You: Having a Baby: The Owner's Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy

by Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C., Ted Spiker

Whether you're pregnant for the first time, are trying to start your family, or already have enough children to start your own basketball team, you're bound to have questions about how you can have a healthy and happy pregnancy. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz will share everything you need to know about the miracles of fetal development, your health throughout the pregnancy, and providing the best possible environment for your growing child. Filled with recipes for healthy, satisfying snacks and meals even Pop can cook (yes, he can!), safe exercises for staying fit, and tons of YOU tips that will help you stay comfortable, YOU: Having a Baby is the ultimate guidebook for what to do from the moment of conception to the weeks after your child has arrived home.

But it's more than that (you knew there would be more, as the YOU Docs must have done something right to have four #1 New York Times bestsellers under their belts). They use their signature wit and wisdom to make it easy to understand the latest cutting-edge stuff that affects your pregnancy--like, for example, epigenetics. Epigenetics explores what makes us develop in certain ways--why some people thrive at math while others are prone to chronic diseases. There are easy things you can do to help not just your baby's development in utero, but his or her opportunity to live a healthy, fulfilling adult life. From morning sickness and food cravings to choosing a doctor and changing a diaper, YOU: Having a Baby will give you the real scoop about what's in store for you during this amazing time in your life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Health, Reference, Audiobook

448 pages, Paperback

First published November 9, 2009

About the author

Michael F. Roizen, MD

Reviews

[Infinite Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the remaining 700 or so Facebook friends that don't realize I'm pregnant - I'm pregnant and due in April!
That being said, I discovered early that if one goes down the rabbit hole of 4 million blogs, websites, mommyblogs of dubious distinction or ...horrors... that "What to Expect" crap, you're going to lose a lot of sleep worrying that perhaps that tablespoon of ranch dressing could have touched a molecule of GMO enhanced soybeans, thus throttling down your baby's IQ for life. This is my first book in the "YOU" series, of which I've been mildly attracted to in the past - mostly, I'l admit, for the sassy covers and illustrations.

This one delivers - it gives sensible, intelligent BACKGROUND about what your body is going through during pregnancy and unlike about 99 percent of the other pregnancy-propaganda books, does NOT take a linear "week by week" approach - I learned a wide range of stuff in this book about how pregnancy works - NO...not "how does it happen" per se but a huge volume of magical genetic and biophysical stuff that is truly interesting - probably even if you're not pregnant or dare I say....MALE! Even my artist husband appreciated the funny and detailed illustrations.

I can't recommend this book enough - I bought it at an airport bookstore at JFK returning from a work trip - a sort of memento of what will probably be my last flight before the big day!

A+

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read at least eight pregnancy books when we became pregnant with our first child last April. Out of all of them, this was in my top three. If you're a visual learner, like me, the drawings in this book will help a lot with understanding what's happening with your baby. The information provided is really informative, and quite different, in some ways, from what you'd get with, say, What to Expect When You're Expecting. They talk a lot about epigenetics (how the way your pregnancy goes can affect the ways genes are turned on or off), which is interesting and informative. The section on vaccines is especially well done and balanced, as the two doctors found themselves on opposite sides of the fence. They provide some really good information, options for those in either camp (to vaccinate or not), and good resources to follow up and learn more. I also felt that the section about labor does a great job of emphasizing that there are many, many paths to delivery. They helped show the aspects of all of them, which is good. However, the book is incredibly long; for those who chose to read it cover to cover like me, it might be overwhelming. In addition, the organization feels a bit wonky to me. I felt like there were things I needed to know early in my pregnancy that didn't show up until much later in the book. Sometimes it felt like we were going backwards, as if we'd already discussed labor, but then we were talking about things to do in the first trimester. Overall, though, I think this book is quite useful and deserves a place in each new parent's reading list.

[Bird · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a strange book in that it wavered between too technical and too silly, two attributes you don't generally find in the same book. There are pages upon pages of scientific stuff about pregnancy hormones, epigenetics, health concerns, etc., without much applicable information. But then the book is filled with these strange cartoonish drawings featuring your organs saying (apparently) clever and witty things.

The authors said they didn't want to do a week-by-week pregnancy book because so many issues follow women throughout their pregnancy. But the end result is a disorganized mess, and I think that the week-by-week structure would have helped them organize this much better.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely the most medically relevant pregnancy book I've read thus far. It's nice to feel like someone is giving you information that is on the cutting edge of medical research. I felt it fell a little short in giving the reader an actual idea of how to implement much of the information though. For instance, it talks about how you can turn certain genes on and off, but then it just vaguely mentions avoiding things like alcohol and tobacco. So even though the information is new, the actions are the same thing we've known for years. If you want to know more about what is actually going on during pregnancy, this is a great book. But if you want to know the dos and don'ts, I would stick with the What to Expect series.

[Cathy Mendenhall · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as baby books go, I say not worth it. Yes, if you read one, you read 100 of them all saying the same things. I just could not get into the 'comedy' that the doctors tried to use to help paint a picture for everyone. I prefer a more straight forward delivery.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

My favorite thing about You: Having a Baby is the pregnant exercise routine included in the back. I tried to use it once or twice a week for most of my pregnancy. I would give the workout five stars.

I was irritated with the rest of the book because of the cartoony (and unclear) diagrams and goofy language. It seems to provide a pretty good overview of pregnancy issues and information, but I didn't like the delivery of their message. If you want pregnancy information that includes some of the latest research but doesn't get too technical and includes jokes and funny pictures, this may be a good book for you. Otherwise, it gets old quickly.

[futuregypsy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I did not finish this book. I got 1/3 of the way through and could not stand it anymore. I did not realize before I started the book that this is a Dr. Oz book. I now know that, and the bs contained within makes more sense. Also, there was TONS of preachy advice, but very little evidence and facts presented along with it. If I want an opinion I'll ask anyone. I was looking for information and facts.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had lots of interesting tidbits but I would not buy it for an all in one reference book. It's too disorganized and all over the place. It tended to give lots of scientific facts, which was fun, but the week by week growth during pregnancy, for example, was like only 2-3 pages and very un-detailed. Also, the tone of the book was a little too Bill Nuy The Science Guy for me.

[Abeer Alamri · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب بطل لكل حامل .. تكلم فيه عن كل النواحي اللي تخص الحوامل ابتداء من اتخاذ قرار الحمل حتى الولاده واختيار الطبيب المناسب .. حبيت فيه الرسومات التوضيحيه اللي وضحت لي شغلات كثيره كانت مو مفهومه بالنسبه لي ... كثير من عاداتي الغذائيه غيرتها واستبدلتها بعد ماقريت هذا الكتاب الرهيب .. الكتاب لدكتور اوز ودكتور رويزن .. انصح به بشده ❤️

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the Audible version and it was excellent for me, a newly expecting father who is scientifically minded and knew very little about pregnancy. I typically listen to podcasts at 1.8x speed, and although the authors speak slowly, the density of the info still had me at just 1.4x.

[Danielle T · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is from 2009 (and perhaps there are updated editions, but my library's was acquired in 2009 so it's contemporary to that period) and... it shows, with the early focus on epigenetics (still relevant, but maybe not the hot topic it was over a decade ago).

Thing is, these pop doctors decide to use that as an excuse to remind you that EVERYTHING you do can influence not only your baby, but your baby's baby in the future etc. even though advice wasn't concrete on how exactly you might be methylating your strands. I should've remembered that the other books in this line are on the dieting/self-improvement end of things, so that shouldn't surprise me.

I do like that this book was organized by topic/system, rather than chronological. Was it just me, or did all the people in illustrations have elf ears? almost a political cartoon style of diagram...

The section on vaccination tried to Both Sides it (as they mentioned the doctor author team was divided), with pro-science accurately saying they felt that showing anti-vax positions they were accidentally legitimizing it as a point of view. Oz, unsurprisingly, delayed vaccination for his kids in the individual author note, but his background is in heart surgery, not obstetrics/pediatrics.

Would not recommend, though if you're curious absolutely more of a library read like what I did.

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did peruse What to Expect When You're Expecting and found it useful to know what to expect and when, but that book ultimately left me dissatisfied because I wanted to know the Whys of what happens in the body during pregnancy. This book met that craving with much of the science behind the transformation/creation process, and thankfully the science is delivered with humor and cartoons to make it palatable and digestible to a large audience. Very grateful for having read it, and I really liked the Toolbox at the back of the book and plan to revisit this section as needed.

Re: the audiobook, it was fine and is read by the authors, but the audiobook leaves out a lot of the extras included in the written editions (such as the toolbox at the end), so if you're choosing between the two versions, I recommend getting a copy of the written book instead of the audio book.

[Lacy Lovelace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this book was a better option for me to read than “What To Expect When You’re Expecting.” Oz and Rozien are great at explaining things where the reader can understand it. Their drawings are comical and help the reader make sense of what may be going on in the body. I feel very educated on what is happening with me being pregnant and what to possibly expect from the delivery and afterwards. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that becomes pregnant!

[Lightwhisper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um livro sobre gravidez, mais virado para a realidade americana, com dicas que nem sempre as considero vantajosas para quem as lê, e pode criar ansiedade nas grávidas e quem as acompanha. No entanto, é um formato mais fácil de ler e com exercícios muito fáceis e aparentemente bons para as grávidas.

[Lauren Welch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the science and how the book was organized. It lost a star for me because I didn't like the sexist and body-negative tone on the topic of weight gain. I most liked the section on genetics and epigenetics, which is not covered in many pregnancy books.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The outdated comics really ruined it for me before I even got 50 pages in.
When I got this from the library I initially didn’t know it was an Oz book, but now I know even years later that it has aged poorly. Will stick with other pregnancy books.

DNF

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Útil, com muita informação relevante, mas também com demasiados comentários innecesarios (com propósito de fazer humor, aparentemente) e introduções muito largas que não foram precisas.

Podería ter sido mais conciso, mas tudo bem.

[K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too scary for an expectant mom

[Lígia Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gostei muito. Aprendi muito com o livro. Fico muito contente de o ter lido, mesmo que neste momento já não seja a minha primeira gravidez. Muito interessante.

[Revathi Subramanian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the illustrations in the book

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book covers a wide range of pregnancy related topics, I felt the authors' main focus was explaining what happens inside you during a normal healthy pregnancy: explaining how good nutrition and a safe amount of exercise benefits you and your baby.

I felt they gave sound advice and on the few controversial topics covered they presented both sides before giving their own recommendations and reasoning. They present everything in a nontraditional format, not the week-by-week of most pregnancy books. This was not my favorite pregnancy book, but I found it to still be very interesting and informative. I would recommend this as a lighter read on pregnancy.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of very helpful information in this book! I only wish I had gotten a hard copy instead of a book on CD because now if I want to refer back to something, I don't really know what disc it was on. It didn't take long to get through this book so I guess I could always go back and listen to it again. I appreciated that when they were talking about nutrition they included vegetarian and soy options since that is how I prefer to get my protein and calcium. One thing that I thought was kind of strange though is that Dr. Oz stated that if you have to give your child formula, you should use the cow's milk version as opposed to soy because it is closer to what human milk is like. I mean, I guess some people believe that but what if a child has an allergy or an intolerance? Or what if the parents have a real concern with giving their child cow's milk when it has been linked to ear and sinus infections? I just don't like how they seemed to be open to alternative options for mom but not for baby. Regardless, this is a great introduction book for a first-timer :)

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book does get a little "Dr. Oz"ey, I still found it an enjoyable change from the dry or worse still, corny prenatal books. Where the awesome humour comes in, is the drawings and diagrams.

Exhibit A, In a view of the pregnant belly, she is depicted as wearing hot pants (and further more, they are labelled as being hot pink and lime green). Funny, right?

Exhibit B, In a different diagram of the inner workings of a pregnant belly, the perineum is labelled...wait for it...as the taint. Knee-slapper!

It took me a little bit to even recognize these little attempts at humour, but once I did, I found myself looking forward to reading further and especially engrossed in the diagrams.

Anyway, not really a MUST READ, but if you are pregnant, or know someone who is, I would recommend this book (in addition to the MILLIONS of other manuals they will probably read).

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it veers from the other pregnancy books I read that give you a laundry list of pregnancy "side effects" and what the baby is doing for each month of the pregnancy. It offers some useful information in an entertaining way. Of course, I wouldn't only read this one because those other books are pertinent as well.

And in response to the reviews that say the book makes you feel guilty for not being super healthy already during pregnancy and the baby is "doomed".... Any book about diet during pregnancy will do that. I thought it offered good tips on what supplements to take and number of servings in food groups that was encouraging and in a manner that didn't make me feel like I was back in high school health class (yawn).

[Katie Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm... a book on pregnancy and childbirth written by 2 male doctors. This is one topic that I'm understandably sexist about. For the most part this book was pretty good. I like Dr. Oz and I think he's generally pretty entertaining and well-spoken. The book held my interest longer than some of the other 'pure reference' style, insanely boring pregnancy books. It may have just triggered my hormones, but I think the section on preferred positions for intimacy during pregnancy probably should've been left in the editor's wastebasket. If I were the editor it would've then been doused with lighter fluid and given a proper Viking funeral down the closest toilet. If the women reading this book didn't know anything about sex they probably wouldn't be pregnant to begin with.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift when my friend John found out I was pregnant. Since it was an audio book, I popped it in my cd player in the car and listened to it on the way to and from work. At first, it was really annoying because the authors claimed to have this whole new discovery regarding pregnancy, and then went on to give just about all of the same information as all the other books/websites I have come across. However, it did end up having some interesting tidbits of information. I'll share the one that still continues to fascinate me:

A pregnant woman produces more estrogen in ONE DAY than a non-pregnant adult woman (pre-menopausal) produces in THREE YEARS.

That's a lot of estrogen.

[Silas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, not ME, per se, but I still wanted to learn a few things. This audiobook was relatively short, clocking in at about five and a half hours. It did come with a companion PDF, which will add some extra content. Since I am still in the research phase of this process, I can't really say whether the information here is accurate or not, though I trust that it is at least reasonably so. The attempts at humor are kind of forced, but it doesn't come up all that often, and it doesn't distract too much from the content. The narration sacrifices a bit in speed and approachability in favor of clarity, which I suppose is good, but is still somewhat frustrating. Overall, I feel like this could have been a bit longer, but what is here is pretty good.

[Karuna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having a hard time finishing this one it's like a modern day Dr. Oz version of the what to expect when your expecting. I'm burnt out on baby books right now, less than 3 months to go and reading is my last priority nesting mode! lol
Update: I'm 36 weeks and have not picked it back up. Just not my cup of tea and kinda old news if you have done any reading about pregnancy. He does offer an updated view and more self care and a planning calendar insert in the book. I will admit this book is not my go to pregnancy book.

[Lyndsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED it! The book was very well written for the average old OR young female preparing or already in progress of having a baby. It was funny and light hearted, as well as being very education about what is happening with your body. I really enjoyed the "comic" strips to show the "humor" of what is happening inside. I also like how it gave tips at the end of each section and had tips for men as well. I was impressed with all the side notes and the flow of the book all together. I will definatley keep this one to reference again!

[Angie crosby · Rating 1 out of 5]

All this book did was scare me. I only read a bit of it, and then skimmed parts of the rest.

It says basically that I control how my child turns out, even as he is in the womb, by my actions, what I eat, my emotions. All it did was scare me.

Yes I suffer from anxiety disorders, yes I have ptsd, yes I don't eat 10o% healthy all the time, that does NOT mean I am harming my child. This book left me with the thought I am harming him.