Introduction.
CHAPTER 1: Are You Really Ready to Have A Baby?
A question of timing.
What it really costs to raise children.
Career considerations.
The age issue.
Other health considerations.
Emotional readiness.
When you and your partner don't agree.
When Mother Nature has other plans.
CHAPTER 2: Your Pre-Game Plan.
Training for the big event.
Watch your weight???but not too carefully.
Do a nutrient check.
Kick your smoking habit.
Skip that glass of wine.
Just say no to drugs.
Get your partner on the program.
Kick your coffee habit.
Don't douche.
Keep your stress level down.
Watch out for workplace hazards.
What to expect from your preconception checkup.
CHAPTER 3: Sperm, Meet Egg.
The numbers game.
The science of conception.
A tale of two phases.
The sperm connection.
What you can do to increase your odds of conceiving quickly.
Know thy cycle.
Make love on the right days.
Have unbelievably great sex.
Don't get too much of a good thing.
Create a "sperm-friendly" vaginal environment.
Get your partner on board>
Can you choose your baby's sex?
CHAPTER 4: Missed Conceptions.
Do you have a fertility problem?
The infertility workup.
The major causes of infertility.
The brave new world of assisted reproduction.
Damned lies and statistics.
Reading between the lines.
Money talk.
How to stay sane.
CHAPTER 5: Winning the Baby Roulette.
A little bit pregnant.
Testing, testing.
How you may feel about being pregnant.
Sharing your news with the world.
Sharing your news at work.
Finding Dr. Right.
The doctor shortage.
More bad news.
Choosing a caregiver.
Hospital or home birth?
Your first prenatal checkup.
What your due date really means.
The Incredible Growing Baby.
CHAPTER 6: Operation Healthy Baby.
The weighting game.
Nutrient check: the sequel!
The deprivation trap.
Special diets.
Exercising during pregnancy.
Sex during pregnancy.
Working during pregnancy.
Other things you need to know to keep your baby safe.
CHAPTER 7: The Worry Zone.
The top ten first-trimester worries.
The top ten second-trimester worries.
Maternity wear.
Baby gear.
The top ten third-trimester worries.
CHAPTER 8: The Complaint Department.
What's normal and what's not.
Pregnancy complaints from A to Z.
Abdominal muscle separation.
Acne.
Backache.
Belly button soreness.
Bleeding gums.
Bleeding and spotting.
Braxton Hicks contractions.
Breast tenderness and enlargement.
Breathlessness.
Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Constipation.
Cramping.
Cravings.
Eye changes.
Faintness and dizziness.
Fatigue.
Food aversions.
Gassiness and bloating.
Headaches.
Heartburn.
Hemorrhoids.
Hip soreness.
Insomnia.
Itching.
Leg cramps.
Lenea nigra.
Mask of pregnancy.
Morning sickness.
Perineal aching.
Pubic-bone pain.
Rashes.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS).
Rhinitis.
Round ligament pain.
Sciatica.
Skin changes.
Smell, heightened sense of.
Stretch marks.
Sweating.
Swelling and fluid retention.
Thirstiness.
Urinary incontinence.
Urination, increased frequency of.
Vaginal secretions, increased.
Varicose veins.
Weepiness.
Yeast infections.
The joys of being pregnant.
CHAPTER 9: To Test or Not to Test?
What prenatal testing can and can't tell you.
Is prenatal genetic testing the right choice for you?
Types of tests.
What to do if the test brings bad news.
CHAPTER 10: Lights, Cameras, Action!
Prenatal classes: Who needs them?
Decisions, decisions....
Doulas are a girl's best friend.
Writing a birth plan.
Episiotomy: the unkindest cut of all.
Pain relief during labour.
The circumcision decision.
Breast or bottle?
Eight months and counting.
How to tell if it's the real thing.
Prelabour symptoms.
True versus false labour.
When to call your caregiver.
When to go to the hospital.
What labour is really like.
The three stages of labour.
What other pregnancy books won't tell you.
What to expect during a Caesarean delivery.
Vaginal birth after Caesarean.
Going overdue.
Is my baby at risk?
To induce or not to induce?
What to expect during an induction.
Meeting your baby.
How you may feel abut meeting your baby.
CHAPTER 11: When Pregnancy Isn't Perfect.
What does the term "high-risk pregnancy" really mean?
Surviving bed rest.
The unique challenges of a multiple pregnancy.
Premature birth.
What can go wrong.
Miscarriage.
Ectopic pregnancy.
Molar prenancy.
Stillbirth.
Intrapartum death.
Infant death.
Grieving the loss of your baby.
Preparing for another pregnancy.
CHAPTER 12: Life After Baby.
Your postpartum body: What to expect.
Getting back into shape: What's realistic and what's not.
How you may feel about becoming a mother.
More than the baby blues?
How your relationship with your partner may change.
The postpartum survival guide.
Appendix A: Glossary.
Appendix B: Birth Plan.
Appendix C: Emergency Childbirth Procedures.
Appendix D: Directory of Organizations.
Appendix E: Web Site Directory.
Appendix F: Statistics at a Glance.
Appendix G: Prenatal Record.
Appendix H: Recommended Reading.
Index.