Healthy Living Books Books

Rating: - Good but there are better.
The drawback for this book is it clearly explains almost every possible complication. With the monthly format it is a lot to read at a time. The list of complications and possible symptoms each moth can be very daunting. Yet with all of that the book is also a great resource. It gives you many things to consider that you may never have thought of. It is much more comprehensive than many other pregnancy books. It has some nice charts in the back to help you keep track of weight, size and other notes for the Doctor's or Midwives. It also has a section for coping with pregnancy loss and also preparing for the next child. A good resource for any couple expecting a child. With over 12 Million copies sold this book now, in it's 3rd edition has been trusted by many people. The authors have also written:
What to Expect the First Year
What to Expect the Toddler Years
What to Expect Eating Well When You're Expecting
The What to Expect When You're Expecting Pregnancy Organizer

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Rating: - Really good book
I was given this book by a dear friend of mine and it was invaluable. Every month I would check out what was supposed to happen and what to expect in terms of how big I was getting and what I was feeling. It was reassuring to read that the things I was experiencing actually were supposed to happen! I have lent my book to many other pregnant friends who have also found it indispensable.

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Rating: - An invaluable tool for inexperienced parents
We were well informed throughout the pregnancy and very well prepared for the birth itself... But when the baby arrived, we realised that we were clueless at parenting. This book saved the day (well, it save the whole first year in fact). It is comprehensive (for day-to-day parenting) and covers most of what first-time parents need to know. Very good value-for-money and highly recommended.

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Rating: - A bit too Americanised
I disagree with the 04/04/05 review that it isn't problematic that this book has been adapted from the US market. They seem to have a fairly sketchy idea of how the NHS works, so despite exchanging OBGYN to consultant and recognising the role of a GP and midwife, the book refers to examinations and practices that are routine in the US and practically unheard of in the UK, which is very confusing when the information is supposed to help to work out what is going to happen to you each month.

On the plus side, once you have worked out which bits of information are for the US audience only, it's a very useful read. I like the month by month sections so you can read up on special issues for each month, plus there are some nice general sections which really get stuck in to what happens if the pregnancy isn't nice and straightforward. As someone who is having a very complex pregnancy, I am thrilled to find a book that reassures that complications are rare yet still gives detailed information on what these complications are and how they are handled. For the women who are suffering from complications it's vital they are not glossed over as "something that will not happen to you", and this is one of few pregnancy books that manages this.

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Rating: - what to expect
Out of the dozen pregnancy books I had, this was the one I found the best and most helpful. It had the answers to all my questions in each month (is this aching feeling normal? why are my legs crampy? and so on). It really helped me not to panic. I read the part on true and false labor symptoms almost every evening at the finish, but at least I had no doubt when the time has come.