|
 |
 | |
The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby
|
|
|  
|
|
Table of Contents | 1 | 2 If you've spent much time in bookstores lately, you already know that most pregnancy books fall into one of two basic categories: those that manage to scare you to death by piling on details about every conceivable pregnancy-related problem and expect you to follow a prenatal diet and fitness regime that would have even boot camp recruits begging for mercy; and those that are so full of new age warm-and-fuzzies that you couldn't find a cold, hard medical fact to save your life. Then there's this book, the Mother of All Pregnancy Books—a book that is overflowing with facts, tips, and resources galore—to say nothing of pages. While most Unofficial Guides come in at approximately 400 pages, we knew we needed at least 800 pages to do this subject justice. Fortunately, the editors at the Unofficial Guides agreed with us and gave us carte blanche to write a pregnancy book that is packed with the very types of information that expectant parents both want and need. At the heart of this book is something that most pregnancy books tend to neglect: first-hand accounts of what it's really like to have a baby. You'll hear real parents talk about the joys and frustrations of trying to conceive, the raging hormones of early pregnancy, the wonder of feeling your baby's first kick, the legendary discomforts of the third trimester, the experience of coping with a pregnancy that doesn't end when your due date rolls around, the challenge of trying to decide whether or not you're really in labor, and the wonderous experience of giving birth to a child and becoming a parent. If some of this material sounds like the kind of information you might share with a friend over a cup of coffee, it's certainly for good reason. There were a lot of real, live parents involved in the planning of this book. We pulled together a panel of 150 new and expectant parents and asked them to share their pregnancy wisdom. As you will see as you get into the heart of the book, the parents on our panel were surprisingly frank about their experiences, baring their souls about such highly intimate aspects of their lives as the sexual positions they used while trying to conceive their babies, how they and their partners really felt about being pregnant, and what it was really like to give birth. Time and time again, they thanked us for giving them the opportunity to pass along the very types of pregnancy wisdom that they wished someone else had told them when they were embarking on their own journeys to parenthood. The panel came up with practical tips on every pregnancy-related situation imaginable: keeping the fun in sex when you're trying toconceive, coping with morning sickness on the job, convincing your boss to agree to the best possible maternity leave package, choosing a caregiver and a place to give birth, weathering the physical and emotional highs and lows of pregnancy, and finding unbelievable bargains on health insurance, prenatal vitamins, maternity wear, baby gear, and much more. The result of all their input is the book that you're holding in your hands—one that is unlike anything else you're likely to find on the bookstore shelf because it's drawn from the experiences of real parents like you. The book is also far more comprehensive than most pregnancy books. Rather than spouting a few cliches about prenatal nutrition, uttering some reassuring words about pregnancy complaints, and insisting that you'll be "just fine" when it comes time to deliver, we delve into the nitty gritty, boldly going where no other pregnancy book has gone—at least until now. You'll find facts drawn from the latest medical journals and statistical databases and lists of resources that you can use to follow up on points that we raise in the text. The text is also liberally sprinkled with the URLs of Internet sites that you owe it to yourself to visit and the subscription information for Internet e-mail lists where you can compare notes with other parents and parents-to-be. Like any complex issue, the facts about pregnancy are often more grey than black and white. In situations in which the data conflicts or an issue is particularly controversial, we present you with the facts on both sides of the argument and allow you to make up your mind for yourself. Since pregnancy can also be a fun time in your life, we've thrown in a bit of less serious stuff too—like information about all those Old Wives Tales you've probably heard by now, interactive pregnancy calendars galore, and the URL of a web site that shows you how to improvise a diaper if you find yourself unexpectedly caught short. (Now there's one site you'll want to bookmark!) |
|
| | | © Copyright 2003 Ann Douglas. All rights reserved. | |
