Paula Ford-martin - The Everything Pregnancy Book: All You Need to Get You Through the Most Important Nine Months of Your Life!

THE

PREGNANCY BOOK
4TH EDITION

Dear Reader,

When I was pregnant with my first child, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of pregnancy and childbirth information available, and completely underwhelmed by the available means to sort through it all. Everyone had advice for me, and it was usually some unsolicited nugget of wisdom passed along from a neighbors third cousin. Although my health care providers were wonderful, they werent present to answer those 2 A.M. Was that a kick or heartburn? questions, nor were they able to address more practical matters such as negotiating additional maternity leave or finding clothing that didnt look like it was from the Gymboree plus-size collection. In this spirit, I hope you find The EverythingPregnancy Book, 4th Edition, a useful survival manual to get you through your next 9 months.

So, congratulations to you and your family for embarking on this grand adventure. As you adjust to the prospect of becoming a mom (or a repeat mom) and start to know that little person growing inside you, make sure you take time to savor your pregnancy. Nine months may seem like a long time, but as preparation for a lifetime of parenthood, its merely a weekend seminar.

Sincerely,

Welcome to the Series!

These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.

You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-ssentials, e-questions, e-facts, and e-alerts. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.

We now have more than 400 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When youre done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything!

PUBLISHER Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION EDITOR Melanie Cordova
SENIOR DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Ross Weisman
EVERYTHING SERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander
LAYOUT DESIGNERS Erin Dawson, Michelle Roy Kelly, Elisabeth Lariviere, Denise Wallace

Visit the entire Everything Series at www.everything.com

THE

Pregnancy

Book

4TH EDITION

All you need to get you through the most
important nine months of your life!

PAULA FORD-MARTIN

TECHNICAL REVIEW BY VINCENT IANNELLI, MD

For the best kids a mom could ask for
Cassie, Kate, Chris, and John

My heartfelt gratitude and love go out to my husband, Tim, for his support, encouragement, and help throughout this project (the firstborn of our marriage). And as always, I owe a big thank you to agent Barb Doyen and to editor Brett Shanahan for their guidance and expertise during the gestation and delivery of the fourth edition of this book.

1. Morning sickness doesnt just happen in the morning.
2. Trust your instinctswhat worked for your neighbor, friend, or sister isnt necessarily whats right for you.
3. A birth plan can help you and your partner work toward the labor and delivery experience you want.
4. Things dont always go according to plan, but being prepared for the possibilities can make the detours easier to handle.
5. Taking 600 micrograms of folic acid during pregnancy can dramatically reduce your risk of having a baby with neural tube defects.
6. A due date is a suggestion, not a contractual obligation.
7. Career and family are not mutually exclusive.
8. Federal legislation provides specific protections against pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.
9. Alcohol and tobacco in pregnancy can have serious health repercussions for your baby.
10. Stress can be hard on the health of you and your baby; make sure you have a support system for both pregnancy and new motherhood.

YOUR MOTHER ALWAYS SAID, Youll understand when you have kids of your own. And as much as you may hate to admit it, shes right. Being a mom starts the day you find out youre no longer a solo act; suddenly responsibility means more than remembering when the cat needs shots and getting the oil changed every 3,000 miles. Pregnancy initiates you into an empathic sisterhood of women who can be a source of inspiration, support, and advice throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Its a big clubmore than 4.1 million American women gave birth in 2009 alonebut its surprisingly intimate in the knowledge of the trials and tribulations of motherhood. Never again will you roll your eyes at a toddler throwing a tantrum in the grocery store or tap your fingers impatiently at that woman taking forever to load her kids in the car and pull out of your parking space. Mothers understand that pregnancy and parenting require patience, love, and compassion.

Pregnancy also means preparing for a whole new lifestyle. You and your significant other will no longer pass as couples only; your free time will focus on parks and playgroups rather than on dinner and a show. If you already have children, the challenges and joys of new sibling relationships lie ahead. And your husband or partner will be exploring his new role as a dad and learning the ropes of child care. Its an exciting time, but as with any unfamiliar venture, pregnancy and the prospect of this completely dependent tiny person can inspire anxiety and, yes, even fear. Are you eating the right foods? Is your morning run bad for your baby? Will your child develop your grandfathers diabetes? In true motherly style, youve started worrying about your babys well-being already.

Of course, your health care provider is the best source of information for specific medical questions about your pregnancy. But even the most dedicated doctor cant be at your disposal 24/7. This book is designed as your personal pregnancy assistantan essential educational reference for your pregnancy concerns and a guide for more practical matters like career considerations, car seats, and family budgets. Its also an invaluable resource for helping you plan a birth experience youll treasure.