Pregnancy For Dummies

This new edition offers soon-to-be moms and dads detailed, friendly information on preparing and planning for pregnancy. You'll find guidance on the basics, as well as special considerations like age, multiple births, complications, illness, labor and delivery, postpartum care, and everything in between.

Now in a portable, handy trim size that makes it easy to keep with you on the go, Pregnancy For Dummies, 4^th Edition is your go-to guide on everything you'll encounter during the first, second, and third trimesters—and beyond. Packed with new information and the latest developments in medical technology, it puts your mind at ease by offering straightforward answers to all the questions you may have about pregnancy, including health risks during pregnancy, fertility problems and solutions, "on demand" cesarean sections, weight gain during pregnancy, the correlation between mercury and autism, ways to stay emotionally and physically healthy during pregnancy, and much more.

• Includes a complete guide to pregnancy, through all three trimesters and beyond, including a week-by-week account of what to expect during pregnancy
• Covers the latest information related to healthcare and pregnancy, including the latest on vaccinations, fertility problems, and prenatal diagnoses
• Offers advice on picking a doctor, planning prenatal visits, and designing a birthing plan
• Explains the stages of labor and how to care for yourself and your newborn after childbirth

If you're an expectant parent, Pregnancy For Dummies, 4^th Edition covers everything mom and baby experience before, during, and after childbirth.

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Pregnancy 7

Chapter 1: Seeing Double Lines: I Think I’m Pregnant! 9

Chapter 2: Your Pregnancy at a Glance: Over view of Pregnancy Week-by-Week 27

Chapter 3: Preparing for Life during Pregnancy 39

Chapter 4: Diet and Exercise for the Expectant Mother 63

Part II: Pregnancy: Countdown 87

Chapter 5: The First Trimester 89

Chapter 6: The Second Trimester 123

Chapter 7: The Third Trimester 151

Part III: The Big Event: Labor, Delivery, and Recovery 189

Chapter 8: Honey, I Think I’m in Labor! 191

Chapter 9: Special Deliver y: Bringing Your Baby into the World 223

Chapter 10: Hello, World! Meet Your Newborn 245

Chapter 11: Taking Care of Yourself after Delivery 263

Chapter 12: Feeding Your Baby 291

Part IV: Dealing with Special Concerns 317

Chapter 13: Pregnancies with Special Considerations 319

Chapter 14: When Things Get Complicated 347

Chapter 15: Pregnancy in Sickness and in Health 371

Chapter 16: Coping with the Unexpected 397

Part V: The Part of Tens 403

Chapter 17: Ten Things Nobody Tells You 405

Chapter 18: Ten Healthy Snacks for Pregnant Women 411

Chapter 19: Ten Key Things You Can See on Ultrasound 423

Index 431

Joanne Stone, MD, and Keith Eddleman, MD, are Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and are Associate Professors at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Learn to:

• Make pregnancy, childbirth an enjoyable experience
• Feel your best each trimester
• Evaluate the latest medical tests and procedures
• Find the best practitioner for you and baby

Your reassuring guide to a happy, healthy pregnancy

Are you an expectant parent? This is your go-to guide on everything you’ll encounter during the first, second, and third trimesters—and beyond. Packed with new information and the latest developments in medical technology, this handy resource offers straightforward answers to all the questions you may have about pregnancy.

• Navigate the new world of body changes — recognize the signs of pregnancy, select the right practitioner, review your medications, and explore vaccinations and immunity
• Diet and exercise — find out what’s considered a healthy weight gain, take stock of what you’re taking in, determine which foods are safe, and work out for two
• Soothe symptoms — discover tried-and-true advice on adapting to fatigue, any-time-of-day sickness, bloating, headaches, constipation, and cramps
• Make a birth plan — use a birth plan checklist to plan and prepare for the big day
• Prepare to be pregnant — evaluate your health, plan prenatal visits, and prepare for physical and lifestyle changes

Open the book and find:

• A week-by-week overview of pregnancy
• How to deal with physical and emotional changes
• How to discern false labor from the real thing
• What to expect from different types of deliveries
• How to take care of yourself and your newborn after delivery
• Breastfeeding and bottle-feeding considerations