The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, Second Edition

a little "stuffy" in places. very factual but little enjoyment in reading it fully

I'm going to be honest - this book is terrible. While it's well researched and the facts are accurate, the tone is horrific. The author seems to think men should take control of their partners' pregnancies and asks men to tell their partners what to do, how to eat, when to rest, how to breastfeed, etc. It's terribly condescending and paternalistic in the worst way. My husband didn't like it either. I do not recommend it at all. There are so many other books targeted toward expectant fathers that talk about the physical aspects of the woman's pregnancy as well the emotional impact for both partners.

I can honestly say that this is the best resource I've read outside my exsisting nursing literature on this subject. It gives you the basic do's and don'ts (many of which are common sense), and it does an over all solid job explaining the stages of labor. I'm not an OB nurse, therefore much of what I read took me back to nursing school and I began remembering old test questions (thank God those days are over). Now any prudent nurse would tell you that if you don't currently work in the OB field (and I don't) you are not an expert in that field (and I'm not). Therefore, I read this book with anticipation to learn, and with my pride kicked to the corner learn I did.

I did in fact learn a few things I didn't know previously, and I refreshed myself on subjects I studied two years ago (I can call it a refresher because technically I never missed one OB question in nursing school, OK maybe my pride wasn't totally kicked to the corner). At any rate I really found this book to be informative, light, and accomplishing it's goal without talking down to the reader. All this in 249 pages (not bad). Do I think this is all you'll need to read? HECK NO... You need birthing classes, you need to read other books, and you need to keep learning. But I can say this is a fantastic introduction and it's definately worth your time.

Bottom Line: A great resource and a worthy read. Just don't think you will get everything you need on this subject from one book. That book doesn't exsist....

This is a great book for expectant fathers- it is a bit wordy, so if your partner is not naturally a reader, you may want something else. It does address topics such as finances, fatherhood worries, and mother-in-laws.

My husband had this book bought as a gift. He's finished the whole thing as I just started my 8 month. He loved it. It had such good information in it he's referred to several of his friends and strangers we've come across. A few pages he made me read about what to pack and what to expect during delivery at the hospital. Excellent book!