Expecting Better
Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong - and What You Really Need to Know
- Written by Emily Oster
- An economics professor
- Who was frustrated by opaque rules given to pregnant women by doctors
- and prefers to take a decision theory approach
- look at the data
- consider pros & cons relevant to you
- make a decision
- During pregnancy
- women are given lists of behavioral rules
- that often differ by provider
- and are rarely explained or supported with evidence
- and there are many norms, myths, and misunderstandings in popular culture that tend to steer the behavior of pregnant women, whether justified or not
- women are given lists of behavioral rules
- The author dives into the scientific research backing many of these rules in order to provide a more nuanced understanding of risk