| Preface | 9 |
| Foreword | 11 |
| 1 | Parenting Starts with Pregnancy | 14 |
| Your feelings matter | |
| See your healthcare provider early! | |
| Medical expenses of pregnancy | |
| Stay in school! | |
| Your parents' reaction | |
| Mother/daughter relationship | |
| Your partner's reaction | |
| If he's not with you | |
| Safety for Mom and baby | |
| Gangs and pregnancy | |
| Life goes on | |
| 2 | Dealing with Minor Discomforts | 34 |
| Always tired | |
| Morning sickness--all day | |
| "Where's the bathroom?" | |
| Are you dizzy? | |
| Moodiness strikes | |
| You may have heartburn | |
| If constipation is a problem | |
| Varicose veins and hemorrhoids | |
| If you can't sleep | |
| Dealing with backaches | |
| Movement from baby | |
| Danger signs | |
| Pregnancy is not permanent | |
| 3 | Your Baby's Development | 48 |
| Sperm and ovum unite | |
| Female and male reproductive organs | |
| Cells continue to divide | |
| Second, third months | |
| Fourth month ends | |
| Checking on your baby | |
| Prenatal visits lead to healthy babies | |
| You'll feel him move | |
| Sixth month--not ready to be born | |
| Baby gets fatter | |
| 4 | Eating Right for Baby and You | 58 |
| Your baby eats what you eat | |
| Good nutrition helps prevent eclampsia | |
| Importance of protein | |
| Milk for baby's bones, teeth | |
| Fruits and vegetables | |
| Cereals and bread | |
| Take your vitamins | |
| Limit the fat | |
| Calories count | |
| The fast-food dilemma | |
| Eating for your baby | |
| 5 | "No" to Smoking, Drugs, Alcohol | 74 |
| Smoking harms fetus | |
| Baby can't "breathe" | |
| Smokers may have smaller babies | |
| Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) | |
| Drugs and pregnancy | |
| "No" to over-the-counter drugs | |
| 6 | For Some--Adoption Is an Option | 82 |
| Adoption is changing | |
| Counseling is important | |
| Father's rights in adoption | |
| Adoption planning is difficult | |
| Grandparents' feelings | |
| Making the final decision | |
| Birthparents will grieve | |
| Supporting an adoption plan | |
| 7 | Preparing for Labor and Delivery | 94 |
| Nine months of preparation | |
| Those early contractions | |
| Prepared childbirth | |
| You need a coach | |
| Relaxation techniques help | |
| Premature labor signs | |
| Prepare a birth plan | |
| Labor--an athletic event | |
| 8 | Your Baby Is Born | 106 |
| Signs of early labor | |
| Timing your contractions | |
| Pain relief medication | |
| Transition stage | |
| Your baby's arrival | |
| Delivery of the placenta | |
| The circumcision decision | |
| For some, a C-section | |
| Baby's first test | |
| 9 | The Baby with Special Needs | 122 |
| How parents feel | |
| How to help baby with special needs | |
| Telling others about the baby | |
| How to help a friend whose baby has special needs | |
| Things to remember | |
| 10 | Your Fourth Trimester | 132 |
| How will you feel? | |
| After-baby blues | |
| Getting help | |
| Lifestyle changes | |
| Bonding with your baby | |
| Handling stress | |
| Take a few minutes off | |
| Your partner relationship | |
| 11 | Feeding Your Newborn | 144 |
| Many choose breastfeeding | |
| Less illness for breastfed babies | |
| Getting started | |
| The art of breastfeeding | |
| Is baby getting enough? | |
| Guarding your health | |
| Breastfeed in public? | |
| Some prefer bottle-feeding | |
| 12 | What Does a New Baby Do? | 158 |
| What does she look like? | |
| Belly button care | |
| How baby develops | |
| What can he see? | |
| Notice her reflex actions | |
| Those first days | |
| Observe him closely | |
| What does baby want out of life? | |
| Infants don't "spoil" | |
| Perhaps she's lonely | |
| He may like swaddling | |
| Be sensitive to her needs | |
| 13 | Especially for Dad | 176 |
| For teen fathers | |
| Perhaps you're older | |
| If you aren't together | |
| Father's rights | |
| Her parents may reject you | |
| Your parents' reaction | |
| Your responsibilities as a father | |
| Don't drop out! | |
| Dad's role during pregnancy | |
| Sharing prenatal care visits | |
| She needs a labor coach | |
| Taking responsibility | |
| It's not easy | |
| 14 | Another Baby--When? | 196 |
| Sex may change relationship | |
| Issues to consider | |
| Other objections to contraception | |
| Lots of options | |
| Birth control pill | |
| Intrauterine device (IUD) | |
| Contraceptive implant | |
| Injections | |
| STD concerns | |
| AIDS--the incurable STD | |
| Caring for yourself and your family | |
| Appendix | 211 |
| Annotated Bibliography | 213 |
| Index | 221 |
