Review of EXPECTING BETTER
Surprise! I’m back (mostly)
For those who have been around a while, you have probably noticed I’ve been absent here for over two months now. I found out I was pregnant at the end of April – and later found out it was twins! – and an unfortunate and unexpected side effect is that reading is… hard and unenjoyable. And let me tell you: I am more disappointed than anyone.
But, I am back (mostly). And I want to thank you all for sticking around, and welcome to the hundreds of new folks who have signed up in my absence. I am grateful. I am feeling much better now in my second trimester and though reading books still feels challenging for me, I’m feeling good enough to produce this newsletter again. I cannot promise my prior capacity of six reviews a month but am aiming for one post a week until I can get back in the groove of reading.
Before my pregnant brain started hating books, I of course turned to books to prepare myself for what to expect over the next eight months. And for those that know my reading habits are probably unsurprised to know that I ran straight to Emily Oster’s Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong - and What You Really Need to Know.
Expecting Better is a play on the traditional What to Expect When You’re Expecting Book, but instead of outdated guidelines that are rooted in outdated research if at all, Oster takes a data driven and honest approach to what you can and cannot do during pregnancy. As a fellow “type a” kind of person, Oster’s approach is exactly what I wanted and needed.
You don’t need to have been pregnant to know that if you google anything + pregnancy, you will get loads of contradictory advice on how bad something is for you and your baby. The conventional approach to pregnancy advice is err on the side of caution and avoid anything and everything that could maybe possibly sort of perhaps be bad, even though we don’t really know. Enjoy the next eight months of restrictive hell!
Although there are certainly many things we don’t know about fetal development, we know a lot more than we used too. We now know that moderate caffeine is perfectly fine during pregnancy, lifting weights isn’t bad, you can get your heart rate above 140 bpm during exercise, laying on your back for a bit won’t kill your baby, and high-grade sushi can be eaten. You can even, based on research, have a glass of wine at night – one of Oster’s most controversial pregnancy opinions!
Oster’s book is a must read for expecting moms. It clearly lays out the evidence for everything from food, exercise, miscarriage, diagnostic testing, drug safety, conception, and more. She prioritizes clear answers, defined risks, and rigorous research to help you make informed decisions about the many, many choices you must make as an expecting mom. I’ve found this book immensely useful and comforting. She also has an excellent newsletter which covers pregnancy and parenting.
Published: June 2014 (revised 2021)
Publisher: Penguin Books
Format: Paperback
If you think this sounds interesting, bookmark these other great reads:
Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster (2019)
The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision Making in the Early School Years by Emily Oster (2021) | Read my review
This post contains affiliate links, allowing me to earn a small commission when you purchase books from the link provided. There is no cost to you, and this will allow me to keep this newsletter free and open to all. Happy reading!
Congratulations Nicole! (Currently holding my newborn and can’t imagine having two!!)
Congratulations -- that's wonderful news! Though you're a few years away, I'll note being pleasantly surprised at how many great children's books there are -- good new ones, and the best of the old ones persisting. This mainly applies to fiction, though!