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A review by saegelsomino
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--And What You Really Need to Know by Emily Oster
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.