The Unofficial Guide to Having a Baby

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.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Fiction, Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.