Why does everyone try to Push the book "What to expect when, Your expecting"?

I know that book has been around forever, but I know for myself (yes I have read it) there is a lot of wrong information and vague answers in it.
I know it has caused a lot of nervous mothers to panic and arrive at the hospital because they have indigestion.

Any one else have any thoughts on the matter?

I am a labour & delivery nurse ( you can email me @ cutern4u@hotmail.com, if you have pregnancy/birthing/breastfeeding questions)
Mother of 9 month old

On one of the other questions someone is qouting the "What to expect...." book and has told the girl to see the doctor RIGHT AWAY, that someting is wrong!!
I think the book makes new expecting mothers paranoid. That's the thing I don't like about the book.
I used Pregnany week by week and found it a lot better.

I don't know WHY people like this book so much, but I agree with you. I can't stand that book because it presents such a narrow scope of pregnancy and postpartum care. It's incredibly rigid and if you ask me, has caused many a mom-to-be to second guess her own instincts.

As far as books go, I really like Dr.Sears and The Baby book. Any book that supports moms rather than causes them undue stress is ok by me.

It's great to hear an L&D nurse doesn't like it, by the way. Wonder how many other L&D nurses feel the same way!

I don't know. I'm a mother of 3, never read it and never pushed it

who knows, i guess b/c its "the book to have", its well-known. etc. What to expect the toddler years is an even WORSE book IMO. very anti-breastfeeding.

I didn't like the book at all. I read "Your pregnancy week by week". I found it very useful. I did however like "What to expect, the first year" It's by the same authors, but it was really good.

Its a good book for general info. It certainally shouldn't be the only book new moms should read.

I was put off by the next one in that series. Really seemed to be one sided with the forumla feeding, and I was nursing.

I have never read the book but I use the website. www.whattoexpect.com, which is made by the author. I have compared and alot of the information doesnt match up. But I did find it very helpful with what to expect like nausea vomiting and it is nice to see the pictures of what your baby would look like, size and all. I love it.

i'm actually reading it because many friends had recommended it to me, and this is my first pg, bc of that I didn't know the book has some wrong info....it has worked well tough

I dunno. It was in the little bag of samples and such that my OB gave me at my first visit. I thought it was a pretty bad book too. It didn't mention a lot of important things, and mentioned a lot of dumb things.

These books, and yes, I have read them (i'm a dad), provide info, however vague, to those who are too afraid to ask, or feel that their questions may seem dumb. As a delivery nurse, you know better than anyone that new or expecting parents are clueless as they are too excited/nervous to think either rationally or to ask the questions.

Yeah ! "What to expect when your expecting" is a very popular book for a first time mom. I think it is so popular because , when you are pregnant with your first child, you are very aware of the fact , that you don't know enough about babies . I got a copy of that book as a gift from a friend ,while pregnant . The book wasn't a very big help .

I'm pregnant for the first time and it has general info that is useful. That's why I read it. It has some good info about what you can and cannont eat like certain cheeses and fish, sex, exercise, and a lot of other misc stuff they don't always tell you at the doctors office.

I liked the book "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" much better. I haven't barely read "What to Expect..." since my first pregnancy. I feel like I never get the answers I'm looking for in there. And the pictures aren't very good compared to the other book I have.

I am a first time mom who knew NOTHING about pregnancy & that book helped me more than anybody will ever know. Week By Week didn't answer enough for me & I always wanted to know weird stuff that WTE did tell me. I loved the book personally & it made me ALOT less paranoid than I would have been without it. It was also a great tool to help my b/f know what was going on with the baby & me. I now have "WTE, The First Year" & love that one too :)

I read that one just because I saw it everywhere. I read it mainly for the "This is how big your baby is this week and this is what he looks like" sections. :) I also got "The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy" and laughed my butt off. When I became pregnant with my second son, I re-read it and laughed even harder because so many of the points she makes in the book are SO true!

Whenever I had a question or concern about my pregnancy, I'd call my OB's office and speak with the nurse. If it was worth coming in for a visit, they'd see me. If not, they'd tell me what to do and I was always fine afterwards.

I'm pregnant right now and I have the book. I find it to be helpful, but I've also read tons of breastfeeding books and stuff about pregnancy other places, so it's by no means my only source of information.

Marketing is probably a big reason why the book is pushed, also, it's been around forever.

But as a nurse, surely you can influence your patients to read other books if you feel like "What to Expect" is not very good.