What to Expect When You're Expecting: Revised Edition [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Arlene Eisenberg (Author), Heidi Murkoff (Author), Sandee Hathaway B.S.N (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 1994

Now with over 9.6 million copies in print, What to Expect When You're Expecting is America's pregnancy bible. Featuring an easy-to-follow month-by-month format, this indispensable book reassuringly leads readers through a wealth of information.

Here is what parents-to-be need to know about choosing a caregiver, prenatal diagnosis, exercise, childbirth options, second pregnancies, twins, making love during pregnancy, having a cesarean, and coping with common and not-so-common pregnancy symptoms. Also included are step-by-step guides through labor and delivery, postpartum care, and breastfeeding, a full section just for fathers-to-be, and a 24-page "Pregnancy Notes" insert for keeping detailed records of prenatal test results, weight gain, doctor's visits, observations, and more.

Updated with each printing, What to Expect When You're Expecting incorporates the most recent developments in medical science and responds to the many letters and queries received from readers. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, the Better Homes & Gardens Family Book Service, and ABA Basic Booklist. Winner of the Parent's Choice Foundation's 1991 Parenting Shelf Award.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Should I be drinking milk? Is all this kicking normal? The questions swirl madly from the second you see that the pregnancy test is positive. From that first exciting moment to when postpartum exercise starts to seem like more than a good idea, this comprehensive guide for new mothers and fathers allays pregnancy-related worries, month by month. In the "Nine Months and Counting: From Conception to Delivery" section of the book, each month's chapter includes what you can expect at the doctor's office, what you may be feeling (and what you might look like!), what you may be concerned about, and what it's important to know during that particular month. This revised edition includes input from readers who asked for more information on subsequent pregnancies, chronic medical conditions, illness during pregnancy, and possible complications. The authors (all of them mothers) maintain a calm and reassuring tone throughout the book; this empathetic approach, combined with reliable information, has made this a national bestseller for parents-to-be.

From the Back Cover

The pregnancy guide that reassuringly answers the concerns of mothers-and fathers-to-be, from the planning stage through postpartum.

"This excellent book should be required reading...for expectant parents." (Dr. Richard Aubrey, from the Foreword)

"The first thing you should buy after the pregnancy test comes back positive!" (Sally Wendkos Olds, co-author of The Complete Book of Breastfeeding)

"The hands-down choice of pregnancy guides...a health classic." (Self Magazine)

Complete with information on choosing a caregiver, prenatal diagnosis, exercise, childbirth options, second pregnancies, twins, making love during pregnancy, having a cesarian, and practical tips on coping with not-so-common pregnancy symptoms.

Step-by-step guides through labor and delivery, postpartum care, and breastfeeding. Plus the Best-Odds Pregnancy and Nursing Diets. And a full section specifically for fathers-to-be.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 2nd edition (January 10, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563058758
• ISBN-13: 978-1563058752
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,016,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Resource Book for First-Timers, January 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: What to Expect When You're Expecting: Revised Edition (Hardcover)

Unlike so many of the other readers offering reviews of "WTEWYE," I actually found the book VERY helpful. Maybe, if you've had previous pregnancies and births (as the majority of the negative reviewers had), this book may seem too simplistic or condescending but, having never been pregnant and with no family nearby, I found it incredibly helpful for the very reason that it doesn't assume that the reader knows all the little details about pregnancy. For me, the authors answered many of those "stupid" questions I was too embarassed to ask even my girlfriends because I thought everyone knew the answer but me, and I didn't want to seem naive.

I liked the easy question-and-answer format and simply skipped over questions I wasn't interested in at the time or to which I already knew the answer. Personally, when doctors and nurses all too often don't take the time to thoroughly explain medical issues to their patients, I really appreciated the fact that this book covered even the most commonplace issues that first-timers like myself didn't know and often didn't think to ask during a doctor visit.

I may not refer to it as much during my second pregnancy, but I found "WTEWYE" invaluable during my first!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fear-based and mysogynistic, August 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: What to Expect When You're Expecting: Revised Edition (Hardcover)

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.)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Misguided and horrible., October 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What to Expect When You're Expecting: Revised Edition (Hardcover)

For anyone experiencing a less than perfect pregnancy, this is a horrible and upsetting book. I shared passages with my OB/GYN during my high risk pregnacy and she was befuddled regarding some of the advice offered -- particularly the comment about needing magnesium sulfate to prevent CP in pre-term births.