When I found out I was pregnant, this was the first book I bought and I am so glad I did! This is a great book that is so helpful and answers most questions about pregnancy. I worried about a lot of things when I was pregnant so I would just look up whatever I was concerned about and nine times out of ten I would find my answer and my mind would be put at ease. With all of the physical changes going on with your body during pregnancy, it was nice to be able to look up a symptom and find out that it was comepletely normal. In addition, I liked that the book told me what to expect at each prenatal doctors appointment. It really helped me feel more prepared and ready to be a mom. I would recommend this book to any expecting woman, it will really help you get through your pregnancy without feeling unprepared or scared.

This book is absolutely indispensable for expectant mothers (and fathers too!). This takes you through day one all the way to postpartum care. This book has been my bible through three pregnancies.

With my first pregnancy, I was terrified, worrying that every little pain or issue was a disaster in the making and wondering what was going on with my body. But I could turn to this book to alleviate my fears every time. It takes you through week by week to show you the common issues, how you're feeling, and even how your baby is developing. I loved that part, seeing the little drawings and knowing my baby was developing feet, or hearing.

The book also let's you know step by step all the bad symptoms to watch for, as well as listing solutions for common problems and discomforts. This book is the perfect gift for a moms to be!

This is basically an excellent book. It was in its first edition when I had my children, and now my daughter and her husband are using the fourth edition.

There is a lot of good, general information in here ... The explanation of the stages of fetal growth are really well done. As well, options for delivery, including a doula, are discussed.

I found a lot of the book, way too much, to be focused on what can possibly go wrong with a pregnancy. I also happen to disagree with the writer's attitude that cesarean sections aren't such a big deal.

However, this book is the one that introduced my daughter to the idea of having a doula to assist in the birth of her children. For that I consider it invaluable.

I got this book at my first doctors visit when I found out I was pregnant. They give it to all newly pregnant women at the obstetricians office I go to. I loved reading this book every night when I was pregnant. It helped me understand what was going on with my body and it was good to use as reference when something happened during my pregnancy that I was worried about. It lists any complications that can happen and what to look for. It also goes day-by-day and gives a precise description of what your body should be going through at that time. It gives nutritional advice and sex life advice also. I would recommend this book to all pregnant women who are interested in learning more about their body during their pregnancy.

What to expect when you are expecting – was gifted to me by my sister who had just returned from US. This book came to me as a BIG surprise as we don't really have many good books on this topic in our country! It gave me in-depth knowledge about every single thing that I would like to know about pregnancy, but didn’t know whom to ask. Being first time pregnant, one has many doubts in her mind and on top of that, others keep putting all sorts of restrictions on you and superstitions in your mind.

With this book beside me, I could face all such problems in a confident manner and resume a normal, but careful living throughout my pregnancy. It was like my mentor, my guide-book, my reference book for everything you could ever ask on pregnancy. I was naïve, but it gave me a point of view, and surely an optimistic one!

I deeply convey my heartiest thanks to all mothers who have contributed for such a wonderful book! I would definitely recommend it to all my friends, family and colleagues, whoever needs it.

I was given a copy of this book when I was pregnant with my first child. It quickly became a very useful guide in my house. From minor medical, to milestones and more I used this book to look up everything. In fact like with many self help books I never read it cover to cover and rather used it like an encyclopedia. I found it very easy to use the index to find the topic I was interested in, all the pages that covered that topic and then get to reading/learning. This book probably saved my doctor and own mother several sleepless nights as I consulted it before panicking and picking up the phone. I even referred back to several times when I was pregnant with my second child. It is a great book and an excellent gift for a first time mom!

I read this book while visiting the bookstore during my pregnancy. It was ok, but not something I'd consider must have for someone who's pregnant. It's great for an informative read, but if you want to go in depth on any particular topic, there's not much there. Honestly, I got more information reading on the internet than I did reading this entire book. It would probably be a handy reference to keep near the bed for strange symptoms or something, but I think that most of the hype for this book was generated by it's overuse in pregnancy/romance movies. The price, to me, was outrageous. (That's why I read it in the store) I was much happier reading the free book I got from my insurance company than I was reading this one. I don't think I'd ever pay so much for a book about pregnancy. Especially considering they re-release new and updated copies of this book every year or so- making it essentially "out of date" when you have another child.

This book was my bible 2 of the 3 times I was expecting. Every topic you could possibly imagine (and bunches that never would have even occurred to me!) were touched upon in a matter-of-fact approach. Dozens of things I wanted to know but for whatever reason was afraid (or embarrassed?) to discuss with my doctor, my husband, or even my girlfriends were gone over with dignity and humor. An absolute must have at the bedside, in the purse, and all the way to the labor room of any expecting mom, dad, or couple! The author takes great care to include Dad in the process of expecting a child, making it very clear that he DOES play a very important role in this experience. Updated often, this book is kept up to date and relevant. By far the most comprehensive and complete guide to everything pregnancy related.

The day I found out I was pregnant, I ran out and purchased this book, and it was like keeping the bible with me. I read it from cover to cover, than read it during each stage of my pregnancy. During the early parts of my labor, this book was still in my hands, reading what to expect next, it was scary but very calming as well.

This book is so well written, and so dead on, if this is your first pregnancy, you have to buy this. The chapters of the book go in order of everything you should expect, what is normal, what are causes for concern. Some parts of this book are graphic, but it really tells you what you need to know, and tells you way more than any of your family or friends will tell you about. This is the number one source you should refer to for what to expect with your pregnancy, cannot recommend this book enough.

For those of you just partaking the journey of being pregnant for the first time you need this book. It was recommended to me by the teacher of my birthing class. After picking it up on a trip to the mall I was thankful for her suggestion.

This book is split into easy to read sections that take you along this journey to which some can find overwhelming. It eases your fears about all the myths you hear from parents and friends about what being pregnant feels and like what happens to your body. It has excellent illustrations that shows what your baby looks like along the way. I now give this as a gift at every baby shower I attend.

I honestly do not know what I would have done if I did not have this book during my pregnancy. As a certified hypochondriac, this book was perfect for answering all of the little questions I had about the entire process (trust me, I had many). There is definitely a heightened level of anxiety and worry that comes with carrying a child and this book does an awesome job of alleviating many of those worries about what is normal and what isn't normal. My husband was equally impressed with the book and probably read it as often as I did. By the end of our first pregnancy, this book was dog eared, worn, and scribbled with notes throughout. We even brought it with us to the hospital! This book is an absolute must, an invaluable resource, for expectant mothers and fathers and I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book as a gift after I announced my first pregnancy to friends and family. Even though this book was highly praised, I did not find it as informative or enjoyable as others had. The book seems to just gloss over information relevant to the general public and doesn't really dive into the information the way some other books do. I was disappointed with the lack of information in the book for issues that affected me related to bed rest, premature labor, blood pressure issues, and carrying twins.

For a good general read about pregnancy then this book is acceptable. If you want to know more than the basics, I would not recommend it.

When a book is as popular as this one is, there is usually a good reason. “What to Expect” provides an encyclopedia of knowledge for new parents. It’s brilliantly organized with a clear index, so that finding what you need is easy. Many parents sit down and read it cover to cover, but in today’s busy society that’s not always possible. The index of topics means that you can find the answers you need quickly and efficiently. Numerous obstetricians now hand this out at the first appointment because it has so much useful information (and saves them hundreds of panicked phone calls). One warning: don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by the mountains of information the book contains. At first, it might cause you to panic, nut take a deep breathe and calm down. The book provides the answers. Overall, this is a popular book for a good reason. It does exactly what it says it does-provide all the answers to questions you didn’t even know you needed to ask.

What to Expect when You’re Expecting is the nation’s premier pregnancy primer. As a first time dad – imagine that! – I found this resource very helpful in understanding what my wife was going through, and what I could do to help out. She read the book religiously, of course. I would pick it up from time to time, skip through for the interesting articles, and eventually found myself engrossed. I imagine I read most of the book by the time the baby came.

The book is organized by month, and included issues that relate to much more than the biology of pregnancy (though there’s plenty of that also). Nutrition, medicine, sex, expectations, dangers … it’s all inside. It’s true that babies don’t come with an instruction manual, but this come as close as you can get. Even better, it presents advice without being dogmatic – there are really a lot of options out there, once you know the basics. Best part: at the end comes a great reward. Nothing beats prepwork for full enjoyment.

this book is a must-have for every pregnant woman. It provides such comfort to the expectant mother.

The book details each moth of a pregnancy, letting the expectant mother know what she should be feeling and how the baby is growing. it also has a lot of valuable questions and answers.

Thogh i recommend this book for all expectant mothers, i also think it might contain TOO much information. It has a way of giving too much information on scary subjects that pregnant women just don't need to know about, unless there is a need. All it did for me was create more worry. So I just got in the habit of skipping over parts that did not pertain to me or my pregnancy.

Overall though, it was a good book!

This book has been my pregnancy Bible. When I was pregnant with our first child this book gave me great comfort during a time where I was unsure about so many things. The first pregnancy can be scary as your body is going through so many new changes. This books helps to calm your fears and concerns.
I have read it so many times that the pages are worn, torn, high lighted and dog eared.
Whether it's your first time around, or your third rodeo this book is worth the read. One of the things that I really like about this series is how they update it so often. I own all of them to date.
I've even caught my husband reading this book when he would have questions. Most questions are answered in this book and are worded in ways that won't scare the reader off.
Very easy to read and really helps a lot. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I'll admit, I don't have any kids yet. But when my sister became pregnant with my nephew--I rushed out and bought this book for her. With the excitment of the birth, my sister read this book quickly and insisted that I read it, as well. And I thought, why? So, I humored her. And really, I learned so much from this book! It's a great source of information for not only expecting mothers, but also for everyone that's going to be there for the baby after. I believe that everyone in the child's life should be prepared and educated, and that's exactly what this book does.

This book is extremely well-written and informative. It really helped me better understand the major changes that a pregnancy has on the body and the mind. There's a reason it's known as the "gold standard" of pregnancy-related books. It's tried and true and reliable, and I'll admit that I totally kept my sister's copy for myself for future use.

I read and re-read this book during my first pregnancy. It is filled with great advice and information to a first time pregnancy. I loved the desciptions of what to expect each month not only with your body but also the growing baby. This book helped me to have more confidence when going to the doctor and to know what questions I should be asking and when to ask them. This was definitly my first go-to source during my all 3 of my pregnancies. A definte must read for new moms and dads!

I received this book from a friend during my first pregnancy. I was ravenous for any information I could get my hands on. This book definitely provided the answers I was looking for. Unfortunately, much like a previous reviewer, at times I found myself overly concerned with what I was and was not doing.

I did appreciate the detailed advice and recommendations. The book walks through aspects of each phase of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I went to the doctor's consistently and read all the pamphlets I was given but this book provided details that were overlooked or missed.

I'd definitely recommend this book for first time mom's but I recommend it with a precaution that some aspects can prove to be very intimidating for anxious new moms.

Okay, I will say I haven't read this book. At least not the latest version of it. And unless it is significantly different than her prior versions, which I have read when I was pregnant five years ago, my review would probably be the same. When you are pregnant for the first time you become paranoid about whether or not you are harming your baby with all the things you do and eat. Well, this book makes you Hyper-Paranoid. It tells you every bite counts when you're pregnant. Well who's counting...? I wasn't because I was so hungry all the time and so extremely tired during the first trimester you can barely speak two coherent sentences let alone worry about every single thing that goes into your mouth. And if you have morning-sickness, then you really don't care. This book is to pregnancy what the La Leche League is to breastfeeding....

Now the fair part, it does have some good advice about when you think things might be wrong during your pregnancy and what to look for when your baby is first born. But I would buy it for those reasons, like a reference book, rather than a bible on pregnancy.

We've had 2 kids and this book has been a constant companion with both of them. Anytime a question crops up (is this a symptom of pregnancy or am I just nuts) we can grab the book and find out. Few are the times we could not find an answer to our questions in here and it prompted us to ask questions of our doctor that we didn't think to ask. If your pregnant or even thinking about getting that way, get this book!