This is the first book I read when I got pregnant: "Expecting Better" by Emily Oster.
I think this book should be given to all pregnant women just as soon as they see that little blue line, as it would do a lot to reduce our fear levels and increase our sanity levels.
I think this book should be given to all pregnant women just as soon as they see that little blue line, as it would do a lot to reduce our fear levels and increase our sanity levels.
Basically, Oster is an economics professor who got pregnant, got bombarded with all the info about what was and wasn't safe to do/eat/wear, and decided to find out WHY.
Reader, this wonderful woman has gathered hundreds of scientific studies to find out exactly why pregnant ladies are being advised to avoid brie, have scans and so on. She presents the information in a clear, accessible format. Crucially, she doesn't then tell you what you should or shouldn't do. She leaves that up to you. Her job is to provide you with the information you need to make your own informed decision, based on your personal attitude to risk.
For example: BRIE. I love brie. Most pregnant women are told to avoid it. I was sad about that.
But why should I not eat it?
Thanks to Oster, I now know that brie is not inherently dangerous to the unborn foetus. Brie and other cheeses with soft rinds can be a source of food poisoning, in the form of listeria. Oster goes through the actual likelihood of contracting listeria from brie, looks at the effects a bout of it might have on you and your foetus, and looks at other foods that might be risky. She came to her own conclusions about what she felt safe eating, and leaves it up to you to draw up your own list.
Result: I understood WHY I was being advised to avoid certain foods, what the actual risk was, and what the results might be for my pregnancy. "Oh my god it's a cheese with a soft rind, keep it away from me!" was transformed into: "Hmm, an unopened, supermarket brie made from pasteurised milk - yes, I think I will have a slice, as the risk of contracting listeria is low from this one and I am happy to take the risk," and "hmm, an unpasteurised, smelly old brie - oh god I want it - but the risk is a bit higher on this one so I think I'll pass."
You might be comfortable eating the smelly old unpasteurised brie too. You might want to avoid all soft-rind cheeses, even the nice clean supermarket ones. That's your call. The point is that with this book in your hands, you'll have the information you need to make your own decisions and feel confident in them.
I've focused on the cheese issue here as it was a big deal for me. There's all sorts of other stuff in the book, arranged according to trimester. Some of it is less relevant to a UK reader as Oster is American and dear God, am I glad I don't have to give birth in the States. (She has to campaign to be allowed to eat and drink during her labour!) But much of it is really relevant. And for her clear, logical, evidence-based approach to the jumble of opinions-dressed-up-as-facts that pregnant women are confronted with, she deserves a medal.
What would be a suitable form for such a medal, I wonder?
Reader, this wonderful woman has gathered hundreds of scientific studies to find out exactly why pregnant ladies are being advised to avoid brie, have scans and so on. She presents the information in a clear, accessible format. Crucially, she doesn't then tell you what you should or shouldn't do. She leaves that up to you. Her job is to provide you with the information you need to make your own informed decision, based on your personal attitude to risk.
For example: BRIE. I love brie. Most pregnant women are told to avoid it. I was sad about that.
But why should I not eat it?
Thanks to Oster, I now know that brie is not inherently dangerous to the unborn foetus. Brie and other cheeses with soft rinds can be a source of food poisoning, in the form of listeria. Oster goes through the actual likelihood of contracting listeria from brie, looks at the effects a bout of it might have on you and your foetus, and looks at other foods that might be risky. She came to her own conclusions about what she felt safe eating, and leaves it up to you to draw up your own list.
Result: I understood WHY I was being advised to avoid certain foods, what the actual risk was, and what the results might be for my pregnancy. "Oh my god it's a cheese with a soft rind, keep it away from me!" was transformed into: "Hmm, an unopened, supermarket brie made from pasteurised milk - yes, I think I will have a slice, as the risk of contracting listeria is low from this one and I am happy to take the risk," and "hmm, an unpasteurised, smelly old brie - oh god I want it - but the risk is a bit higher on this one so I think I'll pass."
You might be comfortable eating the smelly old unpasteurised brie too. You might want to avoid all soft-rind cheeses, even the nice clean supermarket ones. That's your call. The point is that with this book in your hands, you'll have the information you need to make your own decisions and feel confident in them.
I've focused on the cheese issue here as it was a big deal for me. There's all sorts of other stuff in the book, arranged according to trimester. Some of it is less relevant to a UK reader as Oster is American and dear God, am I glad I don't have to give birth in the States. (She has to campaign to be allowed to eat and drink during her labour!) But much of it is really relevant. And for her clear, logical, evidence-based approach to the jumble of opinions-dressed-up-as-facts that pregnant women are confronted with, she deserves a medal.
What would be a suitable form for such a medal, I wonder?