Absolute Beginner's Guide to Pregnancy

Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Pregnancy......Page 2
Copyright • 2005 by Que Publishing......Page 3
Contents at a Glance......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 6
About the Authors......Page 14
We Want to Hear from You!......Page 17
How We Wrote This Book......Page 18
Why We Wrote This Book......Page 19
PART I Prepregnancy......Page 22
CHAPTER 1 Finding Out You’re Pregnant......Page 24
The Tests and Symptoms......Page 25
Telling the World......Page 29
Making Plans......Page 30
CHAPTER 2 First Things First—Get Thee to a Doctor......Page 32
Actually Finding a Doctor......Page 33
Midwives......Page 36
A Counseling Session with a Doctor......Page 37
CHAPTER 3 Choosing the Right Hospital......Page 44
What Makes Hospitals Different from One Another......Page 45
So What Should Be Important to You......Page 46
CHAPTER 4 Decisions That Affect a Working Parent......Page 50
Maternity Leave......Page 51
Paternity Leave......Page 52
Creative Options for Going Back to Work......Page 53
Choosing a Daycare Provider......Page 54
Your Mental Health and Guilt......Page 55
PART II Now That You’re Pregnant First Trimester......Page 58
CHAPTER 5 First Trimester— Mother......Page 60
Congestion......Page 61
Morning Sickness......Page 62
Vomiting......Page 63
Shortness of Breath......Page 64
Other “Icky” Body Changes......Page 65
Emotional Changes......Page 72
CHAPTER 6 First Trimester— Baby......Page 74
Physiological Changes in the Baby’s Growth......Page 75
Products That Can Affect the Fetus......Page 76
CHAPTER 7 Nutrition and Weight Gain......Page 84
Nutrition Affects the Baby Directly......Page 85
Defining Good Nutrition and Weight Gain......Page 86
Good Foods to Eat......Page 87
For Those Who Are Overweight or Underweight......Page 91
Vitamins......Page 93
CHAPTER 8 Exercise—It’s Not a Four Letter Word Anymore......Page 96
The Unwritten Rules......Page 97
The Benefits of Exercise......Page 99
A Checklist Before Exercising......Page 100
When Not to Exercise......Page 101
The Ultimate Exercise—Sex! (or Sex—It’s Still a Three-Letter Word)......Page 102
CHAPTER 9 Tests Performed during Pregnancy......Page 106
The Normal Tests......Page 107
Optional Routine Tests......Page 113
High Risk Tests......Page 115
PART III Second Trimester......Page 118
CHAPTER 10 Second Trimester— Mother......Page 120
Physical Changes......Page 121
Psychological Changes......Page 123
What to Expect at Your Doctor’s Visits......Page 124
Break Out the Maternity Clothes......Page 125
CHAPTER 11 Second Trimester—Baby......Page 128
What You’ll Notice First, and When......Page 129
Common Tests During the Second Trimester......Page 131
Pre-Term Labor......Page 132
CHAPTER 12 Important Things to Decide Before the Baby Is Born......Page 134
Physical Limitations......Page 135
Who’s In, Who’s Out......Page 136
Pack Your Bags and Make Plans for a New Family Member......Page 139
Choosing a Name......Page 140
Circumcision......Page 141
Breast Feeding......Page 142
PART IV Third Trimester......Page 144
CHAPTER 13 Third Trimester—Mother......Page 146
Other Physical Changes......Page 147
Possible Pre-Eclampsia......Page 148
Inducing Labor......Page 149
CHAPTER 14 Third Trimester—Baby......Page 152
The Baby’s Physical Changes......Page 153
Testing the Placenta......Page 154
The Different Levels of Hospital Care for Infants......Page 155
Fetal Demise......Page 156
CHAPTER 15 When To Go to the Hospital......Page 158
Fake Contractions (Braxton Hicks)......Page 159
Real Contractions......Page 160
Horrors—If You’re Not in Labor......Page 165
What to Pack—Just in Case......Page 166
PART V The Delivery & Post Partum......Page 168
CHAPTER 16 What to Expect in a Normal Delivery......Page 170
Stages of Labor......Page 171
When You’re First Admitted to the Hospital: The Preliminary Exam......Page 172
Labor Is Truly Labor-Intensive......Page 174
Pain Medications during Labor......Page 176
If Your Labor Slows Down, or The Three Ps......Page 177
Pushing and Delivery......Page 179
The Delivery......Page 180
CHAPTER 17 What to Expect in a C-Section......Page 184
When to Perform a C-Section......Page 185
What Is a Classical C-Section?......Page 188
What Happens During a Planned C-section?......Page 190
The Pitfalls of Surgery......Page 194
Post-Op and Recovery......Page 195
The Unexpected C-Section......Page 197
CHAPTER 18 What Happens to the Baby after Delivery?......Page 200
The Neonatal Team Takes Over......Page 201
Screening Tests for Newborns......Page 205
CHAPTER 19 Postpartum Blues and Postpartum Depression......Page 206
Postpartum Blues......Page 207
Postpartum Depression......Page 210
Postpartum Psychosis......Page 213
Glossary......Page 216
Index......Page 222