This book has it all from week by week descriptions to pregnancy and labor management to taking care of baby. It even includes a comprehensive gear buying guide complete with websites to visit for additional information. If you only buy one book this should be it, but I enjoyed supplementing with a more detailed week by week guide like You and Your Baby Pregnancy: your ultimate week by week by Dr. Laura Riley.

My husband and I both love this book. It is fun to read it each week to see how our child is growing and see what my body is going through. It also has a full index on terms you may hear your doctor mention, as well as full sections dedicated to breast-feeding, purchasing baby stuff (what you really need), and what to expect throughout all stages of labor. Great book!!! It is my pregnancy bible!!!

I liked this book a lot more that "What to Expect When You're Expecting." I felt as though the information was more direct and modern, and phrased in a less intimidating way. It is the perfect all in one resource for a healthy pregnancy and gives a good beginning primer on childbirth and related issues.

Really liked the way information was organized and presented in this pregnancy book. Now I just have to find a food book for the first few years...

I didn't finish this book, because it had all of the same information that the other pregnancy guides I've already read have. It's not bad, but it all just felt redundant.

I loved this book! It was hard to keep myself from looking ahead from week to week...it gives you a weekly explanation of what is happening to your body and to your baby throughout your pregnancy. It was great!

I really liked this guide, because it was more in-depth but also seemed to have more of a relaxed, "you can do it" tone.

I liked this one better than "What to Expect When You're Expecting." A good overview of what's going on in the various stages of pregnancy with mom and baby, as well as helpful information for after baby is born.

My doctor recommended this book to me, and I read it cover to cover throughout the course of my pregnancy. I found it to be informative, comprehensive, and easy to read, and I would definitely recommend it as a good, general guide to pregnancy, childbirth, and the earliest days with your new baby. I appreciated the baby gear guide and resources sections too!

Recommends that you don't buy nice pregnancy clothes because you will be in them for such a short time. Bad advice. Get a nice dress that fits your growing body. You need to feel pretty when you are the size of a whale and can't even get fun shoes on your fat feet.

This is mostly factual and a great bedside companion for pregnancy. It has a handy index for looking up specific questions and concerns. Many times if something freaked me out, I would go to this book (in addition to google) to find answers that reassured me.

When we found out my sister was pregnant, I wanted to get her a pregnancy book, so I went to the bookstore and stood in front of the many shelves of these types of books. After pulling out my phone and reading a few GoodReads reviews, I chose to purchase this book -- and I'm so glad I did! I ended up borrowing it back from my sis to learn more about what she was going through, and to educate myself about childbirth so that I can help on the big day!

This book has the perfect balance between providing accurate information and providing a comforting resource for your worries and fears. I have heard that some books give so much information, especially about complications and abnormalities, that it can be anxiety-causing for the mother. This book does not skirt around any of these issues, but provides the information in a context that is positive and reassuring. It often gives numbers and statistics from actual studies to give perspective about the chances of these problems actually occurring. And that's great, because let's face it - even if something bad does happen, it doesn't do the mother any good to worry about it for her whole pregnancy. Just knowing about the possibilities is enough.

Great Expectations also does a good job of encouraging the mother to make healthy choices without scaring her into being obsessed about everything she eats; it recommends focusing on trying to have a "good week" rather than obsessing about which foods you ate in any given day.

People who are dead-set on a hospital birth with drugs, or inducing, may find this book to be biased against this choice. However, it seems to me that the authors provide accurate information about these choices and that any mother would do well to educate herself about all options before making a birth plan. Mothers who are curious about birth centers, etc. will find a lot of helpful information here.

The book encourages a positive, reasonable approach to pregnancy and childbirth and is a wealth of information for any mother-to-be, or their friends and family.