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taylorkinsey's review against another edition
5.0
A must-read for every pregnant person, people who would like to someday become pregnant, and partners of pregnant people. We are faced with so many decisions, and Emily Oster approaches many of these decisions with an evidence-baased approach that is couched in the understanding that every family/person is going to have their own context/preference through which to view the evidence and make the decisions. There are a lot more grey areas than folks realize when it comes to baby-related decisions, but being armed with data helps in that discernment. I feel much more empowered in my decision-making with this pregnancy and look forward to taking what I've learned into future pregnancies!
saegelsomino's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.0
This is probably the most enjoyable book I’ve read in my pregnancy, though I’ll recognize some obvious biases and flaws.
The good: I loved the data. Data and information matters to me and I loved getting a detailed perspective from multiple viewpoints about some of the core topics that arise in pregnancy, often with little actual supporting information (even if it does exist somewhere, it’s not always well addressed). Generally speaking I felt like her tone was approachable and she broke down complex topics and research well. Also, I did appreciate her continuous assertion that there isn’t always one universal right answer. In many situations, particularly in pregnancy, you’re presented with a lot of information and need to make choices based on what matters most to you. She was always clear that her decision is not necessarily one someone else would make.
The not-awesome: there was some obvious bias, and her experience is a narrow one, mostly upper middle class. She did a good job of recognizing that socioeconomic factors play a role in research that’s often untold, but the book itself wasn’t overly inclusive of those factors. I’ve also seen some critiques from medical professionals about some of her more controversial opinions (those around alcohol being one of them) and I do see where they’re coming from.
That said, this was still a really entertaining read, which is not a word I’d often use when it comes to pregnancy literature. I don’t think you can take everything Oster presents as undeniable fact, but I think it can help form the basis of a healthy discussion on different topics that you can then bring to your practitioner if you desire.
The good: I loved the data. Data and information matters to me and I loved getting a detailed perspective from multiple viewpoints about some of the core topics that arise in pregnancy, often with little actual supporting information (even if it does exist somewhere, it’s not always well addressed). Generally speaking I felt like her tone was approachable and she broke down complex topics and research well. Also, I did appreciate her continuous assertion that there isn’t always one universal right answer. In many situations, particularly in pregnancy, you’re presented with a lot of information and need to make choices based on what matters most to you. She was always clear that her decision is not necessarily one someone else would make.
The not-awesome: there was some obvious bias, and her experience is a narrow one, mostly upper middle class. She did a good job of recognizing that socioeconomic factors play a role in research that’s often untold, but the book itself wasn’t overly inclusive of those factors. I’ve also seen some critiques from medical professionals about some of her more controversial opinions (those around alcohol being one of them) and I do see where they’re coming from.
That said, this was still a really entertaining read, which is not a word I’d often use when it comes to pregnancy literature. I don’t think you can take everything Oster presents as undeniable fact, but I think it can help form the basis of a healthy discussion on different topics that you can then bring to your practitioner if you desire.
indigowolf's review against another edition
funny
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Second time reading this one. While I may not agree with all of her findings, I like the way she thinks critically about these decisions.
deagaric's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
"There is no shortage of opinions, but there is a definite shortage of agreements."
Emily Oster's Expecting Better is an excellent and light-hearted primer to pregnancy that every mom-to-be should read. She concisely covers topics starting from pre-conception up to what vaccinations your baby will receive following the birth.
The overall aim seems to be to provide information free from over-interpretation, which a breath of fresh air compared to most self-help and parenting books. She does occasionally step in and provide more structured advice, such as very handy figures about knowing which types of fish are the safest and/or most beneficial, as well as a guide to understanding drug classifications for common over-the-counter prescriptions. Each section ends with bullet-point style summaries, which are excellent for future reference. I’m glad I was gifted a hardcopy of this book rather than just relying on the library copy because I imagine it will be helpful to look back on certain sections again and again.
While some of her opinions are controversial (drink a few cups of coffee and finish your night with a glass of wine if you so choose), she provides interesting data-driven reasoning. I loved the numerous graphs and the deep discussions about empirical studies that have found conflicting results. She mixes all of that up with personal anecdotes from her pregnancy and the experiences of people close to her. Overall, 5-star read, very approachable and empowering.
"This book is very specifically not about making recommendations; it's about acknowledging that if you have the right information you can make the right decisions for yourself."
Emily Oster's Expecting Better is an excellent and light-hearted primer to pregnancy that every mom-to-be should read. She concisely covers topics starting from pre-conception up to what vaccinations your baby will receive following the birth.
The overall aim seems to be to provide information free from over-interpretation, which a breath of fresh air compared to most self-help and parenting books. She does occasionally step in and provide more structured advice, such as very handy figures about knowing which types of fish are the safest and/or most beneficial, as well as a guide to understanding drug classifications for common over-the-counter prescriptions. Each section ends with bullet-point style summaries, which are excellent for future reference. I’m glad I was gifted a hardcopy of this book rather than just relying on the library copy because I imagine it will be helpful to look back on certain sections again and again.
While some of her opinions are controversial (drink a few cups of coffee and finish your night with a glass of wine if you so choose), she provides interesting data-driven reasoning. I loved the numerous graphs and the deep discussions about empirical studies that have found conflicting results. She mixes all of that up with personal anecdotes from her pregnancy and the experiences of people close to her. Overall, 5-star read, very approachable and empowering.
"This book is very specifically not about making recommendations; it's about acknowledging that if you have the right information you can make the right decisions for yourself."