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J**O
Great book
This was recommended to me by my cousin and I gifted it to my friend who is going through her first pregnancy journey. Very informative she loved it
A**P
THE BEST
I read expecting better and loved the book, so I was ready for my next steps of reading books about what to expect after the baby is born. I had some books gifted to me that I started reading and they would just make me stressed and overwhelmed. So I knew I should give this one a try. This book is the BEST. Emily feels like a best friend and therapist at the same time, giving helpful data-based answers without exaggerating, making you feel stupid or just giving you advice without any basis for it. I love that. It’s so easy to read, it makes me feel supported as opposed to stressed, and makes me feel better equipped to become a mother soon. I love the chapter that talks about post birth effects on the mother (as those are not talked about enough). Thank you! I highly recommend.
J**S
Solid overall, could use a bit more data
I really enjoyed Emily Oster’s book on pregnancy so I was really excited to read this book. So far I have felt like this book was a bit more opinion based than her other one. I am more of a numbers girl, so I wish it had held with her previous data driven takes. Overall it is solid and helpful for new parents like myself!
J**N
Great for first-time moms!!
As a first-time mom, this book was incredible. I learned so many valuable insights into motherhood and how to maneuver through different milestones and changes with your baby/toddler. I will definitely be gifting this to other mom friends and recommend it for you too!
H**N
Another amazing book from Emily!
Loved the discussion on the data; I feel empowered to make my own decisions instead of blindly following guidelines. Also a huge stress reliever to find out about how much things really matter or don't matter
I**I
Informative, concise, non judgemental
So many parenting books are just propaganda for whatever regime the author likes best... this is an easy to read summary of the data, what is known and not, and recommendations based not on the authors opinion but on good evidence. Exactly what I needed.
I**5
Must read
This really calmed my anxiety and provided me with amazing information to make decisions for myself and my baby. No more peer pressure or guilt from all the advice everyone throws my way. No more needing to follow the latest trends. Just solid, study based information providing me a foundation on what decision fits my family best.So grateful for this author and her books.
M**E
Its ok. Don't approach it as a decision guide, but as a way to think of things to ask later
As someone who has a background in economics and does data analytics for a living, I of course bought both Expecting Better and Crib Sheets.These books are ok. They have some interesting data and they get you thinking about issues you will likely encounter as a pregnant lady and later as a new parent. However, the tone is very much geared towards a subset of the population that can relate to the life of upper-middle lass professionals, especially those with an academics schedule. I also failed to see how her personal choices reflected at all the data that was presented. In the end, our decisions are going to be subjective, even if bombarded with the most accurate, up-to date data and insights.For example, after seeing just how safe epidurals are, why anyone would chose not to have one (as the author did) and to be martyr, is beyond me, but to each his own.Crib sheets in particular opens up with things I just can't relate to. Getting a baby to get used to not being swaddled at the 4-5 months mark - that's nice if you don't put the baby in day-care after at most 12 months of maternity leave, which is what most people get at best. Day cares will not swaddle babies, so you need to prepare for that earlier.Or the angst about mommy group fights on Facebook? Um why even bother or engage in that? If you are an educated professional especially, why bother with the opinions of the social media mob? Just disconnect and stop fretting.There are many books out there but honestly just listen to friends whom you trust and tend to see eye-to-eye with who have already had children. Most importantly, ask and listen to your pediatrician. Books such as this one can help you think of the right questions and anticipate decisions that will need to be made - but they don't really provide much in terms of solutions or guidance. To her credit, the author admits that even when presented with the same information, people will make different decisions and her goal is to share that information and her experience, and not to offer prescriptive device. Enjoy your baby and don't aim to be a perfectionist.
