...answers the most common questions women ask before, during, & after pregnancy...discusses birth control, immunizations, when to call the doctor, how to breastfeed, exercise, & much more....interactive charts & checklists.

Fantastic book (5.0)

I found this book in perfect condition at a Goodwill while browsing through their maternity section, for an entirely different book, and was immediately attracted to it when I opened it and began to read. I'm almost 7 Months pregnant with my first child and I found it to be a breath of fresh air from the "What to expect..." books.
This book takes you on a tour of your own body, with pictures and concise descriptions of how things work and why, even pre-pregnancy drawings - showing exactly how everything comes together to allow one to get pregnant to begin with.
It covers all of the common symptoms I've experienced as well as some a haven't and even tips and hints on how to prevent the discomfort from continuing (such as heartburn, nausea, loss of breath during routine activities...ect). The drawings and descriptions throughout this book are simple and yet not at all "brushed over".
It's not about hiding the possibility of bad things happening during pregnancy or labor/delivery, or about accentuating them into worrisome ideas that'll keep you up at night; It simply states what all complications are possible, what are common, and what course of action is typically taken to adjust to a rising complication.
I REALLY like how it goes into great detail concerning the different types of pain management available, from breathing techniques to epidurals and types given during c-section. I've run into a lot of pregnancy books trying to find the right one for me but this one REALLY has it all. Even a dummies check-list for 1st timers like me, ppl who have heard to pack & bring a bag to the hospital, but can't think past 3 items what could possibly go into it! I will ABSOLUTELY be getting this book for my best friend when she has her baby and for my cousins who're currently pregnant. Totally worth the $5 I spent on it; I would have spent $30 without batting an eye for how informative and fantastic this book is!

Labor chapter reads like a HOSPITAL PAMPHLET! (1.0)

More complete and factual information that What to Expect, which is a joke.

While I realize that this book was published by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and not Midwives Alliance of North America, it is pretty despicable to focus on a completely medicalized birth situation. It doesn't glorify doctor friendly methods of birth such as c-sections per se, but there seems to be no mention of how a birth with minimal medical intervention would actually work in the hospital. It repeatedly uses the phrase "if you choose pain relief..." and covers the following events. It never points to what happens or what methods can be used for one avoiding medical pain relief and other types of intervention.

If you go into labor and all you have read is this book, you will be familiar with the medical procedure facts and risks (i.e. an epidural can slow down labor, risks of general anesthesia, anesthesia procedures, etc.) but does NOT give any advice about making informed choices about the direction of the birth. It does not say how any of these interventions can be avoided. It barely indicates that you will be making ANY specific choices aside from accepting the vague notion of "pain relief". It's like you are totally on board for the whole slew of possible interventions or you are not.

I do not believe obstetricians are simply medical technicians. They should be familiar with the idea of a woman giving birth without numerous drugs and tools to regulate the mechanical and biochemical functions of her body like some kind of machine.

My favorite part of the book:

"Some fathers do not want to be in the delivery room during labor and birth. Even if your partner's not there for the big event he can still give you support in other ways. He can come with you to prenatal checkups and take you to the hospital when you are in labor, for instance"

Gee, that's super nice of Dad to cart you off to the hospital when you are about to give birth! That's even better than taking a taxi!

But seriously, pease look at The Whole Pregnancy Handbook by Dr. Joel Evans, an OB.

It is great because it gives you the same objective factual information about pregnancy and labor Planning your Pregnancy does, while also offering information for those who embrace alternative medicine. If you plan on having a scheduled c-section or an epidural, don't worry about this book making you feel guilty. It won't. The excellent and practical advice about dealing with the many symptoms of pregnancy that has helped me a lot. It is about integrating natural methods and choices into conventional medicine, not rejecting it wholesale. The books subtitle says it all and separates it from other natural birth-aware books: "An Obstetrician's Guide to Integrating Conventional and Alternative Medicine Before, During and After Pregnancy"

Better than "what to expect" (5.0)

I got this book and "what to expect..." and the other one was so negative and discouraging that i almost always put it down and it literally drove me to tears a few times. =I found this book to be more useful. This book covers all the essentials and doesn't dwell on all the catastrophes that can strike. It is encouraging, very educational and covered just about every question or concern i had. I don't know why "what to expect" is such a hit but i'm so glad my doctor's office gave out this one instead.

Wonderful book (5.0)

I received this book from my ob-gyn at my first pregnancy appointment. I had been reading the What to expect book and wasn't that fond of it. This book is so easy to read and understand. I have learned so much from it and would highly recommend it to other expectant moms.

A great book (5.0)

By a friend's recommendation, I bought "what to expect when you are expecting". As she said, this is a "pregnancy bible". But I actually like this book -- "planning your pregnancy and birth" much better.

This book is clear, well-organized, and practical. I have a busy schedule. Also my reading speed is fairly slow since English is not my native language. So I appreciate the conciseness and yet still completeness of "planning ...". On the other hand, "What to expect ..." book has 130 more pages with smaller prints. It's also hard for me to find related topics in "what to expect" book, which according to my very personal opinion, has too much information and has too much useless talk.