I read this book with my first child and it was so ridiculously alarmist. There is no reason to make a woman feel like every single thing she does, every movement she makes is going to somehow cause a miscarriage, birth defect or early labour.

Definitely avoid this book unless you like to worry needlessly.

As an expectant mother of 23, I found this book to be extremely knowledgeable and up-to-date. As a first time mother you have so many concerns and questions running through your mind at all times, I continually turned to this book as not only a reference guide but as a follow up tool after each appointment. My grandmother purchased this book for me as a congratulations item, however interestingly enough my mother read this while pregnant with me. Another great feature of the updated version of this book is that of the app. From your smart phone you are able to download the 'What to expect when expecting' app - free of charge, and follow along electronically with many great tools such as online forum discussions with other mothers, a tracking device to keep you updated on the size of your baby as well as what to expect for all 40 weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed all the resources this text has to offer from both the literary and electronic aspects and would recommend this to any mother!

This book is not up to date with what actual studies show and is based off the concept that birth is dangerous and interventions are needed when in most cases the it's the other way around. Waste of money and trees.

Includes info on pre-pregnancy as well!
Provides all the info you could ever want on pregnancy, before, during, and after!

I read "The Girlfriend's Guide" first, thankfully. I found What to Expect very alarmist. While they are covering all bases, there was a lot of negative impact information that was not very helpful at all. My midwife suggested disposing of the book immediately!!!
It doesn't cover the Canadian health care system at all, & seems to be slanted against midwifery altogether. I picked up "The Mother of All Pregnancy Books" & found it very helpful.

I bought this series when I was a young teen, curious about the birth process and I was left feeling paranoid about it all because the authors have what I like to call a 'fear-based' approach. Virtually all of the modern hysteria associated with pregnancy can be traced back to this nightmarish excuse of a book. I found it insulting to my intelligence to be honest.

The book is comprehensive but the information is dated; lacking in current research, and inattentive to the psychological aspect of pregnancy. It has a bossy and condescending tone, using guilt as its main weapon to turn the most natural experience into a serious medical condition. It is full of idiotic statements and scare tactics and the majority of the "information," it seems, is about all the discomforts of pregnancy and none of the joys.

The book only offers the hospital model of care and even downplays the idea of birthing naturally as if it would be foolish to attempt. It mentions some birthing alternatives at the beginning of the book but offers no tangible information, pretty much dismissing them as a possible course of action. They don't even mention homebirth at all. The book also constantly harps on the Pregnancy Diet as the cure to all ills and makes women feel guilty for eating even one spoonful of icecream. Seriously, there are many more studies out there linking maternal stress to pregnancy complications and later development problems than there are studies linking the consumption of icecream to catastrophic pregnancy failure. Again, important psychological issues are not even addressed.

I was especially shocked at the cavalier attitude towards interventions and c-sections. It applauds the use of pain medication without outlining the risks to mother and baby claiming it to be in the best interest of both parties such as when labor is long and complicated claiming: "..pain stress can lead to chemical imbalances that can interfere with contractions, compromise blood flow to the fetus, and exhaust the mother, reducing her ability to push effectively." This is complete bullocks, because they're insinuating that it is the birth 'trauma' that is causing the stress and not all the other interventions they did previously that lead to the dreaded 'failure to progress'. It is a false statement and should make you question the validity of the other so called 'information' they are giving throughout the book.

Even more insulting is the emphasis on watching your figure in the section dealing with the father's concerns. They even offer a list of suggestions for the father-to-be who wants to keep his wife trim and slim post-pregrancy. It makes it seem like gaining weight during pregnancy is a sin when it is in fact what you're aiming for since you're growing a child! If my husband pestered me on my weight I would deck him, I don't know about you guys.

All in all, I would suggest picking up a book that will treat you like an intelligent, thinking woman by arming you with the facts you need to make the best possible choices for your baby. This book does not. It doesn't even go in depth in any of the issues they do choose to mention such as cesarean sections which they barely touch upon and don't even look at the physiological or psychological ramifications of it. There are WAY better books out there for moms-to-be.

I had purchased this book while conceiving, thinking it would be a good resource once we got pregnant. Boy was I wrong! There is a lot of incorrect information in the book (as an example, red raspberry leaf tea does not induce labour as the book says) and it promotes the ideology that childbirth should be feared. The only worthwhile part of the book are the paragraphs at the start of each chapter relating to the baby's development. There are so many more books out there that are worth investing in!

I read this (actually skimmed it) during my first pregnancy. It was very helpful in many areas. It was interesting to read about the development during each month and many of the FAQ were ones that I wanted to ask as well. I would recommend this to a first time mom-to-be. But, I would also recommend that you have your own thoughts too - it is not the be all, end all.

I bought this book along with Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Glade B. Curtis. What to Expect When You Are Expecting has a much more general & 'frequently asked questions' type of format. It is well written but at times repears itself a little bit. I would definitely recommend this book to new mothers; however as a compliment to Your Pregnancy Week by Week which I found to be much more precise. I found that the two books together was all I needed to be well-informed to enjoy this wonderful experience!