertility and his; how to track fertility and pinpoint ovulation--can help you fill that nest faster. What's more, the right preconception protocol can help ensure a healthier and more comfortable pregnancy (think less morning sickness, a lowered risk of premature delivery and gestational diabetes) and a healthier bundle of baby. And the plan doesn't end when you're finished with the prepping. It covers baby-making how-to's, do's, and don'ts--everything you need to know about conception sex (from timing, to logistics, to positions, and more).

Whether you've begun your conception campaign already or you're just starting to think about getting pregnant, it’s never too late--or too early--to start optimizing your preconception profile, giving the baby of your dreams the healthiest possible start in life. So put time on your side, and add a few months to your baby-making calendar. More pregnancy, as it turns out, is more.

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--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Pregnancy guru Murkoff (What to Expect When You're Expecting) explains that a healthy pregnancy actually begins long before sperm and egg meet. In fact, she suggests that couples add at least three months to the requisite nine in order to prepare both their bodies for the best outcome. Backed by research and expert advice, Murkoff and Mazel present a preconception program that includes tips on what to eat (and not eat), how to maintain a healthy weight and advice about preconception medical care, such as having a physical and dental checkup. The text points out that dads are vitally important to pre-pregnancy health, with warnings that heavy drinking and smoking can damage or reduce sperm, as can certain sports such as spinning, cycling or heavy workouts. (Shaded boxes throughout the text address the ways in which men can contribute to baby-to-be's successful arrival.) The text also covers fertility issues, clearly explaining œthe biology of baby making and outlining the options available to couples who are facing conception problems. Readers who like to think ahead will also benefit from a detailed fertility planner, which includes a fertility chart to track ovulation and space to record various pre-baby appointments and information. Couples who are trying to conceive will find plenty of useful ideas to consider and implement in the months preceding their baby's debut. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 1 edition (May 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761152768
• ISBN-13: 978-0761152767
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Reference
  • #21 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Personal Health > Women's Health > Pregnancy & Childbirth

More About the Author

Heidi Murkoff is the author of the What to Expect®; series and author of Eating Well When You're Expecting, The What to Expect Pregnancy Journal & Organizer, What to Expect the First Year, The What to Expect Baby-Sitter's Handbook, and the What to Expect Kids series from HarperCollins. Her interactive website is www.whattoexpect.com, and she lives with her family in Los Angeles, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good info but . . ., October 18, 2010

By 

marriedfilingjointly - See all my reviews

This review is from: What to Expect Before You're Expecting (Paperback)

There is some great information in this book. It's an excellent starting point if you want to get a jump on reading up about pre-conception health. It's also a good conversation starter with your partner (it's great for both parents to spend some time reading the book, both the "mom" and "dad" sections). The info on trouble trying to conceive was particularly helpful. However, after hearing all the hype about the "What To Expect" series, I expected it to be a better written book.

The book had some continuity problems. It looked like paragraphs and maybe even chapters had been copied and pasted straight out of the other books without checking for continuity. Acronyms would be used over and over and over again and never defined. Meanwhile, the acronym "STD" shows up for the hundredth time around page 200 and is defined. Pretty sure we all know what STDs are, and if we don't, we googled it 150 pages ago. But thanks.

Sometimes things would be mentioned in passing, never to be brought up again. "Get your blood tested for your Rh factor, and if you are positive, make sure your partner isn't." WHAT?! This sounds really serious. What does this mean? Yeah, the book totally leaves you hanging. Google it. Again, I expect that if the book is going to bring it up, explain to me why this is so important.

Some chapters left me with more question than answers. For example, it encouraged readers to drink lots of milk. Ok great, but more adult women are lactose intolerant than not. Since the book advised moms-to-be to limit soy, what alternatives should we seek for upping calcium intake? The author really didn't have a lot of suggestions. And speaking of soy, the author was very vague. Basically, "don't eat a lot of it." Well, what's "a lot?" If I use it on my cereal and cooking as my constant substitute for milk, is that "a lot?" I know what to do to get my calcium, but I expected the book to cover it, given the detail it went into in other areas.

Finally, the writing style was obnoxious at times. It was like sitting next to your cheesy inappropriate uncle at dinner and listening to him laugh at his own lame jokes and say "teehee GET IT? SEE WHAT I DID THERE! THAT'S A PUN!" Yeah, we got it, thanks. Not that funny. Luckily the author had the tact to drop the act in the chapters about challenges to TTC.

Again, overall, great info in this book, and it is worth the read despite my criticisms of the writing style. Hopefully when the next edition comes out, they will have cleared up some of these issues.

49 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Resource, If You Don't Care About the Magic, May 25, 2009

By 

J. Stoner "Plants and Books" (Parkville, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What to Expect Before You're Expecting (Paperback)

WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE YOU'RE EXPECTING is just like the other books in the expecting "series:" Jam packed with information in a good format. There are sections for both the "Mother to Be" and the "Father to Be," but neither are exclusive and should be read by both parties; in fact, there is more for men in this book than What to Expect When You're Expecting: 4th Edition. You probably already know what to expect given the monumental success of the previous Expecting books, and this book is no exception. Sections of the book include: Nutrition, Basic Anatomy, Ovulation, Timing of Intimacy, Miscarriage and Infertility, Medications, and tons of other little questions.

This book is excellent, but the next few comments should not be taken as criticisms but rather just information.

The difference with this installment is that there is more humor woven into the text than the previous books, which helps lighten the load; however, the humor at points is too much of a good thing, and the writing can seem juvenile and uses a lot of immature phrases (i.e. Aunt Flo), which I feel undermines the writing slightly.

One other thing is the book takes some of the magic away, providing step by step instructions, hundreds of pages of what to do better. I can totally appreciate how this book may help people who have struggled with conception, and I feel this book will be revered in that case. However, for everyone else be prepared to have the magic of conception possibly ruined as baby making becomes a job, you are forced to follow a specific calendar, and monitoring your diet. I know that at least a handful of people have successfully conceived and delivered healthy babies prior to this book being published, but this book could be the saving grace for any couple that is struggling to conceive. It reminds me of the movie Knocked Up when the characters are discussing how in the world people had babies before baby books were published.

Overall, WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE YOU ARE EXPECTING is a great resource, and should be read in smaller doses because it is so information and fact heavy; however, the humor (which at some points is rather juvenile) effectively lightens the load.

Good reading,

J.Stoner

57 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars If I wanted to read a Cosmo article..., June 24, 2009

By 

Mari "MariH" (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What to Expect Before You're Expecting (Paperback)

Okay, I will give the author this, there is some valuable information to be had here. The problem is that she uses language that you would find in a magazine like Vogue or Cosmo. You know those quick reads on how to make a man happy in bed, how to dress your body type etc.

Quite frankly, that kind of vocabulary and manner of speaking is plain annoying! For example, at one she is giving men advice on how to keep the romance alive while trying to conceive. Great idea! However, she uses this phrase, "Woo her while you do her."

Ick! And it just keeps going on and on and on. Every other word is from the pages of a fashion rag. I got so annoyed I couldn't even read a chapter. Sure, I want some humor and warmth when I am reading a non-fiction book, but this was taking bad jokes and regurgitating them on every other page. If you like to read Cosmo and Vogue then you will probably have no problem with this. But the rest of use want a little more hard-headed and to-the-point advice.