Absolute Beginner's Guide to Pregnancy »

Pregnancy is a thrilling experience, but it can also be filled with apprehension and anxiety, especially for first-time parents. Absolute Beginner's Guide to Pregnancy eases the worry by giving you answers to the questions you have, as well as questions that you may not think to ask. Unlike most other books available on the topic, this book provides no-nonsense information from a medical professional's perspective, written in a conversational style that makes even the most confusing medical terminology easy to understand. Dr. John Adams covers the entire process, from pre-pregnancy issues like fertility and finding the right doctor, through the nine months of pregnancy to postpartum care. Dedicated chapters address the unique issues that single mothers and working mothers face.

With Absolute Beginner's Guide to Pregnancy, you will be prepared for the physical, mental, social, and financial changes to come during this exciting time.

Introduction.

I. PREPREGNANCY.

1. Finding Out You're Pregnant.

    The Tests and Symptoms.

      The Kits.

      The Clinic.

      Physical and Emotional Symptoms.

    Telling the World.

    Making Plans.

2. First Things First-Get Thee to a Doctor.

    Actually Finding a Doctor.

    Midwives.

    A Counseling Session with a Doctor.

      Interviewing Your Doctor.

      What Questions Should I Ask?

3. Choosing the Right Hospital.

    Should the Cart Come before the Horse?

    What Makes Hospitals Different from One Another.

    So What Should Be Important to You.

4. Decisions That Affect a Working Parent.

    Dealing with Being Pregnant While Working.

    Maternity Leave.

    Receiving Pay While You Are on Maternity Leave.

    Paternity Leave.

    Creative Options for Going Back to Work.

    Choosing a Daycare Provider.

    Your Mental Health and Guilt.

II. NOW THAT YOU'RE PREGNANT-FIRST TRIMESTER.

5. First Trimester-Mother.

    Increased Urine Output.

    Congestion.

    Morning Sickness.

    Vomiting.

    Shortness of Breath.

    Anemia.

    Other "Icky" Body Changes.

      Heartburn and Indigestion.

      Weight Gain.

      Constipation.

      Backaches.

      Headaches.

      Faintness or Dizziness.

      Fatigue and Stress.

      Increased Vaginal Discharge.

      Breast Discomfort Due to Enlargement.

      Complexion Problems.

      Venous (Vein) Changes.

    Emotional Changes.

6. First Trimester-Baby.

    Physiological Changes in the Baby's Growth.

    Products That Can Affect the Fetus.

      Tobacco.

      Alcohol.

      Medicine.

      Illegal Drugs.

      Computers and X-Rays.

7. Nutrition and Weight Gain.

    Nutrition Affects the Baby Directly.

    Defining Good Nutrition and Weight Gain.

    Good Foods to Eat.

      Nitty Gritty Details (Some Don'ts-Forget the "Do's").

      What to Eat if You're Nauseous.

    For Those Who Are Overweight or Underweight.

      If You're Underweight.

      If You're Overweight.

    Vitamins.

8. Exercise-It's Not a Four-Letter Word Anymore.

    The Unwritten Rules.

      What's Good for You.

      What Isn't Good.

    The Benefits of Exercise.

    A Checklist Before Exercising.

    When Not to Exercise.

    Exercise While Traveling.

    The Ultimate Exercise-Sex! (or Sex-It's Still a Three-Letter Word).

       When to Have Sex.

      When Not to Have Sex.

9. Tests Performed during Pregnancy.

    The Normal Tests.

      CBC.

      Urine Screen.

      Blood Type and Rh Status and Antibody Screen.

      Syphilis Screen.

      Rubella Screen.

      Hepatitis B.

      Pap Smear.

      HIV Test for AIDS.

      GBS.

      Gestational Diabetes.

    Optional Routine Tests.

      Multiple Marker Screen.

      Cystic Fibrosis Screening Test.

    High Risk Tests.

      Ultrasound.

      Other High Risk Tests.

III. SECOND TRIMESTER.

10. Second Trimester-The Mother.

    Physical Changes.

    Psychological Changes.

    What to Expect at Your Doctor's Visits.

    Break Out the Maternity Clothes.

11. Second Trimester-Baby.

    The Baby's Physical Changes.

    What You'll Notice First, and When.

    Common Tests During the Second Trimester.

    Pre-Term Labor.

12. Important Things to Decide Before the Baby Is Born.

    Physical Limitations.

    Who's In, Who's Out.

      Choosing Your Support Person.

      If You Have a C-Section.

      Videotaping Your Future Star.

    Pack Your Bags and Make Plans for a New Family Member.

    Security.

    Choosing a Name.

    Circumcision.

    Breast Feeding.

IV. THIRD TRIMESTER.

13. Third Trimester-Mother.

    You're in the Home Stretch.

    Other Physical Changes.

    Possible Pre-Eclampsia.

    Inducing Labor.

      Using Medicine to Induce Labor.

      "Natural" Methods of Stimulating Labor.

14. Third Trimester-Baby.

    The Baby's Physical Changes.

      How the Baby Changes.

      Kick Counts Continue to Be Critical.

    Monitoring the Amniotic Fluid.

    Testing the Placenta.

    The Different Levels of Hospital Care for Infants.

    Fetal Demise.

15. When To Go to the Hospital.

    Fake Contractions (Braxton Hicks).

    Real Contractions.

       Other Symptoms of Impending Birth.

      Fetal Kick Count.

    Get Thee to a Hospital.

      Questions You'll Be Asked.

      Answers to the above Questions (or Why They Are Important).

    Horrors-If You're Not in Labor.

    What to Pack-Just in Case.

      For the Mother.

      For the Baby.

V. THE DELIVERY & POST PARTUM.

16. What to Expect in a Normal Delivery.

    Stages of Labor.

    When You're First Admitted to the Hospital: The Preliminary Exam.

      Dilation of the Cervix.

      Effacement of the Cervix.

      Station of the Cervix.

      Putting It All Together.

    Admission.

    Labor Is Truly Labor-Intensive.

      The Nurse's Role during Labor.

       The Doctor's Role during Labor.

    Pain Medications during Labor.

    If Your Labor Slows Down, or The Three Ps.

      Using Pitocin to Speed Up Labor.

      Repositioning the Baby.

    Pushing and Delivery.

      Pushing.

      What Everyone Else Is Doing While You're Pushing (aside from Taking Bets).

    The Delivery.

      Episiotomy.

      Forceps or a Vacuum.

17. What to Expect in a C-Section.

    When to Perform a C-Section.

      Maternal Indications for a C-Section.

      Fetal Indications for a C-Section.

      Possible But Not Absolute Indicators for a C-Section.

      Elective C-Sections (for the Convenience of the Patient).

    What Is a Classical C-Section?

      Risks of a Classical C-Section.

    Low Transverse C-Section.

      Risks of a LTCS.

    What Happens During a Planned C-section?

      Before the Surgery.

      Pre-Surgery.

      Surgery.

      The Baby Delivered by C-Section.

      The Surgery Continues...

    The Pitfalls of Surgery.

    Post-Op and Recovery.

      The Day of the Surgery.

      The First Day Post-Op.

      The Second Day Post-Op.

      The Third Day Post-Op.

      Home Care.

    The Unexpected C-Section.

18. What Happens to the Baby after Delivery?

    Houston, We Have a Baby!

    The Neonatal Team Takes Over.

      And the Ranking Is...Enter the Apgar Score.

      The Nursery.

      What Is Jaundice?

    Screening Tests for Newborns.

19. Postpartum Blues and Postpartum Depression.

    Postpartum Blues.

      Symptoms.

      Dealing with the Blues.

    Postpartum Depression.

      Symptoms.

      The Difference Between Postpartum Blues and Postpartum Depression.

      How to Treat PPD.

      Can I Breastfeed if I'm on an Anti-Depressant Medication?

    Postpartum Psychosis.

      Symptoms.

      Treatment.

Glossary.

Index.