The classic guide–now revised with week-by-week pregnancy information

Thoroughly updated with more than 200 pages of new or completely revised material, this new edition of The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby provides authoritative, objective coverage of all the physical, emotional, and financial issues that come with a pregnancy. Now featuring an all-new section that takes women through pregnancy week-by-week, this updated edition also includes detailed information and advice on preconception planning, first-time motherhood over age 35, exercising and working during pregnancy, the role of the father, alternative birthing options, financial planning and career management for parents-to-be, and saving money on baby gear.

Ann Douglas (Peterborough, ON, Canada) is the author of 21 books, including numerous top-selling titles in the pregnancy and baby book category. She is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and is a much-sought-after speaker at health fairs and parenting shows. Ann's books include The Mother of All Pregnancy Books (Canadian edition and American edition), The Mother of All Baby Books (Canadian edition and American edition), The Mother of All Toddler Books (Canadian edition), and Trying Again: A Guide to Pregnancy After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Death.

John R. Sussman M.D. (New Milford, CT) is Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New Milford Hospital and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. His other books include the bestselling Before You Conceive. Dr. Sussman has delivered more than 2,000 babies. 

The inside scoop for when you want more than the official line

Having a baby is one of life’s most joyous–and overwhelming–events. The choices you make now will affect your baby’s health long after it is born. How should you change your lifestyle now that you are pregnant? How can you be sure that your baby is developing properly? What should you expect at each doctor’s visit? And how on earth will you survive labor?

Now thoroughly updated with more than 200 pages of new and completely revised material, including week-by-week pregnancy tips, The Unofficial Guide^TM to Having a Baby gives savvy parents-to-be like you a foolproof appraisal of what works and what doesn’t–revealing things even your doctor won’t (or can’t) tell you, with unbiased recommendations that are not influenced by any company, product, or organization.

• Vital Information that other sources can’t or won’t reveal–including the very latest research on prenatal and genetic testing.
• Insider Secrets on how to weather the physical and emotional highs and lows of pregnancy, with tips on health, exercise, sex, and career management.
• Money-Saving Tips that help you save on baby gear and maternity wear.
• The Latest Trends in new childbirth methods, including Doula care, pain management, and alternative birthing options.
• Handy Checklists and Charts to track your baby’s development, identify potentially dangerous medications and drugs, and record the milestones in your pregnancy.

ANN DOUGLAS is the author of twenty-one books, including numerous top-selling titles in the pregnancy and baby book categories. She is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and is a much-sought-after speaker at health fairs and on parenting shows. Her books include The Mother of All. . . series, The Unofficial Guide to Childcare, and Choosing Childcare For Dummies®, all from Wiley.

JOHN R. SUSSMAN, M.D., is Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New Milford Hospital and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. His other books include the bestselling Before You Conceive: The Complete Pregnancy Guide.

About the Authors.

Introduction.

I. The Truth About Getting Pregnant.

1. Is This the Right Time to Have a Baby?

A question of timing.

The career costs of having a baby.

Dollars and sense.

The age issue.

Just the facts.

2. Conception Countdown: Planning for a Healthy Pregnancy.

Getting ready to get pregnant.

Just the facts.

3. The Overachiever’s Guide to Getting Pregnant Fast.

The biggest misconceptions about fertility and infertility.

Fertility awareness and other methods of increasing your chances of conceiving.

Bedroom gymnastics: Positioning 101.

“Trying” versus letting nature take its course.

Just the facts.

4. When Plan A Fails.

Do you have a fertility problem?

Choosing a fertility specialist.

The infertility workup.

The causes of infertility.

Fertility treatments.

The facts about assisted reproductive technologies.

The stress of infertility.

The facts about surrogacy and adoption.

Just the facts.

II. Your First Trimester Week-by-Week.

5. The First Month: Great Expectations.

Week 1.

Week 2.

Week 3.

Week 4.

Just the facts.

6. The Second Month: Newly Pregnant.

Week 5.

Week 6.

Week 7.

Week 8.

Just the facts.

7. The Third Month: Anxiety Alley.

Week 9.

Week 10.

Week 11.

Week 12.

Week 13.

Just the facts.

III. Your Second Trimester Week-by-Week.

8. The Fourth Month: Settling In.

Week 14.

Week 15.

Week 16.

Week 17.

Just the facts.

9. The Fifth Month: The Halfway Mark.

Week 18.

Week 19.

Week 20.

Week 21.

Week 22.

Just the facts.

10. The Sixth Month: The Waiting Game.

Week 23.

Week 24.

Week 25.

Week 26.

Week 27.

Just the facts.

IV. Your Third Trimester Week-by-Week.

11. The Seventh Month: Seriously Pregnant.

Week 28.

Week 29.

Week 30.

Week 31.

Just the facts.

12. The Eighth Month: Getting Psyched.

Week 32.

Week 33.

Week 34.

Week 35.

Just the facts.

13. The Ninth Month: Nine Months and Counting.

Week 36.

Week 37.

Week 38.

Week 39.

Week 40.

Just the facts.

V. What Other Pregnancy Books Won’t Tell You.

14. To Test or Not to Test?

Tests, tests, and more tests.

The prenatal testing merry-go-round: Do you really want to get on?

Alpha-fetoprotein.

Early serum screening and ultrasound.

Amniocentesis.

Chorionic villus sampling.

Ultrasounds (sonograms).

Doppler blood flow studies.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS) (cordocentesis).

Transabdominal embryo fetoscopy.

The future of prenatal testing.

What to do if the test brings bad news.

Preparing for the birth of a child with a severe disability.

Just the facts.

15. Carrying Multiples.

Why the number of multiple births is on the rise.

What causes a multiple birth.

How a multiple pregnancy is diagnosed.

What it’s like to be pregnant with multiples.

How to shop for your babies without going broke.

Problems that can arise in a multiple pregnancy.

Just the facts.

16. Coping with a High-Risk Pregnancy.

What being high risk means to you and your baby.

Chronic conditions that place a pregnancy at risk.

Conditions that can develop during pregnancy.

Coping with the stress of a high-risk pregnancy.

The facts about bed rest.

Just the facts.

17. What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Death.

Important decisions.

Just the facts.

VI. Birth and Beyond.

18. Labor and Delivery.

What happens to your body before you go into labor.

True versus false labor.

Pain relief during labor.

Labor interventions.

The pros and cons of inviting other people to the labor.

When to head for the hospital or birthing center.

What to expect during each stage of labor.

Why labor sometimes stops.

What it’s really like to be induced.

What to expect if you have a breech delivery.

What to expect if you have a cesarean delivery.

Meeting your baby.

Just the facts.

19. The Postpartum Survival Guide.

Your postpartum body: An owner’s manual.

What’s going on with your head.

Sex after baby.

The truth about babies.

Getting breastfeeding off to the best possible start.

Caring for a sick or premature baby or a baby with special needs.

Just the facts.

A. Glossary.

B. Further Reading.

Index.