Author Description

Every pregnant woman is going through an experience that is completely new to her, and each month raises many questions, from before conception to the early days of a baby's life. Pregnancy- Everything You Need to Knowis a bright, fresh, one-stop reference you can trust, with expert knowledge from consultants around the world. This book will guide you through the stages of your pregnancy, from before conception to the first few months of your baby's life. CONTENTS Timeline- week-by-week guidance Conception Nutrition, exercise and wellbeing Antenatal care All about you Your growing baby Practical preparations Labour and birth The postnatal period Special situations A note from the editor-in-chief, Dr Chandrima Biswas Finding out you are pregnant for the first time, or indeed the second, third or fourth times, can bring on a myriad of emotions - joy, excitement, reticence, fear, awe, curiosity, and, of course, anxiety. These feelings are entirely natural, as is the need for advice. In the past, societies with large families and different social structures created a network of sisterly support to help and inform women about all matters pregnancy-related. By contrast, today we may talk about our pregnancy to only a handful of family members and girlfriends; and to our midwife or obstetrician every couple of weeks. Often, our first step is to perform an Internet search. Here there is an abundance of information (and misinformation), and anecdotes of the pregnancy and childbirth experiences of other parents - including those that are unusually good or unusually disappointing. Sometimes search results are informative but too often they can be confusing and lead to further anxiety about our own experience. On the following pages, we have aimed to provide the balanced advice and support you need at one of the most important times of your life. We have covered every stage- pre-conception, the preg