Anyone else ordered new book 'Expecting Better' by Emily Oster?

[PoppySeedBun]

There is a new book out this week on pregnancy, called 'Expecting Better: why the conventional pregnancy wisdom is wrong and what you really need to know'. I pre-ordered a few days ago, and it arrived on Friday. There's a profile of the book on the BBC site here:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23802785

The author is Emily Oster, an economics professor from the University of Chicago. I first heard about her on the Radio 4 programme 'More or Less', when someone was describing this book. She starts with the idea that in order to make sensible decisions about what to do and not to do when pregnant, you need information on the risks, combined with your personal information about what the pros and cons are.

So far I'm halfway through, and I think it's excellent. It's well written, and with a sense of humour as well as an analytical mind. It probably helps that I have a bit of an analytical background myself, and work with economists, but I think the language is easily understandable.

She seems to have received most attention for her chapter on caffeine and alcohol, where she tries to separate out the risks of heavy consumption (bad in both cases) from the risks of low but not zero consumption. For instance, I had no idea that although caffeine consumption is linked to miscarriage, women who are nauseous are less likely to be drinking coffee, and nausea is a symptom that means you are less likely to miscarry. So it's possible (at least at low levels) that the women drinking coffee are just less likely to be the ones feeling sick.

I really appreciate someone explaining what is going on, and what the evidence is for why you should do something - it makes much more sense to me than a simple rule that applies to everyone, when everyone is different.

I would love to know what other MNers think.

Saw the article yesterday and ordered it but not arrived yet. Glad you're finding it useful though. I'm pregnant with DC2 and with DC1 got very frustrated with the whole "best just avoid it altogether" advice from midwives. Ended up doing some research myself so am interested to read what the author found.

It's also covered in the guardian:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/25/pregnancy-hard-facts-emily-oster

Looks like the sort of book I'd go for - no-nonsense, non-woo, full of verified facts.

Best of luck! (You don't say if you're pg in your OP, but I'm guessing so from your reading matter!)

Ooh, great review, PoppySeedBun, I read the Guardian review today and was wondering whether to order it and I think you've convinced me.
it reminded me of Bumpology, an anthology of columns by a New Scientist journalist who seemed to set out with much the same kind of myth-debunking aims. I've got it and find it both fascinating and reassuring. Oh, and refreshingly non-fluffy and non-patronising. Hope Expecting Better will be more of the same.

Think I would buy it if I was earlier in my pregnancy but have 6 weeks to go so I will carry on as I have been doing.
The guidelines in the states seem much more strict than here probably because doctors don't want to get sued.
I did read the royal college guidelines about chemical exposure and decide they was a lack of evidence behind them but I am a scientist

I like bumpology a lot

But I am wary about this book being both US-based and also the reviews say quite confrontational

I am all for fully informing myself and being strong in my opinions with medical professionals but I so far haven't encountered anybody I have had to be confrontational with and prefer to assume the best until any hcp proves otherwise.

I read the guardian article and thought it looked very good. I've done the pregnancy bit already but it would have been right my street.

badguider I found it well adapted to the UK - they've made an effort to translate to UK terminology and drug names, and it references uk guidelines as well as the US.

It is a little confrontational in a couple of places, but she always makes it clear that it's up to you to make the decision with the information she provides, as well as relating decisions of her friends who made a different decision to her. So I didn't find it at all prescriptive or hectoring in tone - quite the contrary, it's written in a friendly and supportive tone.

I've just ordered it as well, after getting gripped reading various extracts on Amazon. I wish I'd had it for DC1 - I have always hated being told to do things without understanding the reasons why.

I remember with DC1 spending ages researching the advice on baby not sleeping in a separate room. As far as I could find out, there was only ever one study done on the risks and it didn't consider any other lifestyle/socio-economic factors, and even then the risk increase was (something like) 0.0002% compared to 0.0001%. Yet the advice is repeated and repeated and becomes as significant as "don't smoke around the baby".

Can't wait to read it, even though its probably pointless now at 22 weeks with probably the last child, and I've already made 95% of my own decisions on what to do and not do, based on my own work-avoidance research.

I downloaded the book on kindle and have read it already. It's definitely the book for me as I like having all the information and making my own choice. Im aways looking at nhs clinical knowledge summaries, cochrane reviews and nice guidelines. I've increasingly become aware that most pregnancy advice is fairly low on its evidence base, and this book confirms it.

She makes some general conclusions but the book is about giving you information and letting you make up your mind. I was already very sceptical on the risks of caffeine and (low levels) of alcohol use and this presents all the studies.

Lots of criticism of the book is that she is an economist but she is a health focused analyst - her other work is on hep b and HIV. And ultimately she is just as qualified to make judgements on quality of evidence.