What to Expect When You're Expecting

Not worth the effort – I wouldn't bother reading this book I have the newer updated edition it is so desperately basic and doesn't not contain even 10percent of the info needed when pregnant. and to top it off a lot of the statements are outdated or completely false ! Written by a moron clearly for example apparently the hair on the baby inutero is to keep it warm! Far… Read more

better off to find a book from the 80s there are many out there !

Basic brain dead information. False misleading comments

Good – I was given this book second hand and I did refer to it a lot during my pregnancy as things progressed but found myself getting a bit bogged down with the medical information. I had a relatively easy pregnancy so while things were going good I was quite happy to enjoy the time without worrying about the what if's. That being said it was nice to… Read more

have a reference for things if needed. It is a very comprehensive book which raises and answers lots of questions that many women may have during pregnancy. For those who like to know exactly what is happening (or what may happen) step by step throughout their pregnancy, this is a great book to have on hand. Lots of information for expecting mums. Answers many of the common questions and deals with many issues that occur during pregnancy. For me, I found some of the information to be a bit much. I would rather not know about all the things that could go wrong during a pregnancy it just creates worry unnecessarily. I guess its just a take it or leave it situation. Read what you feel comfortable with and skip the rest.

Excellent – Puchased this book months before trying to conceive. Found it was very helpful with most things that i went through in my pregnancy being correct to how the book described. I would always refer to this book if i came across something i was concerned about and it would always have a suitable answer for me. I found it more informative in this way… Read more

than any other book i was reading. Sometimes i would have to go forward or backwards to other months to find what i was feeling, but generally it was spot on. Was very helpful to prepare for the labour aswell. The week leading up to my due date and while working through contractions at home i think i must have read that chapter about 1000 times! So helpful! Very informative, each chapter clearly headlined with things to expect so easy to flip directly to what you are looking for. index is great. Would have liked it to be more Week by Week, but i guess being more general Month by Month is more widely related to by each different pregnancy.

Excellent – A brilliant book, and I've recommended it to all my pregnant friends! The information is presented in a no-nonsense style, absent the hysteria that accompanies most other pregnancy guides - the "don't do this, don't eat that, don't go near this, don't drink that" style of many other books is designed to drive pregnant women mad, and I frankly got… Read more

heartily sick of it. This book gives you the information you need to make informed choices. I used this book to understand what was likely to happen to my body at any given stage, and it also helped me to think about questions to ask my doctor before each appointment. Can't recommend this highly enough. An excellent, all in one source of information for each month during pregnancy, and also covers some common scenarios post partum. The advice and information is well presented - I particularly like the summary at the beginning of each chapter which covers things most pregnant women will experience at that particular time, and what tests etc will be done at your next appointment. Expensive, but frankly this is a minor quibble - after all the other books I read or flipped through, it was this one I returned to each month, or whenever I had a concern.

Good – I have an older edition of this book but looking at the new one I think most of the same things would be true. Very comprehensive covering most topics you could think of. I like the question and answer format it frequently uses throughout. Organised according to the stages of pregnancy so good to read in bite size chunks if that's all you have… Read more

time for. A little too strict at times (for example regarding weight gain) - whilst the information may be factually correct I'm not sure how helpful the tone is with these sorts of issues. Doesn't cover pregnancy loss/stillbirth at any length.

Excellent – This book was great! It gives so much information. I loved it as it told me symptoms and what I could or could do about them as well as important things to prepare for. It made me feel like I had a concise understanding of what myself and my partner where going through. This is a read as you go book, like a how to guide - it lived on my bed side… Read more

table for when I needed answers to the many questions we had. Fantastic...I read this the whole way through my pregnacy and during the first month or so after having my daughter

Excellent – This book had good coverage of a lot of information. I loved reading it throughout my pregnancy and found it answered all of my questions. I would definitely recommend it to any expectant mother out there. I loved this book and followed it through my whole pregnancy. I found it covered everything I needed to know and brought up a lot of issues I… Read more

would not have though about. I loved the layout and the part for dad. I particularly liked the part about labour, I found it covered all the information our prenatal class discussed. nothing I can think of!

OK – I was given and read alot of pregnancy books and for some reason this one did not appeal to me. I found the writing style lacked personality and was perhaps a bit dated, actually it is a little like being at school. However, it does contain alot of information that is trustworthy and useful as a reference guide but did very little in inspiring me… Read more

about being a parent. Factual reference guide. Information-rich I found this book a bit dull and the layout was not appealing for easy reading. It felt a little old-fashioned in its writing style and overly serious.

OK – This book is worth reading if you are pregnant as it gives you a world of information you just have to get into it. You can also easily look up what you are after. Very informative. It covers pretty much everything that happens during pregnancy. Sometimes I found this book a bit dull and I didn't like the layout.

OK – This was my first book about pregnancy and i found it completly useful.However this was not my first choice when i went shopping but ended up buying this as it had more text than pictures and it fits a budget.Glad i got it though. All the postpartum exercise's and post pregnancy tipos were very useful. On the whole would recommend this to any new… Read more

mum. good starter-very informative-complete postpartum coverage as well the font size could have been little big and this made it hard to read during flight journeys or any travel.Not much info on pregnancies that are overdue.

A must have book during pregnancy – What to Expect when You Are Expecting is a great book to read and have during pregnancy.It is very well written and explains everything in detail month by month .It has a proper index which makes it easy to locate a particular topic. It covers almost all the important topics . From trying to conceive to month by month development of pregnancy,… Read more

what to do & not to do ( what precautions are needed during pregnancy) & what to eat and what not to. It also tells us what types of tests can we expect during pregnancy and during which month.

Me and my husband both loved reading week to week updates,which tells you what to expect in the coming weeks. This book answers all the questions you really wanted to know. I liked the summary at the end of each month, which tells us what the baby is able to do now being in the womb and the chances of survival if it comes out early. Month by month guide to pregnancy , well written and explains everything.

Good – Definately the book you want if you are after information- which I craved during pregnancy; most comprehensive book I found. Good to look up index for specfic concerns Make sure you have the most recent edition for accuracy-2009 (picture at top of review is an older edition) Jam packed full of information Good comprehensive sections on selected… Read more

issues Style can be a bit dull. A more attractive layout/ font would really help- try reading the labour section in one sitting

I would have preferred headings to the "question/answer", questions weren't really natural sounding

A bit too American for an "Australian Edition"

OK – I read this book in conjuction with Up the Duff. Personally I preferred the more comical, don't take yourself to seriously viewpoint of Up the Duff compared to this book. However there were some things that weren't covered in Up the Duff that I referred back to this book for. Also preferred the week by week approach of Up the Duff compared to… Read more

month by month in this book. Generally a very informative book with good coverage on topics. Liked the pictures of the growing baby as it went through each stage. Good index, easy reference guide. In some areas was quite a formal and prudish read.

Excellent – If you ever watched the movie 'Nine months' then you no doubt rushed to the bookstore and asked to buy this book. It's like I looked forward to having a baby just so i can proudly turn up to a store and ask for it. I thought initially it must be a US sort of book not easily found but was wrong. I bought it and realised there are more books for… Read more

toddlers too of this sort. I read the book as I progressed into both my pregnancies, the second time more for the fun of it. You learn so much reading and some questions are answered, the rest of it is a good read for just in case you need to know about some conditions and issues that come up when pregnant. It's a fantastic book, loved it and kept the ultrasound pic at each stage hehe great advice, good coverage i wish it was bigger hehe couldn't get enough

Excellent – This book has a lot of information in it and has been around for a long time and contains heaps of information and tips for pregnancy. It is a great book to read over and over again and covers so many different topics. Well worth having around everytime you are pregnant. Definitely worth having a read. I first read this book after stumbling across… Read more

it at the local library and it really is an excellent book. You can follow the week by week growth of your baby and it has really good information for when you are expecting. There are none.

Excellent – It is a great informative book, step by step, month by month guide on everything you need to know about pregnancy. It certainly helped in a lot of different things that pop up when pregnant and it was great to have the information all in one book! This is a great book. I bought it 6years ago when I had my first child and pulled it out again a year ago when i fell pregnant with my second child!

Excellent – This book was the first one I brought when I found out I was pregnant. So far it has been my constant go-to for answers to all of the varied questions that come up during pregnancy. It answered all of my questions as well as informing me of many new things. I loved how it went though every week of pregnancy and what size bub would be at that age.… Read more

It also covered many of the things that can go wrong in pregnancy so I was always aware and alert of those things. Great, informative book that covered every stage of pregnancy and birth.

Excellent – When first pregnant it was great to have lots to read each month, it's very reassuring and the tone tends more to the you're normal and doing ok rather than doom and gloom of what can go wrong. It covers a diverse range of topics and viewpoints - home birth through to caesarean and how both the baby is developing as well as how the pregnancy is… Read more

affecting the mother It's set out in a month by month guide, the pictures of what the baby will look like, able to get information summarised as well as in detail

Excellent – This was a fantastic book. It covered just about everything I was wondering about and covered most of the things that happened. I found it really easy to read with lots of detail but not too medical. I bought it double with What to Eat when you're expecting which had lots of great tips for eating while you are pregnant and then while you are… Read more

breastfeeding. It was a really simple to read and follow where I found some other information too technical. This is a fantastic pregnancy book. I'd recommend it as a must have to anyone who is expected Nothing I loved it.

Good – Lots of great information, I would refer to this book many times during my pregnancy. Even though the format is set up month to month, I still found it good to find what I wanted to know. Excellent information, covers pretty much everything! There is a chapter in the book which covers all the things that can go wrong in pregnancy, and sadly things… Read more

DO go wrong sometimes, but after reading this section it made me worry something bad was going to happen to me or my baby. It is good to be informed of what COULD happen, but personally I should have skipped this chapter.

Excellent – I found this book incredibly helpful as it tells the reader absolutely everything you could want to know about pregnancy and has a special section on people trying to conceive and also for the next baby! Brilliant! The stages of pregnancy and how it goes by week to week and lets you know what to expect and also includes some of the more rare… Read more

symptoms which is handy. I also like how it gives you approximate size and weight for the gestational age and how it is mainly written around answering questions about nearly everything you can think of! Nothing at all!

Good – This book is a great reference and is no-nonsense. Bit of a boring read but it covers pretty much everything you need to know in a decent amount of detail. I didn't like how it was divided up into months especially as pregnancy is always counted on a weekly basis. Great information, very comprehensive. You could buy this and know everything you… Read more

need to know. Monthly as opposed to weekly so you were reading about things that could happen at any time during that month (when some things only occur in particular weeks). Bit dry and boring for my liking.

Good – I thoroughly recommend this book. Every question and topic that I have ever wanted to know more about has been covered in this book. I loved the clearly indicated months that outlined what a typical pregnant woman would be experiencing at the same stage. I took the book to the hospital when I was induced. The midwife laughed at me and said it was… Read more

a bit late to be reading it, but I felt more at ease after I read what an induction was and what to expect. This is a comprehensive book that answers so many questions. I have found it invaluable throughout both of my pregnancies. My biggest problem was its size, it is not easy to fit into a handbag for when you are out and about.

Good – Great overall coverage of evertyhing that is happening to your body. Covers doctors appointments, labour and delivery and what to think about before you try again for your next baby. A really easy layout to flick to the section that you are interested in. A comprehensive index. I think every pregnant woman in Australia has read this book. If you… Read more

only had one pregnancy reference book this would be a good choice. This is probably the most comprehensive pregnancy book I've ever read. I love the month by month run down of what will be happening to you. The best odd's diet section is quite confusing.

Excellent – I didnt have any reference books as I thought I didnt need any. But my sister bought me this book and it was fantastic! It really helped to put my mind at rest when I felt un-easy about something. You just look up what you want to know and more often than not the answer can be found in the Q & A section. Great info on what to expect at visits and… Read more

what you and bub are feeling is offers great insight 10/10. I didnt take much notice of the best-odds diet section, it was too restrictive Offers insight on what happens on a monthly basis in the lead up to the birth. Has info on everything that may happen when your expecting The 'best-odds' diet section

Excellent – I would recommend this book for anyone who is pregnant for the first time or subsequent pregnancies. The book is set out so you don't have to read from front to back but can just refer to that bits you want, when you want. This is the best pregnancy book I read. It covers what is happening physically, emotionally and with bub each month. It has a… Read more

big section on labour, birth and what happens in the first few weeks. I really liked the layout with the questions and answers because you could just read the bits that applied to you, or that you wanted to refer back to.

Excellent – would definatly recomend this book to anyone who is or wants to be pregnant it's advice is relevent and i followed it through to postpartum advice and found it all to be true and corect, will be using it again next time around. we refered to this book as the bible, couldn't recomend it more highly, it has a month to month break of everything that… Read more

is happening to you, and what will happen at your next doctors visit, which i htought was great as i never thought why am i getting tested for this do they test everyone for this.i only bought the book after i found out i was pregnant however you can purchase the book from when your trying to concieve and it gives tips for this as well. somethings don't apply to us as they refer to america but only happens a little here and there not to much

Good – I really liked this book. It helped me through my first pregnancy. Making me understand symptoms throughout pregnancy at different stages really helped me. I also looked forward to each new month to read the next section relavent to my baby's developement in the womb. I did find that the way the author addressed certain concerns through letters… Read more

written to her did not appeal to me that much and could have been written in a more structured and easy to find way. With that said, I quite enjoyed this book and would recommend it to pregnancy first timers. Loved the monthly updates on baby and what symptoms you can experience. Easy to read Once getting to the letter portions of the book, I thought this could have been layed out differently.

Excellent – Being my first baby I found this book extremely interesting and helpful. It covers so much information on a wide variety of topics - week-by-week fetal development, nutrition, exercise etc. I'd have questions ready for my next Obstetrician's appointment but found after reading the relevant months chapter it had answered many of them! I would… Read more

really recommend this book to first time Mums. One tip is to buy it when you are trying to get pregnant as there is info regarding that. Becuase I found this one so helpful I'm now reading the next book - what to expect the first year and will definitely buy the Toddler years book too. Has chapters for not only what to expect each month but many other chapters with other good info such as the first six weeks after birth and one for Dads.

Excellent – I read this book cover to cover during my pregnacy, probably to try and calm down my nerves and concerns after having a previous difficult pregnancy. I found the information very useful, comprehensive and interesting. Not all of the questions in the book were relevant to me but I found reading about issues other pregnant women may be… Read more

experiencing eye-opening. The short responses to many questions also made it user-friendly to would-be dads. The month by month section is quite comprehensive compared to other books. Although an American book, there is an attempt to 'Australianise' the information. The question/answer style is quite good. A bit too American in its terms at times.

Excellent – Having a baby is such a difficult and confusing time, this is one of the most informative books that you will ever find on the market. It covers just about everything that you every will need to know. It works month by month with all the tips and goals that match that month. In those early days you don't see a Dr very often, this book definitely… Read more

helps with nerves and learning as much as possible. Sometimes it can be a bit annoying to read the whole month, just in case there is something in there you might need. Also sometimes you need to skip ahead to another month or search hard for what you need.

OK – I borrowed this from the local library several times and it was useful to 'dip in and out'. It would be more difficult to read cover-to-cover as it addresses so many topics and contains so much information that you may feel a little overwhelmed. This is a comprehensive text on pregnancy which covers a wide range of subjects, with useful sections written in an Q&A style. It has a definite American overtone.

Excellent – i loved this book. there was nothing i needed to know about pregnancy that i could not look up in this book. its not as pretty or light as the other books avaliable but it contains the most amount of information. covering everything from possible complications, dietry info, section for expecting dads, newborns, side effect of pregnany, labour and… Read more

so much more. it is well organised in sections for each trimester and topic. this is like a text book for parents to be. i would absolutly recommend it for everyone. contains lots of information more than you would find in anyother book.

Excellent – I found this a very helpful book all throughout my pregnancy and even during the first part of labour! It is organised by the months of your pregnancy and deals with different issues as they may occur in that month. It gave a great idea of what to expect. I bought it because it has been out for years (revised regularly though) and seems to be very… Read more

popular. If you check department stores too, you can get it cheaper than in bookstores. Easy to use and find different topics and info, answered many good questions, very very full of information!! Would have liked more pictures of baby's growth, there were very few pictures on anything at all.

Good – Not bad for your first pregnancy.... however needed to get another book to understand the development more (one with pictures). Definitely worth a buy for anyone's first pregnancy. Easy to read Detailed pictures would have been better