Expecting Better by Emily Oster

MissWhis

Anyone else read this? Opinions?

I finished it last night and thought it was great. Probably my favorite pregnancy book so far. Some of the reviews on Amazon, though, are CRAAAAAAZY.

snowclouds

I'm looking for something to read.  I'll go check this out.  When pregnant with DS I read What to Expect when YOu're Expecting and Baby 411 (I liked this one for an overall look at pregnancy), but I definitely wish I'd read more about taking care of a newborn before he came.

MissWhis

She's an economist who after she was pregnant decided to analyze the studies on a wide variety of things pregnant women are told they are SUPPOSED to do. For example, her doctor said "some coffee is probably fine' and she wanted more facts than that. She looks at actual studies regarding such things using her fancy economist know-how and interprets them for the lay person. Pretty fascinating, actually. I read the whole book in 2 days. But I am a medical scientist so I might just be more prone to facts and statistics than the average bear. 

The big controversy (on Amazon and a few other places) is that she reports that the studies show that light drinking (a glass of wine here and there) is perfectly fine. Some people really freak out about this, apparently. 

MissWhis

Also, I will say that even though she is an economist and talks a lot about meta analysis and such, she writes in a very easy-to-read fashion and is pretty funny as well. Not much info about newborns, though - but it sounds like that may be the next project she is working on. 

Here's a article she wrote for CNN that is a small taste of what the book is like:

https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/27/health/expecting-better-pregnancy-myths/

nikki912

MissWhis said:

She's an economist who after she was pregnant decided to analyze the studies on a wide variety of things pregnant women are told they are SUPPOSED to do. For example, her doctor said "some coffee is probably fine' and she wanted more facts than that. She looks at actual studies regarding such things using her fancy economist know-how and interprets them for the lay person. Pretty fascinating, actually. I read the whole book in 2 days. But I am a medical scientist so I might just be more prone to facts and statistics than the average bear. 

The big controversy (on Amazon and a few other places) is that she reports that the studies show that light drinking (a glass of wine here and there) is perfectly fine. Some people really freak out about this, apparently. 

Yeah the drinking is a sensitive subject but i think its because Americans have this view that alcohol is bad and if you drink a little its going to do something to you. Its a stigma that we created (my guess by some religious groups around the prohibition era) that now dictates how so many people view alcohol. Its very difficult for some people to objectively and rationally look at alcohol consumption during pregnancy. 

But to each their own- you dont want to, fine. Done judge me when i have a glass of wine or half a Porter when I know im not doing anything wrong. 

MissWhis

Totally! And she doesn't say anyone SHOULD drink. She just says that studies of thousands of women and babies show there is no statistical evidence that an occasional glass of wine does any harm. And people can use that information to make their own decisions. 

I just hate it when, for example, my co-worker gives me the stink eye for having a cup of coffee. I like to have my facts to shut her crazy ass down! 

TheatreStar86

MissWhis said:

She's an economist who after she was pregnant decided to analyze the studies on a wide variety of things pregnant women are told they are SUPPOSED to do. For example, her doctor said "some coffee is probably fine' and she wanted more facts than that. She looks at actual studies regarding such things using her fancy economist know-how and interprets them for the lay person. Pretty fascinating, actually. I read the whole book in 2 days. But I am a medical scientist so I might just be more prone to facts and statistics than the average bear. 

The big controversy (on Amazon and a few other places) is that she reports that the studies show that light drinking (a glass of wine here and there) is perfectly fine. Some people really freak out about this, apparently. 

Very interesting. I'm a scientist myself and would love to read something more than anecdotal evidence. Thanks for the suggestion! 

CJP10

I enjoyed this book very much!

BiggerinRealLife

That sounds awesome! Buying it now! Thank God for Amazon mobile.

snappyK

It is a fantastic book.

My one criticism is that is mostly looks at issues that came up in her own, fairly normal, pregnancy. So, it covers a lot, but still left me wanting more. I would love a follow up book with more info on the less run of the mill questions, like different kinds of genetic testing reliability, etc.

lisabugg444

If you guys like this book, then you'll enjoy "The Panic-Free Pregnancy" by Michael Broder, MD. He's an OB-Gyn and a researcher, so he examines the evidence and separates fact from fiction on all the pregnancy "rules" we're told (surprise: most of the "rules" have no scientific basis). The only drawback is the book was published in 2004, so the studies he examines are older than that, but I don't think there have been any groundbreaking studies refuting his conclusions since. I enjoyed the book because I am a scientific and rational person who likes to make evidence-based decisions.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Panic-Free-Pregnancy-Separates-Medications/dp/0399529896/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382471797&sr=8-1&keywords=panic+free+pregnancy

Rogue237

My favorite line from the comments - "Alcohol is more damaging to a fetus than cocaine or heroin!" ...really? I mean... really?

katieharpiceland

I looooove reading amazon reviews. LOL. These books sound interesting though!! Thanks for the recommendations ladies.