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Expecting Better

Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong - and What You Really Need to Know

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Expecting Better

Written by: Emily Oster
Narrated by: Emily Oster, Jonathan Todd Ross
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About this listen

“Emily Oster is the non-judgmental girlfriend holding our hand and guiding us through pregnancy and motherhood. She has done the work to get us the hard facts in a soft, understandable way.” —Amy Schumer

What to Expect When You're Expecting meets Freakonomics: an award-winning economist and author of Cribsheet, The Family Firm, and The Unexpected disproves standard recommendations about pregnancy to empower women while they're expecting.

Pregnancy—unquestionably one of the most pro­found, meaningful experiences of adulthood—can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. Pregnant women are told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee without ever being told why these are forbidden. Rules for prenatal testing are similarly unexplained. Moms-to-be desperately want a resource that empowers them to make their own right choices.

When award-winning economist Emily Oster was a mom-to-be herself, she evaluated the data behind the accepted rules of pregnancy, and discovered that most are often misguided and some are just flat-out wrong. Debunking myths and explaining everything from the real effects of caffeine to the surprising dangers of gardening, Expecting Better is the book for every pregnant woman who wants to enjoy a healthy and relaxed pregnancy—and the occasional glass of wine.

* This audiobook includes a downloadable PDf of charts, graphs and an Appendix from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Emily Oster (P)2021 Penguin Audio
Motherhood Relationships Sexual & Reproductive Health Pregnancy Sexual health Healthy Pregnancy

What the critics say

"A revelation for curious mothers-to-be whose doctors fail to lay out the pros and cons of that morning latte, let alone discuss real science. And it makes for valuable homework before those harried ob-gyn appointments, even for lucky patients whose doctors are able to talk about the rationale behind their advice." (New York Times)

"A book...that pregnant women won't want to miss." (Parents Magazine)

"Oster's advice cuts through the emotion, myth, fear of malpractice litigation and looks at the numbers. A mother herself, Oster's interest isn't just curiosity, it's the same thing that motivates every new mom...and Oster's ability to break down the data into informed analysis is a refreshing break from the hysterical hearsay that often dominates the conversation." (Babyzone)

"It took someone as smart as Emily Oster to make it all this simple. She cuts through the thicket of anxiety and received wisdom, and gives us the facts. Expecting Better is both enlightening and calming. It almost makes me want to get pregnant." (Pamela Druckerman, New York Times best-selling author of Bringing Up Bébé)

What listeners say about Expecting Better

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Enlightening for future dads as well!

This book is the first one I’ve read during my girlfriend’s pregnancy. It answered a lot of questions we had and the structure of each chapter is very easy to follow. Would recommend without hesitation!

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Thank You!

This is the audio every expecting mother needs to hear! Pros and cons are listed for each topic allowing the listener to make their own decision. I really appreciated that the author also reviewed the credibility of the studies so you can have confidence in the findings. And the little bits of humour were a bonus!

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Very interesting information

Makes you really question some of the traditional recommendations and leaves you with lots to think about.

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An analytical view of pregnancy

Emily answers all of the question in a matter of no nonsense way. If you need information to inform your decisions look no further.

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perfect gift for all future Moms

I loved it! knowledge is power. so much information is provided in an easy way to understand. great listening!

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Lots of information that helped my fears!

I wasn't sure if I would like this book but it turns out this was pretty good. it was so nice to learn about the actual stats behind the "recommendation" and to know whether or not it had to be followed or just old rules.

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Very much enjoyed.

Information laid out in a clear way and let’s you hear all sides of the story. It’s also not boring to listen to. I feel I still learned something even though I’ve had three babies. :)

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Very useful! Recommended for anyone thinking of starting a family.

The author does a great job breaking down myths, literature, and many questions related to fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. This should be required reading for any person thinking of starting a family!

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Good info

Helpful information for decision making and takes a lot of worry stress away from pregnancy

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Helpful for making decisions

Pretty much everything in this book is contrary to what we've been told for years about pregnancy do's and don'ts that seem to incite a lot of anxiety, confusion, and judgment. I've been very fearful of even thinking about getting pregnant and all the emotions that come with it, and the loss of self or sacrifices that I've heard so many other moms talk about. With Oster's analyses so many of my fears are out to rest and I feel like finally the truth about conception and pregnancy is out there. I am so appreciative of this book.

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