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1.46k reviews for:
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--And What You Really Need to Know
Emily Oster
4.24 AVERAGE
1.46k reviews for:
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--And What You Really Need to Know
Emily Oster
4.24 AVERAGE
informative
fast-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
funny
informative
fast-paced
An interesting and quick read. I found the economic analysis of all the varying research studies that are referenced during pregnancy. I have been frustrated by all the conflicting studies and advice, so this was somewhat refreshing. I don’t know if I would come to the same conclusions as the author, based on the same analysis - I don’t need a glass of wine that badly.
informative
medium-paced
informative
fast-paced
So, like, obviously the author’s not a doctor—she’s an economist. As such, it’s probably unwise to take this book as any kind of instruction manual for pregnancy & birth.
But if you’re the kind of gal who was absolutely paralyzed with fear as soon as the pink line appeared (wait, can I have ranch dressing from Chick-Fil-A?!?!!! do I have to stop sleeping on my stomach immediately?!! is *this* normal??), it’s useful for what it is. She’s got a pretty calm tone and presents things in a somewhat objective manner (though not totally—you can see where her biases come out!).
TL;DR - taking it for what it is; I thought it was a good read! Calmed me down a bit about the whole process, which I find valuable in its own right (but, again, I didn’t really use it to guide any decisions).
But if you’re the kind of gal who was absolutely paralyzed with fear as soon as the pink line appeared (wait, can I have ranch dressing from Chick-Fil-A?!?!!! do I have to stop sleeping on my stomach immediately?!! is *this* normal??), it’s useful for what it is. She’s got a pretty calm tone and presents things in a somewhat objective manner (though not totally—you can see where her biases come out!).
TL;DR - taking it for what it is; I thought it was a good read! Calmed me down a bit about the whole process, which I find valuable in its own right (but, again, I didn’t really use it to guide any decisions).
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I absolutely, and highly, recommend this book to any expecting parents, especially pregnant women. My wife had so many questions whilst she was pregnant and many sources, in print and on the internet, had conflicting advice. What foods can’t she eat? and more important why can’t she eat them? are cats really that dangerous to a pregnant woman? how much weight should she gain? what about medication during this period?
The best thing about the book for me what her unique style, which is built on two ….. First, her academic, in economics, background. She starts each topic with an impressive literature review of the topic where she later breaks it down into major concrete findings, disagreements, strengths and weakness, much like what you find in PhD theses and peer-reviewed academic papers. Her economics backgrounds, strong in statistical methods and pattern identification approach, aided in building impressive findings and conclusions; in addition to a few great graphs. The second was her personal stories scattered throughout the book, somewhere insightful and most hilarious. Her Husband seemed to be an absolute bum, and I loved how she complained about him in different colours each time. Remind me of myself. These small caveats provided breathing bubbles and relatable connections throughout the book.
Overall, a great insightful book that has an easy reading style, a unique academic approach to the topic and answers many questions that occupy everyone involved in the pregnancy “journey”, specifically pregnant women. What differentiates this book further is the way the answers are delivered. A literature review approach is utilised to layout the landscape was confirmed and repeated findings are distinguished from those lacking repeated confirmed results, weak sampling methods conflated conclusions, … etc. Hence, as a reader, you are not taking the research findings at face value, but instead, you are understanding the nuances of different approaches, and remedies suggested by the research. With this approach, I found myself not only frequently correcting others but breaking down how they were wrong, which research leads them to this conclusion and which issues are largely still an open question.
The best thing about the book for me what her unique style, which is built on two ….. First, her academic, in economics, background. She starts each topic with an impressive literature review of the topic where she later breaks it down into major concrete findings, disagreements, strengths and weakness, much like what you find in PhD theses and peer-reviewed academic papers. Her economics backgrounds, strong in statistical methods and pattern identification approach, aided in building impressive findings and conclusions; in addition to a few great graphs. The second was her personal stories scattered throughout the book, somewhere insightful and most hilarious. Her Husband seemed to be an absolute bum, and I loved how she complained about him in different colours each time. Remind me of myself. These small caveats provided breathing bubbles and relatable connections throughout the book.
Overall, a great insightful book that has an easy reading style, a unique academic approach to the topic and answers many questions that occupy everyone involved in the pregnancy “journey”, specifically pregnant women. What differentiates this book further is the way the answers are delivered. A literature review approach is utilised to layout the landscape was confirmed and repeated findings are distinguished from those lacking repeated confirmed results, weak sampling methods conflated conclusions, … etc. Hence, as a reader, you are not taking the research findings at face value, but instead, you are understanding the nuances of different approaches, and remedies suggested by the research. With this approach, I found myself not only frequently correcting others but breaking down how they were wrong, which research leads them to this conclusion and which issues are largely still an open question.