Product Description

Whether you are trying to get pregnant or are already expecting you no doubt have dozens of questions that you would like to have answered.

Written by a medical professional, “Pregnancy From A to Z” is just what the doctor ordered to answer all your questions. In fact, it probably has answers to questions you haven’t even asked yet!

In the Beginning!

“Pregnancy From A to Z” not only discusses the entire aspects of pregnancy, it also sheds light on what you should do before becoming pregnant to insure a healthy and happy child.

What’s more is a full chapter discussion about increasing the odds for having a boy or a girl! No guarantees of course, but there are things you can do to sway the odds in your favor.

What we hope you will learn is how to be prepared for what is to come as your pregnancy progresses. Why should you read “Pregnancy From A to Z?”

Because of the author!

Not only is the author a medical doctor specializing in women and children’s health issues, she is also a wife and mother. And as if that weren’t enough, in addition to traditional medicine she explores the alternative methods as well and incorporates a holistic approach to her practice.

As you can see in the following list “Pregnancy From A to Z” covers it all:

Ø Symptoms of early pregnancy

Ø Diagnosis of pregnancy

Ø Calculation of delivery date

Ø Development of pregnancy: what happens to your baby inside the womb on different pregnancy stages

Ø What happens to your body as pregnancy progresses

Ø What to avoid during pregnancy

Ø Which medication to use

Ø Effect of smoking, alcohol and illegal drugs on fetus

Ø Sex during pregnancy

Ø Bleeding during early and late pregnancy

Ø Morning sickness: what can be done to help

Ø Risk factors for baby, abnormalities; when some investigations need to be done (like US and/or amniocentesis)

Ø The use of anti-D in pregnancy

Ø Group Streptococcus (GBS) in pregnancy

Ø Diet during pregnancy

Ø Childbirth explanation – normal labor, Caesarean section

Ø Anesthetics used for childbirth

Ø Evaluation of newborn – Apgar score- what does it mean?

Ø Two to tango: father’s role during pregnancy

Ø Birth choices. Water birth

Ø What is ectopic pregnancy (risk, future chances for normal pregnancy)?

All this and more await you in “Pregnancy From A to Z” a definite must have to answer all those burning questions about becoming pregnant.

Who better to teach you than a medical professional who is also a wife and mother?

Grab your copy now for yourself or as the ultimate gift to a friend or loved one.

Product Details from Amazon.com

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 561 KB
Publisher: Profit Strategy Online (March 15, 2006)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English

This Book is available at Amazon.com

Product Description

Brass, outspoken and witty, “Taboo Secrets of Pregnancy” dishes out practical advice and pee-in-your-pants fun like no one yet. Join this pregnant mom of two as she journeys yet again through the rough and tumble life of a pregger. Boldly proclaiming taboo truths on those touchy subjects that books gloss over and doctors ‘forget’ to mention, this guide lets empathy roll in as the naked bum of truth is bared.

From gassy bellies to sprouting hairs in unmentionable places, “Taboo Secrets of Pregnancy” spells it out in no uncertain terms, and actually provides realistic guidance on what the blazes to do about it.

Say goodbye to fragile advice and get ready to hear it like it is. Toughen up your delicate senses, girly! You’re about to take a break from the technical tomes, and dive in for an adventure in gestating!

About the Author

Michelle Smith is a Speech-Language Pathologist, working with kids from preschool to high school. She lives in Texas, adores her three girls, and enjoys reading, sleeping (woohoo!), and taking care of her enormous Maine Coon cat. This is Michelle’s third book behind Life with Toddlers and the Toddler ABC Guide to Discipline. Her unique perspective and distinct voice allows her to encourage, entertain, and empower caregivers with heart-felt, professional, and realistic advice.

Product Details

Paperback: 150 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (July 29, 2010)
Language: English

Customer Reviews from Amazon.com

By labyrinth_lady8

This review is from: Taboo Secrets of Pregnancy: A Guide to Life with a Belly (Kindle Edition)
I laughed hysterically every time I opened up this book (*Or Rather Turned On My Kindle To Read It*)!

My husband and I are considering children after this year and I wanted to get a head-start by reading a few pregnancy books to get a good idea of what I was getting into. Not only was this book informative but it made me laugh through some of the more uncomfortable subjects like varicose veins and the external cephalic procedue (*AKA Turning The Baby In The Womb To Prevent Breech Birth*).

I highly recommend this book!

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The planner is so thoughtfully organized you’ll wonder just who the panel of experts is who created the book… — Five Star Reviews, November 2006

Product Description

Finally! A well designed, well researched, easy-to-use organizer for every stage of pregnancy. Forget ducks and bunny rabbits–this clean, sophisticated organizer is designed for modern parents-to-be.

An essential addition to your pregnancy library, this handy tool simplifies the process of preparing for a baby. Tabs provide quick access to checklists, forms, and questionnaires that help manage the details of pregnancy and baby’s first weeks at home.

This journal-sized organizer fits perfectly in a handbag, making it the ideal companion for the many travels between nightstand, desk, and practitioner s office. With space to answer questions about pregnancy and baby’s birth, 40 Weeks + ultimately becomes a record of the amazing journey into parenthood!

The contents include:

* Detailed timeline and pregnancy calendar
* Interview questions for obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, nannies, and day care centers
* Questions to formulate a birth plan
* Prenatal check-up pages
* Practical baby shopping list for parents
* Gift tracker
* Tips on saving time around the house
* Coach’s preparations and contact lists
* Feeding and diapering records
* Helpful resources
* Pocket for paperwork or keepsakes
* and much more

Product Details

Spiral-bound: 138 pages
Publisher: Mango Media; 4th edition (November 6, 2006)
Language: English

Customer Reviews from Amazon.com

By Papa Bear (San Jose, CA)

This review is from: 40 Weeks +: The Essential Pregnancy Organizer (Spiral-bound)
I just want to add how useful this planner is for dads-to-be. Prior to delivery, it was highly functional, helping us organize and prepare in so many ways. There was even a section dedicated exclusively to helping the coach (that’s you, pop) get everything in order. However, when the big day arrived and the contractions started coming fast and furious, the planner moved from functional to absolutely indispensable.

The last thing I wanted to do was scramble around, pulling together phone lists, contraction charts, etc., and 40 Weeks + solved that problem wonderfully. All the notes and lists my wife was counting on me to bring to our birthing center were in one convenient place. I just grabbed our bags, our birth plan, and this planner, and off we went.

After delivery, the planner never left my side. I was able to track feedings and diaper changes, take notes on all the once-in-a-lifetime moments we experienced, and work through our call list without missing anyone. Believe me, if your experience is like mine, your partner’s not going to want to deal with these details post-partum, and 40 Weeks + can definitely help you help her.

As a new dad, I heartily recommend it.

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From Publishers Weekly

Aiming to fill a gap in the market, Jones has collaborated with perinatal nutritionist Hudson to produce a volume that combines both recipes and nutritional advice aimed specifically at the mother-to-be. Delicately balancing optimum and unnecessary weight gain with the required dietary needs for a healthy lifestyle, Jones and Hudson also addresses the requirements of diabetic, vegetarian and vegan diets. After an introduction providing a summary of needs and goals, the authors start with breakfast and move through the usual soups, salads and mains before finishing with desserts. A full chapter is dedicated to the vegetarian diet, and at the beginning of each chapter recipes are highlighted to indicate that they conform to a vegan diet. Each section contains recommended pantry items for the recipes. Along the way Jones makes full use of convenience and semi-prepared ingredients to provide simple yet flavorful dishes, while Hudson doles out advice on vitamins, health hazards and goals. Each recipe is preceded with the nutritional goal for baby and mother-to-be and followed by tips for cooking, storage, health, special diets as well as complete meal ideas, variations and the approximate nutritional content. Appendixes on weight, sources of nutrition from calcium to iron and food safety round out the book. Despite the book’s wordiness and repetition in places there is an overwhelming amount of information.

Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books; Second Edition, Completely Revised and Expanded edition (June 9, 2009)
Language: English

Customer Reviews from Amazon.com

By N. Kevorkian (Maryland)

This review is from: Eating for Pregnancy: An Essential Guide to Nutrition with Recipes for the Whole Family (Paperback)
When you have a baby you end up buying a million books and reading everything you can. When you have your second, as I just did, you only have time to read the most practical books. This book gave me all the understandable nutritional information that I needed for a healthy pregnancy, plus 100+ great-tasting recipes that even I can cook and my family enjoys. This is one “pregancy book” that has a shelf life longer then 9 months.

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From Publishers Weekly

McCarthy, 1994 Playmate of the Year, actress (Scream 3; Baywatch; etc.) and former host of MTV’s Singled Out, gave birth to her first child in 2002. Her pregnancy wasn’t pretty—and she wants to tell readers all about it. At the outset, she tells them, “If you bought this book, you are already aware of my frankness when it comes to certain things—anatomy and bodily functions among them. If someone gave this book to you as a gift and you’ve never heard of me, apologies to you!” She goes on to recount the nitty-gritty of pregnancy in all its gory detail, covering morning sickness, hormonal rage, cravings, hemorrhoids, “engorged” breasts, gas, hot flashes, fainting spells, weight gain, acne, water retention and, finally, labor. McCarthy is undeniably crass but funny, and her candor and self-deprecation are refreshing. Each brief, chatty chapter focuses on a different—and awful—facet of pregnancy, with McCarthy relating personal anecdotes and usually winding down by reassuring women they’re not alone. McCarthy’s tales are, for the most part, a hoot, though they may offend more uptight readers. For example, in the beginning of McCarthy’s pregnancy, she was constipated, so she visited a specialist. In the waiting room, the assistant called her name, and “everyone… looked up in surprise, and I knew what they were thinking: ‘Jenny McCarthy has butt hole problems?’ I was so embarrassed, until I realized that they had no right to be smirking: Those assholes were also there because of their own assholes. I felt better already.”
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

McCarthy applies her in-your-face manner and blue humor to the subject of pregnancy and childbirth in this little piece of fun. The former Playboy centerfold and all-around bad girl recounts her journey to motherhood with utter abandon, discussing topics that those other wholesome books tend to treat too gently, such as enemas, pubic hair growth, and sex in the ninth month. What’s noble about this book (yes, noble) is that women who find these topics too embarrassing to bring up now have a place to read about them in a frank and open discussion.^B After all, they’re as real as morning sickness, and McCarthy treats them with a candor that borders on crude but that is refreshing, and, ultimately, necessary. Not to mention funny. Like a gossipy girlfriend, McCarthy brings you in and makes you laugh; there’s a certain comfort in knowing that even a sex symbol gets stretch marks and balloons to 200 pounds during pregnancy. A must-have for any childbirth collection. An aggressive marketing campaign suggests libraries ought to stock up. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press (December 13, 2005)
Language: English

Customer Reviews from Amazon.com

By Heidi Dexter (Sunny Florida)

This review is from: Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth (Paperback)
There are a lot of pregnancy books out there that just, in my option, want to just give you the facts, overlooking the fact that pregnant women need to laugh a little, too. Well, thankfully, there is Belly Laughs and while it is filled with the trials and tribulations of pregnancy, Ms. Mccarthy never fails to poke a little fun at it, too, and at herself. It’s just a great read all pregnant women should read. I also liked and would suggest Really Pregnant! Confessions of a New Mom-To-Be or Why I Couldn’t Stop Eating Brownies.

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From Publishers Weekly

Would-be mothers looking for precise, accurate information from a reputable source will appreciate this mammoth pregnancy guide from the celebrated Mayo Clinic. The volume actually provides much more information than most parents will need: week by week accounts of the baby’s development, entries on how pregnancy can be affected by dozens of previous health conditions (such as HIV and diabetes), self-care tips for side effects like nausea and back pain, sidebars that explain the difference between identical and fraternal twins, etc. But the book contains at least one feature that most pregnant women will find indispensable: charts that indicate how to handle “troublesome signs and symptoms” during each three week period. For example, if a woman has slight spotting during the first four weeks of pregnancy, the chart tells her to notify a doctor during her next hospital visit. But if she has any bleeding at all during weeks 29 to 32, the chart indicates that she should tell her doctor immediately. Another stellar feature is the book’s even-handed series of “decision guides,” which help parents make those hard (and even guilt-inducing) choices about breastfeeding, circumcision and whether or not to go back to work. Some parents may find the book’s cool, no-nonsense tone intimidating, or even scary, but when deciding what to do about mid-term cramps or pain, most readers will find great reassurance this volume’s carefully vetted facts.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. –This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

Paperback: 509 pages
Publisher: Good Books (May 2011)
Language: English

Customer Reviews from Amazon.com

By Julia

This review is from: Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy (Paperback)
Back when babies were just daydreams, I recieved “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” (3rd ed.) from a pregnant friend who had an extra copy. Not knowing any better, I was quite pleased. Once I became pregnant and actually needed a guide, however, that changed. I found the book to be poorly organized, overly conversational and condescending in tone (especially given my plans to be a stay-at-home mom), and generally useless for anything other than instilling fear and paranoia. Most exasperating, though, was the “organization.” Symptoms that can arise during varying parts of pregnancy are scattered haphazardly amongst the monthly chapters. This means that the book must be read cover to cover and all material retained in memory if hunting through the index and flipping back and forth between sections doesn’t sound appealing.

Enter the “Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy.” Hallelujah! Not wanting to suffer through another mediocre guide to pregnancy, I looked through every book I could get my hands on, and this was the only one that satisfied my criteria. It is written by trustworthy professionals in clear yet -professional- language, it provides information on “pregnancy, childbirth and your newborn” in chronological order, and best of all, it contains separate sections entitled, appropriately, “decision guides for pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood,” “pregnancy reference guide,” and “complications of pregnancy and childbirth,” each with a table of contents at the beginning of the section. Instead of having to take a wild guess at which chapter (or, more likely, chapters) cramping might have landed in in “What to Expect” or searching the entire index, I could find it, along with all the other things I might be wondering about, in the reference guide. Blessed simplicity!

The “Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy” was the only book I needed. Once I found it, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” went back on the shelf and stayed there.

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It has also come to light that most pregnant women get good riddance of migraines. These patients are the ones having migraine without aura, i.e., sharp bouts of headaches accompanied by tingling feelings, seeing lights and nausea. What acts as shields are the steady and rather high levels of estrogen these women possess during that stage!

Nonetheless, there are many instances of pregnant women who do suffer from bouts of migraine. And, it is against this backdrop that they need to know about the various treatment plans which are to be put in place after due consultation with the doctor. Dr Hutchinson asks the patients to seek medical advice from the primary care provider or a specialist on headache.

The word ‘migraine’ refers to a severe form of headache that keeps on recurring. Migraine affects only one side of the head. It is generally accompanied by vomiting, sharp pain, visual disturbances and nausea.

The term ‘migraine’ is adopted from other terms tracing their roots to Middle English, Old French, and Late Latin hēmicrānia, and Greek hēmikrāniā  where ‘hēmi-’ or ‘hemi-’  + ‘krānion’, refers to the head.

So, what is the ideal migraine treatment plan for pregnant women?

Basically, such a strategy involves having a fair idea of 1H and 3Ws much before one is pregnant. These are:

(a) How can pre-emptive measures be taken?
(b) What are the non-pharmacological treatments against migraine?
(c) What steps are to be initiated to tackle migraine during pregnancy?

Once you know the answers to these posers you can be sure of tackling this acute form of nagging headache.

Dr. Hutchinson, M.D., is a board-certified family practice physician and a headache specialist besides being the Director of the Orange County Migraine & Headache Center which she founded in January 2007.  She is also in-charge of a panel in American Headache Society. The organization is formulating guidelines for the treatment of migraine during pregnancy. The project is the first of its kind as there are no such established guidelines on this score.

Dr Hutchinson prescribes the ‘occipital nerve block’ procedure for long bouts of migraine during pregnancy. She personally uses bupivacaine. This anesthetic is superficially injected in the “occipitalis” portion of the posterior scalp at the back of the head. It has triple benefit: the anesthetic generally brings instant relief for the patient; it does not affect the fetus; nor does it not get into the bloodstream of the patient. The effect of the anesthetic stays for one-two weeks.

Each obstetrician has customized medications to offer patients suffering acute migraine bouts during pregnancy. Dr. Hutchinson mentions some medications which can be a guide-list.

1. Imitrex and other Triptans (with prior approval from the obstetrician)
2. Phenergan, Reglan, and Zofran (to tackle nausea)
3. Caffeine (to lessen acute migraine strike)
4. Tylenol (acetaminophen)
5.  Fioricet (Butalbital); Vicodin (hydrocodone); Tylenol with Codeine (To bale out patient in severe migraine bouts)
6. IV Zofran or Reglan IV Cortisone; IV Magnesium
7. IV (Intravenous) fluids

Among the drugs to be strictly avoided by the pregnant women having migraine are:

(a) Topamax. Studies have found this drug increasing the risk of cleft palate.
(b) Depakote
(c) Blood pressure medications like ACE inhibitors and ARB’s.

Similarly, the following medications need to be avoided:

(a) Hydrocodone and other narcotics
(b) Aspirin
(c) Migranal Nasal Spray; Ergostat; and Cafergot and similar ergotamines
(d) Motrin (Ibuprofen) and Aleve (Naproxen) and other anti-inflammatories

PREGNANCY CALENDAR & MENTAL MAKEUP

Pregnancy calendar and your mental makeup are intimately linked. Both have sure impacts not just on you, your family but above all also on your baby.

Remember, a smooth sail during the pregnancy calendar necessitates that you do not indulge in wishful dreams or in negative thoughts. This is primarily because whatever you do will have a direct impact on the fetus.

Therefore, concentrate on creative pursuits that do take a toll on your physical energy. Save the physical power for your D-day.

PREGNANCY CALENDAR

The pregnancy calendar is basically the job of the woman planning to enter motherhood. Technically, it is a diary. The pregnancy calendar is a day-to-day list of progresses and things to do and things not to do. The pregnancy calendar commences from the date when you and your spouse may have made one of your life’s ultimate decisions to become parents.

Hence the pregnancy calendar will also include the following developments:

1. Missed periods leading conception;
2. The slow but steady growth of the fetus within the womb as it takes the shape of a baby;
3. Those pains, convulsions and reshaping of your uterus and the feeling that your body is definitely metamorphosing temporarily for the final countdown;
4. The resultant psychological and mental developments;
5. The movements, kicks and convulsions of the living being within you;
6. Think of the ways you have innovated to tackle the natural inconveniences;
7. Jot down the drastic changes that have surely become a part of your daily schedule now following conception
8. Ensure that you are writing about every single minute detail. The diary will be your reference the next time you go the nature’s way.
9. Above all, practice mind control daily. This will make your pregnancy all the more easier and adventurous;
10. Concentrate on the fetus. Give it quality time.

Prepare your pregnancy calendar in such a way that you remain relaxed. Medical research has found that your mental and physical states have a direct bearing on the baby. The books you read or the movies you see and also the people with which you spend most of the time mould the nature of your thoughts. They, in turn, ultimately help in the shaping of the psychological bend of the fetus.

Against this backdrop the 36 weeks that you will be carrying the baby in your womb holds significance.

THE CRITICAL MONTHS IN THE PREGNANCY CALENDAR

The first few months of pregnancy are the most critical for the developing infant, because during this period the infant’s brain, arms, legs, and internal organs are formed.

For this reason a pregnant woman should be especially careful about taking any kind of medication except on the advice of a physician who knows that she is pregnant. X rays should also be avoided, and pregnant women should avoid smoking and alcohol consumption.

Similarly, the last three months are equally critical ones. Chances of miscarriages abound during this time. To obviate the possibility, the mother to-be needs to stay away from hard physical labor. It is prudent to also not have sex during the beginning as well as in the concluding part of the pregnancy calendar.