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Author | Heidi Murkoff |
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Language | English |
Subject | pregnancy |
Publisher | Workman Publishing Company |
Publication date | 1984 |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Paperback |
Pages | 351 (1st ed.) 480 (2nd ed.) 597 (3rd ed.) 616 (4th ed.) 678 (5th ed.) |
ISBN | 0-89480-769-2 |
OCLC | 11196060 |
618.2/4 19 | |
LC Class | RG525 .E36 1984 |
Website | www |
What to Expect When You're Expecting is a pregnancy guide, now in its fifth edition, authored by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel and published by Workman Publishing. [1] Its first edition, authored by Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway, was originally published in 1984. [2] The book consistently tops The New York Times Best Seller list in the paperback advice category, [3] [4] [5] is one of USA Today 's "25 Most Influential Books" of the past 25 years [6] and has been described as "the bible of American pregnancy". [7] As of 2021 [update] , per the publisher and the author's agent, over 22 million copies were in print in . According to USA Today, 93 percent of all expectant mothers who read a pregnancy guide read What to Expect When You're Expecting. [8] In 2005, WhatToExpect.com launched. The What to Expect mobile app launched on iOS in 2009 and Android in 2014. In 2012, What to Expect When You're Expecting was adapted into a film released by Lionsgate. [9]
Author Heidi Murkoff cites her own quest for reassuring information during her first pregnancy as being the motivation for developing What to Expect When You're Expecting. Murkoff collaborated with her mother Arlene Eisenberg, a freelance journalist, and her sister Sandee Hathway, a nurse, when writing the first three editions of the pregnancy guide. [10] [11]
Its iconic title emerged when an employee of the publisher suggested it as a subtitle for the temporarily titled manuscript, "Pregnancy:" [12] By publication, the subtitle had claimed the top spot.
Although the book's initial print run was small, word of mouth and innovative promotion led to sales that increased in every subsequent year.
The book presents advice in a question-and-answer format. It proceeds chronologically from the time a woman first begins to suspect pregnancy, through each of the nine months (with one chapter devoted to each), and into the postpartum period. The beginning of each chapter includes a section called “Your Body This Month,” which succinctly lists common physical and emotional changes and symptoms a woman may be experiencing, and gives information on what a woman can expect when visiting her doctor or nurse midwife during checkups. Also included early in each chapter is a section entitled "Your Baby This Month" which displays pictures of the growing embryo then fetus. An additional section titled "What You May Be Concerned About" is designed to address a wide range of concerns, problems and life trends. There are also “For Dads” boxes integrated throughout the book that speak to fathers’ unique concerns as partners in pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.
The book's appendix lists additional sources of information and resources including government organizations, associations and foundations.
What to Expect When You're Expecting has been criticized for promoting paranoia and fear among pregnant women for focusing on complications and for its extremely strict dietary guidelines. Murkoff also has no medical training and has been further criticized for stating she asks obstetricians to comment on manuscripts only late in the writing and editing processes. [7] With the first publishing of the book being in 1984, one reason it is considered problematic is due to the many old and unrevised printings in public circulation. Although wording is revised with every single printing of the book with major rewrites indicated by new editions to respond to critiques, older copies are passed down by women to their pregnant peers. [7]
The Science Based Medicine blog criticized the book for its recommendations of Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM), such as Acupuncture, Reflexology, Aromatherapy and Homeopathy. The blog post concludes: “There is no credible scientific evidence to support any of these recommendations. It could be argued that this is all feel-good, ‘keep-the-patient entertained’ advice with little chance of direct harm. But it is deceptive and dishonest to represent these modalities as effective treatments based on science, especially in a book that is otherwise scientifically reliable.” [13]
The authors went on to develop a What to Expect series:
WhatToExpect.com debuted in April 2005. The What to Expect mobile app launched on iOS in 2009 and Android in 2014. The digital properties provide information about preconception, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and child and infant health. The app provides users with personalized resources, tools, and information based on their due date or child’s birthday, including 3D renderings, common symptoms, and weekly videos. [14] [15]
In 1997, the author, and former publishing executive, Lisa Bernstein, founded the What to Expect Foundation [10] whose stated mission is to help low-income families expect healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries and happy babies. The Foundation changed its name to What to Expect Project, which is a 501(c)3 public operating charity. The organization’s stated mission is “educate and empower moms in need so they can expect healthier pregnancies, safer deliveries, healthier babies, and healthier futures.” [16] [17]
Even though the book does not contain a storyline, Lionsgate adapted What to Expect When You're Expecting into a film of the same name directed by Kirk Jones. It features an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Chris Rock, Brooklyn Decker, Rodrigo Santoro, Rob Huebel, Chace Crawford and Matthew Morrison. The film was released on May 18, 2012. [9]
Childbirth, also known as labour, parturition and delivery, is the completion of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million human births globally. In the developed countries, most deliveries occur in hospitals, while in the developing countries most are home births.
Postpartum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a mood disorder experienced after childbirth, which can affect women. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and changes in sleeping or eating patterns. PPD can also negatively affect the newborn child.
The postpartum period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six weeks. There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the subacute phase, lasting six weeks; and the delayed phase, lasting up to six months. During the delayed phase, some changes to the genitourinary system take much longer to resolve and may result in conditions such as urinary incontinence. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the postnatal period as the most critical and yet the most neglected phase in the lives of mothers and babies; most maternal and newborn deaths occur during this period.
In the field of obstetrics, lochia is the vaginal discharge after giving birth, containing blood, mucus, and uterine tissue. Lochia discharge typically continues for four to eight weeks after childbirth, a time known as the postpartum period or puerperium. A 2016 review ties this "lochial period" to worldwide customs of postpartum confinement, a time for the new mother and baby to bond.
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Jillian Michaels is an American fitness expert, certified nutritionist, businesswoman, media personality, and author. She is best known for her appearances on NBC series such as The Biggest Loser. She has also made an appearance on the talk show The Doctors. In 2015, she hosted and co-judged a series on Spike titled Sweat, INC. In 2016, her reality television series Just Jillian premiered on E!.
Baby is a musical with a book by Sybille Pearson, based on a story developed with Susan Yankowitz, music by David Shire, and lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. It concerns the reactions of three couples each expecting a child. The musical first ran on Broadway from 1983 to 1984.
Postpartum blues, also known as baby blues and maternity blues, is a very common but self-limited condition that begins shortly after childbirth and can present with a variety of symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, and tearfulness. Mothers may experience negative mood symptoms mixed with intense periods of joy. Up to 85% of new mothers are affected by postpartum blues, with symptoms starting within a few days after childbirth and lasting up to two weeks in duration. Treatment is supportive, including ensuring adequate sleep and emotional support. If symptoms are severe enough to affect daily functioning or last longer than two weeks, the individual should be evaluated for related postpartum psychiatric conditions, such as postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. It is unclear whether the condition can be prevented, however education and reassurance are important to help alleviate patient distress.
Paula Patyk Spencer is an American journalist and author who specializes in parenting and family, pregnancy, women's health, and related social issues.
BabyCenter is an online media company based in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles that provides information on conception, pregnancy, birth, and early childhood development for parents and expecting parents. BabyCenter operates 9 country and region specific properties including websites, apps, emails, print publications, and an online community where parents can connect on a variety of topics. Users of the website can sign up for free weekly email newsletters that guide them through pregnancy and their child's development.
Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), commonly known as pubic symphysis dysfunction or lightning crotch, is a condition that causes excessive movement of the pubic symphysis, either anterior or lateral, as well as associated pain, possibly because of a misalignment of the pelvis. Most commonly associated with pregnancy and childbirth, it is diagnosed in approximately 1 in 300 pregnancies, although some estimates of incidence are as high as 1 in 50.
Heidi Murkoff is the co-author of the What to Expect When You're Expecting series of pregnancy guides. She is also the creator of WhatToExpect.com and founder of the What to Expect Project.
Annabel Jane Elizabeth Karmel is the author of books on nutrition and cooking for babies, children and families.
Postpartum psychosis (PPP), also known as puerperal psychosis or peripartum psychosis, involves the abrupt onset of psychotic symptoms shortly following childbirth, typically within two weeks of delivery but less than 4 weeks postpartum. PPP is a condition currently represented under "Brief Psychotic Disorder" in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Volume V (DSM-V). Symptoms may include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or abnormal motor behavior. Other symptoms frequently associated with PPP include confusion, disorganized thought, severe difficulty sleeping, variations of mood disorders, as well as cognitive features such as consciousness that comes and goes or disorientation.
Shauna Cross is an American author, screenwriter, and former roller derby athlete. She skated for the Los Angeles Derby Dolls under the pseudonym "Maggie Mayhem" and subsequently wrote the 2007 novel Derby Girl, a fictionalized version of her experiences in the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls league. In 2009, she wrote a film adaption of the novel, Whip It, which was directed by Drew Barrymore and released in 2009. She was named one of Variety's 10 Screenwriters to Watch in 2008.
What to Expect When You're Expecting is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Kirk Jones and distributed by Lionsgate. It was written by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach and is based on Heidi Murkoff's 1984 pregnancy guide of the same name. Its story follows the lives of five couples as their lives are turned upside down by the difficulties and surprises of parenthood. It stars Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock and Rodrigo Santoro.
Back labor is a term referring to sensations of pain or discomfort that occur in the lower back, just above the tailbone, to a mother during childbirth.
Howard Eisenberg is an American author and journalist best known for his contributions to biography, self-help and children's literature. A magazine journalist since the early 1950s and recent playwright, as well as a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).
Arlene Leila Scharaga Eisenberg was an author best known for her contributions to parenting to self-help literature. Eisenberg co-wrote what has been described as the "bible of American pregnancy," What to Expect When You're Expecting (1984). The book's success led to the What To Expect parenting series, which as of 2012, has sold over 34 million copies in 30 languages.
The postpartum physiological changes are those expected changes that occur in the woman's body after childbirth, in the postpartum period. These changes mark the beginning of the return of pre-pregnancy physiology and of breastfeeding. Most of the time these postnatal changes are normal and can be managed with medication and comfort measures, but in a few situations complications may develop. Postpartum physiological changes may be different for women delivering by cesarean section. Other postpartum changes, may indicate developing complications such as, postpartum bleeding, engorged breasts, postpartum infections.
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