Book Review: The Expectant Father

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Parenting. Parenting is the process of raising and educating a child from birth until adulthood using different methods, techniques, and guidance. Wouter van der Hall is the Official Guide to Parenting.nnExpectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, by Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash, is a valuable resource for people interested in Parenting, and it is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

nBook Description

nAn information-packed, month-by-month guide to all the emotional, financial, and yes, even physical changes the father-to-be may experience during the course of his partner's pregnancy. Incorporating the wisdom of top experts in the field, from obstetricians and birth-class instructors to psychologists and sociologists, The Expectant Father is filled with sound advice and practical tips for men.

nPublisher's ReviewnIn an expanded and updated version of Brott's 1995 book, the authors once again present a month-by-month guide to pregnancy for the father-to-be. Illustrated throughout with humorous cartoons, the book divides each month of pregnancy into four astute categories: "What She's Going Through" (physical and emotion changes), "What's Going On with the Baby" (physical progress), "What You're Going Through" (physical and emotional changes) and "Staying Involved" (tips on supporting and encouraging the pregnant partner). Since most child-rearing books for men focus primarily on the emotional challenges, it's both refreshing and helpful that these authors include practical advice: recipes, detailed insights into the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and realistic appraisals of the often very high costs of baby furnishings. Most valuable are the sections on the aspects of birth that make many men squeamish (episiotomies, epidurals and cesarean sections) as well as the post-delivery traumas that they tend to avoid facing (finding childcare, dealing with late-night wake-ups, dressing young children and sex after pregnancy). This is an essential book for all expectant fathers. (June)Forecast: Brott, a father of two, who has been called "the superdad's superdad" by Time magazine, has written five books on fatherhood and hosts Positive Parenting, a national radio talk show. Considering the increasing number of fathers who want to be actively involved in parenting, this book, with its Father's Day release, should do at least as well as the original, which was a bestseller.nn