The inside scoop...for when you want more than the official
line.
Having a baby is one of life's most joyous—and overwhelming—events.
The choices you make now will affect your baby's health long after it is born.
What's the healthiest diet for you and your baby? How should you change your
lifestyle now that you are pregnant? How can you be sure that your baby is
developing properly? What should you expect at each doctor's visit? And how on
earth will you survive labor? You want the most up-to-date information to guide
you through your pregnancy—and beyond. You want the inside scoop.
The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby is designed to give savvy
parents-to-be like you a foolproof appraisal of what works and what doesn't—the
good choices and the bad ones—things even your doctor won't (or can't) tell
you, with unbiased recommendations that are not influenced by any company,
product, or organization. This book, like every Unofficial Guide, is intensively
inspected by the Unofficial Panel of Experts, a team of highly respected
pediatricians and health-care workers. They ensure that you are armed with the
most up-to-date insider information about having a baby and are told exactly
what the Official establishment doesn't want you to know.
-
Vital information that other sources can't or won't reveal—including
the very latest research on prenatal and genetic testing, and how new medical
technologies can help your pregnancy.
-
Insider secrets on how to weather the physical and emotional
highs and lows of pregnancy—from 150 moms and dads who've been there.
-
Money-saving techniques that help you find great bargains on
health insurance, maternity wear, baby gear, prenatal vitamins, and more.
-
Time-saving tips to help you get through your pregnancy without
neglecting your work and family life.
-
The latest trends in new childbirth methods, including
relaxation and pain relief during labor.
-
Handy checklists and charts you can use to track your baby's
development, identify potentially dangerous medications and drugs, and record
the milestones in your pregnancy.
Table of Contents
Introduction
PART ONE: THE TRUTH ABOUT GETTING PREGNANT
Chapter One: The Facts About Preparing for Pregnancy
First things first
What's up, doc?
The career costs of having a baby
What every parent-to-be needs to know about taxes
Making a decision you can live with
Chapter Two: The Over-Achievers Guide to Getting Pregnant Fast
The biggest misconceptions about fertility and infertility
Fertility awareness and other methods of increasing your chances of conceiving
"Trying" vs. letting nature take its course
What women can do to protect their fertility
What men can do to protect their fertility
Chapter Three: When Plan A Fails...
Do you have a fertility problem?
Choosing a fertility specialist
The infertility workup
The female partner's infertility workup
The male partner's infertility workup
The causes of infertility
Fertility treatments
The facts about assisted reproductive technologies
The stress of infertility
The facts about surrogacy and adoption
PART TWO: DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Chapter Four: Finding Out You're Pregnant
The symptoms of early pregnancy
Pregnancy tests
What your due date really means
How you may feel about being pregnant
Telling your partner
Telling friends and family
How to tell your boss
Chapter Five: Choosing A Caregiver and a Place to Give Birth
Finding the caregiver who is right for you
Choosing the birth environment that's right for you
When to set up your first appointment
Chapter Six: Finding the Childbirth Education Class That's Right for You
Why bother?
Philosophies Unlimited
What to look for in a childbirth class
What childbirth education classes should cover
So what are the pillows for?
Chapter Seven: To Test or Not to Test?
Tests, tests, and more tests
The prenatal testing merry-go-round: do you really want to get on?
Alpha-fetoprotein
Amniocentesis
Chorionic villus sampling
Ultrasounds (a.k.a. "Sonograms")
Percutaneous Umbilical Blood Sampling
Transabdominal Embryo Fetosocopy
The future of prenatal testing
What to do if the test brings bad news
Chapter Eight: Lifestyle 101 Making the Best Choices For Your
Baby
Weight gain during pregnancy
Nutrition during pregnancy
More food for thought
Exercising during pregnancy
Taking medications during pregnancy
Other hazards to avoid
Sex during pregnancy
Working during pregnancy
PART THREE: WHAT OTHER PREGNANCY BOOKS WON'T TELL YOU
Chapter Nine: Carrying Multiples
Why the number of multiple births is on the rise
What causes a multiple birth
How a multiple pregnancy is diagnosed
What it's like to be pregnant with multiples
Problems that can arise during a multiple pregnancy
The facts about selective reduction
What you should do now to prepare for your babies' arrivals
Chapter Ten: Coping With A High-Risk Pregnancy
What being "high risk" means to you and your baby
Chronic conditions that place a pregnancy at risk
Conditions that can develop during pregnancy
Coping with the stress of a high-risk pregnancy
The facts about bedrest
Chapter Eleven: What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About
Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death
The facts about miscarriage
Ectopic pregnancy
Molar pregnancy
Stillbirth
Intrapartum death
Neonatal death
Important decisions
Chapter Twelve: Special Circumstances
Pregnancy after an abortion or giving up a child for adoption
Pregnancy after sexual abuse
Pregnant with a disability
Pregnant and forty-plus
Being pregnant and single
Being pregnant and in an abusive relationship
Being pregnant and plus-sized
Chapter Thirteen: The Dirt on Diapers and Other Baby Gear
Having a baby on a budget
The baby equipment you need...
The frills
Baby clothes
Maternity clothes
Shopping secondhand
More...
