Table of Contents
Dear Moms-to-be 11How to use this book 13
Your due date 16
The 1st Trimester
Weeks 1 through 4 18
Conception, implantation, and the fi rst days of life
Early pregnancy anxiety
Time to start taking vitamins and exercising
Risks from obesity, smoking, and alcohol
Week 5 30
Your body starts to change
Family diseases and genetic screening
Miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies
Healthy fi rst trimester diet
Week 6 45
Fatigue and sleeping problems
Surviving morning sickness
Choosing a birthplace and a birth team
Questions to ask a potential practitioner
Week 7 57
Dealing with mood swings
Doubts about motherhood
Healthy weight gain during pregnancy
Sexually transmitted diseases
Week 8 67
Baby's fi rst ultrasound
Colds, flu, and allergies during pregnancy
Hazards and toxins at work and at home
Week 9 77
Your fi rst OB exam and prenatal lab tests
Walking program for beginners
Dealing with back pain and constipation
Week 10 86
What to do when your clothes don’t fi t
Food safety issues with fi sh, meat, and cheese
Great ways for your partner to provide support
Week 11 95
First trimester tests for chromosomal disorders
How your friends react to pregnancy
Food cravings and aversions
Week 12 104
Sleep problems and solutions
High blood pressure and pregnancy
Healthy snacks and nonalcoholic party drinks
The 2nd Trimester
Week 13 110
Importance of dental care during pregnancy
Reading and understanding food labels
Will your second pregnancy be like your fi rst?
Week 14 .116
Heartburn causes and cures
Maternity leave and other work issues
Mood swings, depression, and anxiety
Reducing sodium in your diet
Your partner’s emotional journey
Week 15 126
Preventing varicose veins
All about amniocentesis
Sex—good and bad—during the second trimester
Preparing older children for a new baby
Week 16 136
Late miscarriage: causes and symptoms
Questioning your new identity
Staying motivated to exercise
Week 17 143
Feeling your baby move for the fi rst time
Treating lower-back pain
Pregnancy issues for single moms
Alternative exercises for pregnancy fi tness
Week 18 151
What you might see on an ultrasound
Traveling safely while pregnant
How your partner reacts to your changing appearance
Week 19 158
Signs of trouble to watch for
Tips for your maternity wardrobe
Eating smart while traveling
Week 20 164
All about high-risk pregnancies
Chronic stress: your body and your baby
How your partner can interact with your baby
Week 21 170
Vacationing smart in mid-pregnancy
Sex affected by a growing belly
Stretching exercises for expectant mothers
Week 22 180
Once a cesarean, always a cesarean?
Career protection for working moms
Strategies for coping with nighttime waking
Week 23 189
Iron defi ciency, anemia, and fatigue
Taming your junk-food cravings
Vegetarian diets and pregnancy
Week 24 195
Common skin problems in pregnancy
Keeping your focus at work
Feathering your nest: essential baby gear
The 3rd Trimester
Week 25 204
Breathlessness and other breathing problems
Complete guide to preterm labor and delivery
Multiple births: likelihood, detecting, and risks
Week 26 213
Childbirth, baby-care, and breastfeeding education
Fats in your diet—good and bad
Exercise: fatigue and when it’s time to stop
Week 27 221
Hepatitis and other liver diseases
Fighting the mid-pregnancy blues
Staying hydrated: water and alternatives
Choosing an infant car seat
Week 28 229
Tests during the third trimester
Gestational diabetes: risks, causes, and treatments
Surviving bed rest
Complete guide to cesarean deliveries
Week 29 240
Breech babies—identifi cation and risk
Planning for labor: positions and pain relief
Conquering childbirth fears
Outfi tting a safe nursery
Week 30 254
Numbness in your hands—explanation and relief
Causes and solutions for abdominal pain
The role of a doula
Protecting your job while on maternity leave
Week 31 265
Practicing for labor—a guide to breathing techniques
Placenta previa and placental abruption
Why trying to do it all is overrated
Week 32 277
Due dates: calculations and guesses
Supplies for your baby’s arrival
The ABCs of daycare
Week 33 288
Parenting philosophies and parenting plans
Assembling a complete baby wardrobe
Will you need an episiotomy?
Week 34 296
Reduced fetal movements—when to be concerned
Baby gear guide: strollers, backpacks, and more
The truth about back labor
Week 35 303
Turning breech babies before delivery
Grandparents and your new baby
Planning for postpartum weight loss
Week 36 312
Delivering more than one baby
Packing for the hospital
Problems with your amniotic fl uid
Week 37 317
Considering circumcision for your baby boy
The earliest signs of labor
Should your older children be in the delivery room?
Starting a breastfeeding diet
Week 38 327
Treating persistent headaches
Contraception choices for after pregnancy
Nesting and a need for solitude
Week 39 335
Forceps delivery and vacuum extraction
Labor day surprises
What if you can’t make it to the hospital?
Week 40 341
The truth about home remedies for inducing labor
Your doctor’s reasons and techniques for inducing labor
Postpartum exercise and fi tness classes
Labor and delivery 349
Feeding your baby 363
Postpartum and baby care 373
Six months postpartum 411
Questions for your doctor 423
Appendices
Body mass index 430
Resources 432
Prenatal tests 435
Newborn tests 442
Labor and delivery terms 444
Index 449
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