shelberino's review against another edition
2.0
I seem to be at that stage of life where everyone I know is getting pregnant, so I wanted to see what all the fuss is about and hopefully get on better footing to not have to ask “what?” all the time when my friends share their experiences.
The idea of a book that gives you all the facts so that you can weigh the pros and cons yourself to come to your own conclusions about how to make decisions about your pregnancy and birth was very appealing. For advice from a friend, it would be comprehensive (and I’m sure it was to the author’s friends who are mentioned throughout), but it seems to hold itself to the same standard as a scientific literature review and it just doesn’t even begin to meet that standard.
For starters, the “bottom line” value judgements at the end of every chapter completely undermine the concept of letting their reader make their own judgments based on the “evidence!” I also found that the author, though loathing unclear language from her doctor (“very high chance,” or “not likely,” etc.) used this language ALL THE TIME in the book without following up with actual data (or in some cases without providing even a reference to the data!)
Also, there was no evidence or explanation of her review process beyond her credentials as an economist. How did she choose which studies to highlight and which were no good? Sometimes she gives insight into a specific study by sharing it had a large sample size or proved statistical significance, but more often it’s left to vague language about there being many studies and highlighting the one that makes her point.
In the end, I learned enough to have a conversation with my pregnant friends, but otherwise I think this book holds itself to a much higher academic standard than it truly meets, gives women a list of pregnancy do’s and don’t’s despite promising not to, and is potentially misleading in both method and the information chosen to present.
The idea of a book that gives you all the facts so that you can weigh the pros and cons yourself to come to your own conclusions about how to make decisions about your pregnancy and birth was very appealing. For advice from a friend, it would be comprehensive (and I’m sure it was to the author’s friends who are mentioned throughout), but it seems to hold itself to the same standard as a scientific literature review and it just doesn’t even begin to meet that standard.
For starters, the “bottom line” value judgements at the end of every chapter completely undermine the concept of letting their reader make their own judgments based on the “evidence!” I also found that the author, though loathing unclear language from her doctor (“very high chance,” or “not likely,” etc.) used this language ALL THE TIME in the book without following up with actual data (or in some cases without providing even a reference to the data!)
Also, there was no evidence or explanation of her review process beyond her credentials as an economist. How did she choose which studies to highlight and which were no good? Sometimes she gives insight into a specific study by sharing it had a large sample size or proved statistical significance, but more often it’s left to vague language about there being many studies and highlighting the one that makes her point.
In the end, I learned enough to have a conversation with my pregnant friends, but otherwise I think this book holds itself to a much higher academic standard than it truly meets, gives women a list of pregnancy do’s and don’t’s despite promising not to, and is potentially misleading in both method and the information chosen to present.
morregev's review against another edition
4.0
Helpful. Like she basically did a lit review for you that you don't have to do. Recommended for any woman who is pregnant or wanting to be pregnant.
alleeme's review against another edition
4.0
In some ways reassuring, in other ways made me more anxious. Overall nice evidence-based information provided so you can make your own decisions. A little out-of-date on a very brief mention of safety of opioid pain medications though.
knachbur's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
This book helped me feel SO much more peace about pregnancy (something that, deservedly, I've been nervous about!) Emily Oster goes into the whys of so many pregnancy rules and regulations, and for someone so factually-grounded like me, it made me feel so much more relaxed about things I know my husband and I would have been neurotic about before. It also did a much better job (in my opinion) than What to Expect about some of the pitfalls and expectations in pregnancy; Oster doesn't give a full timeline of every possible event, but she goes into what some common side effects are and how to tell if what you're experiencing is normal or not (with statistics to reassure you that you're probably going to be fine!) The book is much easier on the anxiety than WtE's laundry-list-of-complications style of delivery.
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
mees_grows's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book and found it informative without being dry. I appreciate the statistical analysis of data as opposed to anecdotal evidence. The author did include her personal experience to make it less ivory tower and also allowed you to see how her experiences influenced her writing.
emilysamp's review against another edition
I feel like this is a must-read for anyone who is or is thinking of getting pregnant. Whereas many pregnancy resources are based in control and fear mongering, this book aims to empower pregnant people to make decisions in an informed and data-driven way.
My main critique would be that the author, a white, educated, cisgender lady, centers only her own experiences. I also happen to be a white, educated, cisgender lady, so I felt "spoken to" by this book, but I recognize that it completely ignores disparities in healthcare outcomes for different groups of people, such as women of color and queer folks. That being said, the information in this book is still valuable and I would recommend it with the caveat that you'll have to adapt what you learn to suit your own needs.
My main critique would be that the author, a white, educated, cisgender lady, centers only her own experiences. I also happen to be a white, educated, cisgender lady, so I felt "spoken to" by this book, but I recognize that it completely ignores disparities in healthcare outcomes for different groups of people, such as women of color and queer folks. That being said, the information in this book is still valuable and I would recommend it with the caveat that you'll have to adapt what you learn to suit your own needs.
bluesbooksnbobbins's review
3.0
A friend recommended this alongside Taking Charge of your Fertility as I started thinking about pregnancy. For my personality, more information puts me at ease, but also upps the anxiety a bit. It is useful to put risk into context, she does that well. However, some issues with the medicalisation of birth are glossed over and I expect some groups will feel that this book does not speak to their higher risks due to systemic racism, bias etc.
littlewit's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book very interesting and now have a list of things to chat with my midwife about at the next appt. I am sure she'll be thrilled. ;) I found myself using the bookmark and highlight features in my Kindle for the first time ever. Had to even look up how to get back to them. haha