Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--And What You R

<b><b>"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." <b>--Amy Schumer</b> <p/>*Fully Revised and Updated for 2021*</b> <p/><i>What to Expect When You're Expecting</i> meets <i>Freakonomics</i> an award-winning economist disproves standard recommendations about pregnancy to empower women while they're expecting. From the author of <i>Cribsheet </i>and <i>The Family Firm</i>, a data-driven decision making guide to the early years of parenting<br></b><br> Pregnancy--unquestionably one of the most pro&shy;found, 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 <i>why</i> 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. <p/> 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, <i>Expecting Better</i> is the book for every pregnant woman who wants to enjoy a healthy and relaxed pregnancy--and the occasional glass of wine.