Expecting Better

Really interesting and engaging read - I'm not currently pregnant or planning to be in the near future, but you hear so much stuff about how terrible caffeine and sushi and everything else is for pregnant women, and this book is like a big deep breath in the middle of all that hysteria. I'm going to keep this and refer to it if I ever do become pregnant, because it's refreshing to know what the science actually says about all these supposed risks. (Some of which are real risks, but a lot of which are overblown.)

(Bookriot Read Harder 2016 Challenge: #2 Read a nonfiction book about science)

This is, hands-down, the best pregnancy book I have read. This breaks down some of the conventional pregnancy thoughts and recommendations (i.e. allowable amount of caffeine, “avoid” foods like sushi, deli meats, etc.) and explains why this recommendation came to be and why it is wrong (or right). Oster uses her judgment as an economist via evaluations of relevant case studies.

Also, this says we can eat sushi (with some risks). Always a plus.

Perhaps good for parents who don't yet already have children. For me, it felt like Emily was strongly trying to push her own agenda—and some of the numbers felt pretty outlandish to me! I recognize her whole point is to “take what you need and leave the rest” but it still felt a bit like she focused really hard on making her SELF feel good about her choices. Mostly read out of curiousity rather than for actual advice, given that I have already gestated and birthed a human, though.

I think all expectant moms should check this book out. I honestly wish I'd read it earlier because there's a ton of information about fertility and conception myths that would have been really helpful. Oster uses a data-driven approach to help pregnant people make the best choices for themselves and their baby. There's SO MUCH information out there, and a lot of the US guidelines for pregnancy are based on “silly women can't control themselves,” so it's nice to have data just laid out to see the risks for yourself. It has really helped ease my anxiety. Highly recommended.

I cannot find the edition of this that I read on Goodreads - I just finished the 2021 edition that has updated foreword, preface, and chapters 1, 2, 4-10, 12, 14, and 17-23.

What I most appreciated about this book was the attitude behind it: pregnancy is not something that just happens to a woman, and you can be an active participant in the decisions. It's important that anyone reading this adopts the mental philosophy behind what she's saying - do not just read this book and take it as medical advice. Use it as a tool to learn more, ask questions, decide, and, in some instances, be prepared for that decision to change. This was one of the books more recommended to me when I got pregnant, and I'm glad I bought it so I can recommend to all my future pregnant pals.