Expecting Better


Book Description

A gift edition, with a new letter to the reader from Emily—perfect for baby showers and special moments “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.




The Family Firm


Book Description

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Chart a child's path with less stress and more optimization for healthy habits and future success' Time From age 5 to 12, parenting decisions get more complicated and have lasting consequences. What's the right kind of school? Should they play a sport? When's the right time for a phone? Making these decisions is less about finding the specific answer and more about taking the right approach. Along with these bigger questions, Oster investigates how to navigate the complexity of day-to-day family logistics. The Family Firm is a smart and winning guide to how to think more clearly - and with less ambient stress - about the key decisions of these early years.




Cribsheet


Book Description

From the author of Expecting Better, The Family Firm, and The Unexpected an economist's guide to the early years of parenting. “Both refreshing and useful. With so many parenting theories driving us all a bit batty, this is the type of book that we need to help calm things down.” —LA Times “The book is jampacked with information, but it’s also a delightful read because Oster is such a good writer.” —NPR With Expecting Better, award-winning economist Emily Oster spotted a need in the pregnancy market for advice that gave women the information they needed to make the best decision for their own pregnancies. By digging into the data, Oster found that much of the conventional pregnancy wisdom was wrong. In Cribsheet, she now tackles an even greater challenge: decision-making in the early years of parenting. As any new parent knows, there is an abundance of often-conflicting advice hurled at you from doctors, family, friends, and strangers on the internet. From the earliest days, parents get the message that they must make certain choices around feeding, sleep, and schedule or all will be lost. There's a rule—or three—for everything. But the benefits of these choices can be overstated, and the trade-offs can be profound. How do you make your own best decision? Armed with the data, Oster finds that the conventional wisdom doesn't always hold up. She debunks myths around breastfeeding (not a panacea), sleep training (not so bad!), potty training (wait until they're ready or possibly bribe with M&Ms), language acquisition (early talkers aren't necessarily geniuses), and many other topics. She also shows parents how to think through freighted questions like if and how to go back to work, how to think about toddler discipline, and how to have a relationship and parent at the same time. Economics is the science of decision-making, and Cribsheet is a thinking parent's guide to the chaos and frequent misinformation of the early years. Emily Oster is a trained expert—and mom of two—who can empower us to make better, less fraught decisions—and stay sane in the years before preschool.




Bumpin'


Book Description

Prepare for pregnancy, birth, and the newborn months with this award-winning “thoroughly modern guide to pregnancy” (National Parenting Product Awards). Now in a new revised and expanded second edition, Bumpin’ will radically transform your pregnancy journey from overwhelmed and confused to one of confidence. With over a decade of experience advising women’s health care and technology companies, Leslie Schrock distills cutting-edge research and practical guidance into a comprehensive pregnancy guide—from conception through pregnancy into the first months with an infant. She also shares her own personal journey, including the curveballs she faced on the way. This second edition updates the evidence and includes even more practical advice from experts ranging from doulas, ob-gyns, midwives, therapists, prenatal trainers, nutritionists, and researchers so you can make the best decisions for your family. With a look at the science, it tackles pregnancy FAQs and topics like the truth about cleaning up your cosmetics, nutrition, exercise, and epidurals; and the practical, like putting together a baby budget and navigating work before and after birth. New sections in the fourth trimester after your baby arrives go deeper on breastfeeding and bottle feeding as well as sleep and recovery for you. Inside the second edition of Bumpin’ you will find: -A trimester-by-trimester overview from conception through the postpartum period and return to work -How to optimize your fertile window and getting pregnant -The truth about age, fertility, and managing any issues that arise -Miscarriage and assisted reproduction treatments like IVF -Guidance on diet, substance use, and exercise before and during pregnancy -The science behind your physical changes, leaks, sweats, and every other unexpected pregnancy symptom -Managing your mental health -Understanding what happens during birth and creating your birth preferences -Advice for partners, family members, and friends supporting your pregnancy -Budgeting, finance tips, baby registry, and hospital checklists -Updated research on infant feeding and lactation Warm, funny, and non-judgmental, Bumpin’ will leave you feeling prepared and ready to tackle anything that comes your way.




Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan


Book Description

** As seen on the Victoria Derbyshire show ** Providing you with everything you've ever wanted to know about pregnancy, this is the definitive guide from conception to the first few weeks' at home with your newborn *** 'I wish there'd been a book like this when I was pregnant. It almost makes me want to have another child. Almost' Bryony Gordon *** Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan is a revolutionary new guide to pregnancy and childbirth that puts the power firmly in your hands. It won't tell you what fruit your baby resembles week-by-week, but it will cover the huge shifts happening in your relationships, body, work and emotional life right now, giving you practical tools, tips and real stories to help you make a plan that is uniquely yours yet flexible enough to accommodate whatever your pregnancy, birth and life throw at you. ***Further Praise for Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan*** 'The book has everything a pregnant woman needs ... I'm sure this will be the go-to book for women in years to come' - Helen Thorn host of the Scummy Mummies podcast 'Rebecca is a living, breathing Wonder Woman heroine. In a sea of complicated, important and sometimes angry debate around childbirth, she is a mast to hold onto.' - Cherry Healey, presenter and author of Letters to My Fanny I can't think of a panicky question I had thought of through either of my pregnancies (and I thought of them at a rate of five per second) that wouldn't have been answered by this book. I wish I had had it, in fact. A very empowering guide to becoming a mother.' - Robyn Wilder, The Pool




The Happiness Problem


Book Description

We appear to have more control over our lives than ever before. If we could get things right – the perfect job, relationship, family, body and mind – then we’d be happy. With enough economic growth and technological innovation, we could cure all societal ills. The Happiness Problem shows that this way of thinking is too simplistic and can even be harmful: no matter how much progress we make, we will still be vulnerable to disappointment, loss and suffering. The things we do to make ourselves happy are merely the tip of the iceberg. Sam Wren-Lewis offers an alternative process that acknowledges insecurity and embraces uncertainty. Drawing on our psychological capacities for curiosity and compassion, he proposes that we can connect with, and gain a deeper understanding of, the personal and social challenges that define our time




The Better Baby Book


Book Description

How to create a healthier, happier, smarter baby?the breakthrough pregnancy diet and lifestyle plan based on cutting-edge genetic science Whether you're planning for pregnancy or are already pregnant, this essential prenatal guide draws on the latest genetic research to give you a complete program of specific nutrition and environmental lifestyle changes that can help you have a better baby. The book is based on the emerging science of epigenetics and shows how the environment interacts with your genes, affecting which genes are expressed or "turned on". It shows you the important steps you can take to improve preconception nutrition and reduce toxins in your home and body to consciously help your child be healthy, smart, and strong. Leverages the latest epigenetics research to help you produce a healthier, smarter, and happier baby with a lower risk of allergies, asthma, and developmental issues Shares a specific prescriptive program based on four principles: eating the right foods; taking the right supplements; detoxifying before, during, and after pregnancy; and minimizing stress Shows how a woman's health and her environment during pregnancy may have a much bigger impact on her child than was previously thought Includes the authors' compelling personal story of developing the Better Baby Plan shared in the book as they had their own better babies




The Healthy Pregnancy Book


Book Description

From America's leading authorities in childcare comes the definitive guide to having a healthy pregnancy -- and a healthy baby. The Healthy Pregnancy Cookbook guides expectant mothers and fathers through all stages of pregnancy from preconception through birth, focusing on how to enhance the health of mother and baby: How to grow a smarter and healthier baby How your baby is developing, and how you may be changing both emotionally and physically Eating right for two, with a helpful list of pregnancy superfoods Exercise and keeping fit during your pregnancy Concerns and questions you may have about test and technology, genetic counseling, and childbirth options How to protect the womb environment and recognize potential household hazards Advice on working while pregnant Choosing the right healthcare provider and childbirth class The transition into parenthood And much more... Written in the Searses' trademark reassuring tone that makes their books long-term bestsellers, The Healthy Pregnancy Book is the must-have resource to fit the greater demands of today's savvy parents.




What We Didn't Expect


Book Description

Every year, 400,000 families in the United States welcome premature babies ... Ten percent of babies born in the U.S. are preemies. But that one word, "preemie," encompasses a range of medical and cultural experiences. There are textbooks, medical-ish guidebooks, and the occasional memoir to turn to ... but no book that collects personal experiences from the many people who have parented, cared for, or been preemies themselves. Until now. In What We Didn't Expect, journalist Melody Schreiber brings together a chorus of acclaimed writers and thinkers to share their diverse stories of having or being premature babies. The stories here cover everything from life-changing tests of faith to navigating the red tape of healthcare bureuacracy; from overcoming unimaginable grief to surviving and thriving against all odds. The result is a moving, heartfelt book, and a crucial and informative resource for anyone who has, or is about to have, the experience of dealing with a premature birth.




Like a Mother


Book Description

A candid, feminist, and personal deep dive into the science and culture of pregnancy and motherhood Like most first-time mothers, Angela Garbes was filled with questions when she became pregnant. What exactly is a placenta and how does it function? How does a body go into labor? Why is breast best? Is wine totally off-limits? But as she soon discovered, it’s not easy to find satisfying answers. Your obstetrician will cautiously quote statistics; online sources will scare you with conflicting and often inaccurate data; and even the most trusted books will offer information with a heavy dose of judgment. To educate herself, the food and culture writer embarked on an intensive journey of exploration, diving into the scientific mysteries and cultural attitudes that surround motherhood to find answers to questions that had only previously been given in the form of advice about what women ought to do—rather than allowing them the freedom to choose the right path for themselves. In Like a Mother, Garbes offers a rigorously researched and compelling look at the physiology, biology, and psychology of pregnancy and motherhood, informed by in-depth reportage and personal experience. With the curiosity of a journalist, the perspective of a feminist, and the intimacy and urgency of a mother, she explores the emerging science behind the pressing questions women have about everything from miscarriage to complicated labors to postpartum changes. The result is a visceral, full-frontal look at what’s really happening during those nine life-altering months, and why women deserve access to better care, support, and information. Infused with humor and born out of awe, appreciation, and understanding of the female body and its strength, Like a Mother debunks common myths and dated assumptions, offering guidance and camaraderie to women navigating one of the biggest and most profound changes in their lives.