Hollie Smith - The Pregnancy Pocket Bible: Everything an expectant mother needs to know

THE

P REGNANCY
P OCKET B IBLE

HOLLIE SMITH

The Pregnancy Pocket Bible

Hollie Smith

This first edition is published in 2009 by Crimson Publishing

Crimson Publishing, Westminster House, Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2ND

Crimson Publishing 2009

Epub edition 2011 ISBN: 978-1-907087-81-3

British Library cataloguing in Publication data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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Pregnancy is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, events of your life. For a first-time mother-to-be, or even the seasoned pro, pregnancy can seem utterly daunting. Youll have information thrown at you from all sides from your mother, friends, partner, antenatal classmates, doctors and midwives. All of this can be hard to digest, let alone remember when you need it.

The Pregnancy Pocket Bible includes all the information and advice you could want and need during your pregnancy so you can look up anything youre not sure of at once, and dont have to go routing through piles of notes and leaflets.

Pregnancy is an amazing, life-changing experience and having a baby growing inside of you seems like a miracle. Throughout, we have included many weird and wonderful facts to show you just how special this time of your life is. Weve also included lots of tips and advice to help your pregnancy go as smoothly as possible.

The most important thing during pregnancy is to enjoy it. And get ready for what the future holds.

A mothers joy begins when new life is stirring inside when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone.

Author unknown

Authors Note

I have referred to the baby as a boy throughout, and to midwives as female and doctors as male. This is only to make for ease of reading.

Youre having a baby. Whether youve been trying for a while, or whether its a surprise to you, one things for sure: the next nine months are likely to be challenging, exciting, and scary in equal measure.

1.It can feel amazing to have created a new life with your partner.

2.You get free dental care from now until your baby is one year old.

3.Its an excuse to pamper yourself you wont have time when your baby arrives!

4.You can take a nap when you feel like it, and not feel guilty

5.Feeling your babys first kick it is truly miraculous.

6.People give up their seat in public places and open doors for you (theoretically).

7.The glow once you get over the morning sickness, youll blossom as your hair gets shinier and your skin is rosy.

8.Youll never be on your own or lonely for nine months, and will always have someone to talk to.

9.You wont get your period for slightly more than nine months.

10.You get to eat more (but be careful of eating for two!).

11.If youre pregnant during winter, your baby will help keep you warm.

12.Relishing the first few weeks when you and your partner have an amazing secret.

13.Seeing the looks on your friends and familys faces when you tell them your news.

14.Dreaming of the future what your baby will look like, what personality theyll have, what their career will be dream big!

15.For the less well endowed, this is your chance to have a cleavage!

16.Choosing baby clothes. They are always cute.

17.Reading about how your baby grows and being astounded by the facts.

18.It is the best reason and incentive youll ever get to give up smoking.

19.Maternity leave time to prepare yourself, and enjoy your baby when it comes.

20.Friendliness of everyone you meet. Goodwill increases tenfold to a pregnant woman.

There are 600,000babiesborneveryyear in the UK.

A baby is born somewhere in the world everythreeseconds.

The youngestperson ever to give birth is Lina Medina, a Peruvian girl from the Andean village of Ticrapo. She gave birth to a boy by Caesarean section on 14 May 1939 at the age of 5 years, 7 months and 21 days.

The worldsyoungestparents were 8 and 9 years old and lived in China in 1910.

The heaviestbaby ever born was to Canadian Anna Bates in 1979.

The longestbaby ever born may be Charlie Stokes from Wiltshire. He was born in 2005 and weighed 15lbs 2oz and measured 69cm from rump to head.

The greatestnumberofchildrenborn to one woman is 69. In the 1700s a woman from Russia had 16 sets of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets.

The worlds firstpregnantman was Thomas Beatie, who gave birth to Susan on 29 June 2008. After gender reassignment surgery, Beatie was legally male but kept his reproductive organs and had a natural birth. His second baby, a boy, was born in June 2009.

Pocket fact

Wilma Flintstone was the first animated character that was portrayed as pregnant. She was pictured during several episodes of season 3 leading up to the eventual birth of Pebbles.

Its traditional to keep it to yourself for a while to save you having to tell everyone should anything go wrong. The early months are the most risky. There are a few people you probably should tell first:

the babys father!

prospective grandparents

any close family you want to know.

Many couples choose to keep it to themselves while they get used to the idea and enjoy keeping their amazing secret.

After your 12-week scan, most people feel its safe to tell everyone.

Pocket tip

You dont have to tell anyone at work for quite a long time yet. Technically you can keep it to yourself until up to 15 weeks before youre due, although your bump is likely to start showing at some point in the first trimester (the first three months), and its advisable to tell work soonish, so you can sort out maternity cover.

Right from the start, your body begins the first in a whole series of very normal and natural changes, as the new life inside you takes root.

Pocket fact

In Turkish tradition, a pregnant woman is not allowed to look at a monkey, chew gum, attend a funeral or eat fish.

Early signs of pregnancy include:

tender, tingling or slightly bigger breasts; darkening of the areola (the skin round the nipple)

a heightened sense of smell or taste

going off one or more foods or drinks, or craving something in particular. Some women say they have an odd metallic taste in the mouth

nausea so-called morning sickness can kick in within days of conception

feeling weepy and sensitive