Your Pregnancy and Childbirth

Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month is written by experts at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists - the preeminent authority on women's health. Your Pregnancy and Childbirth draws on this vast body of knowledge and experience to provide an authoritative pregnancy resource that you and your loved ones can trust. And, because it presents this information in a reassuring, straightforward, and easy-to-understand way, Your Pregnancy and Childbirth encourages you to be informed about your pregnancy and empowers you to work with your health care provider as an active participant in one of the most fulfilling times in your life. Now in its fifth edition, the book has undergone extensive revision and reorganization. The most noticeable change is that the book now includes a detailed, month-to-month prenatal guide as well as detailed information about nutrition, multiple pregnancy, pregnancy the 'second time around', and medical conditions that may affect pregnancy. Some additional features in this new edition are as follows: each of the nine month-to-month chapters cover the developmental milestones that your baby has reached that month, the changes taking place in your body, advice on exercise and nutrition appropriate for that particular month, a description of the month's prenatal visit, and a discussion of issues and decisions that you may want to think about at this point in your pregnancy. The second half of the book includes a section on labor, delivery, and the postpartum period, from the first few days up to 6 weeks and beyond. A chapter on designing the optimal pregnancy diet and a chapter on feeding your baby, which covers both breast-feeding and bottle-feeding, are also included. Separate chapters deal with the most common medical conditions that can affect pregnancy, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Multiple pregnancy has its own chapter, as does pregnancy 'the second (or third) time around'. Confused about all of the options for prenatal testing? The genetics chapter answers all of your questions, gives the latest guidelines, and includes a handy table that compares the options. Pregnancy complications are covered in detail in several chapters that include the signs and symptoms to watch for as well as diagnosis and treatment for each condition. Up-to-date information is offered on the topics of most concern to pregnant women, such as vaginal birth after cesarean delivery, weight gain during pregnancy, how to handle labor, breast-feeding tips for working moms, and the various tests that are used to monitor the baby's well-being. Expert advice is included about many of the important decisions facing parents-to-be, such as choosing a health care provider for your pregnancy (and for your baby), how to plan your birth experience, and when to tell your other children about your pregnancy. New illustrations - including a full-color section that shows fetal development and the changes that take place in the mother's body - are featured in this edition. Other illustrations show you various positions to use for breast-feeding, what genes are, and the events that happen during each stage of labor, to name a few.