Pregnancy & Childbirth

Will I Have a C-Section?
What If I Have a C-Section?
by Rita Rubin
A look at some of the common medical reasons for C-Sections. In 2002, 261 out of every 1,000 babies born in the United States were delivered by C-section - the highest rate ever, although not nearly as high as in Brazil and some other Latin American

Pregnancy and Birthing
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing
by Christiane Northrup, M.D.
As a mother and a women's doctor, I have experienced childbirth from both sides of the bed. Every mother has moments that she cherishes from the birth experience and insights and feelings she'd like to share with other women.

What You Must Know About Infertility
Making a Baby: Everything You Need to Know to Get Pregnant
by Debra Fulghum Bruce, Samuel Thatcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Many people dream of having a family some day, even before they meet Mr. or Miss Right. In fact, most of us assume that making a baby the old-fashioned way is a natural birthright. After all, we are made to be sexual beings, so anyone can get pregnant

Metabolic Programming: The New Science
Program Your Baby's Health: The Pregnancy Diet for Your Child's Lifelong Well-Being
by Dr. Barbara Luke
Suppose a pregnant woman could take a pill that would program her unborn baby for a long and healthy life free of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, asthma, allergies, and even obesity. Wouldn't every mother-to-be in the country clamor for

There's a reason they call it labor
The Fourth Trimester: And You Thought Labor Was Hard ... Advice, Humor, and Inspiration for New Moms on Surviving the First Six Weeks-and Beyond
by Amy Einhorn
Recovering from labor is the closest thing most women come to recuperating from a heavyweight fight. Chances are you were pushing for hours on end, you didn't sleep a bit, and you feel like you've been run over by a truck.

Your First Trimester: What's Going on in Your Body
Parenting Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth
by Paula Spencer, Parenting Magazine Editors
Expect some physical reactions to kick in as your body begins to accommodate the new life that's rapidly taking shape within you. More than one newly pregnant woman has remarked, It's as if my body is running on autopilot, with someone else telling me

Don't Just Conceive: Preconceive!
Before Your Pregnancy: A 90 Day Guide for Couples on How to Prepare for a Healthy Conception
by Amy Ogle, Lisa Mazzullo, M.D.
It is every prospective parent's dream to have a child who is happy, bright, engaging, and healthy enough to experience life to its fullest. Whether you are thinking of trying to conceive for the first time or have been down this road before

Birth Stories
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin
There is extraordinary psychological benefit in belonging to a group of women who have positive stories to tell about their birth experiences. This phenomenon is exactly what developed within our village. So many horror stories circulate about birth

Work
Liz Lange's Maternity Style: How to Look Fabulous During the Most Fashion-Challenged Time
by Liz Lange
pregnancy style. To some this idea seems baffling, but to me it's always made perfect sense. Pregnant women are beautiful, and pregnancy is undoubtedly one of the happiest, sexiest, and most exciting times in a woman's life. In my mind, a pregnant woman

Afterword to the Anchor Edition
Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood
by Naomi Wolf
The book you have read is the frankest possible account I could write about the struggles-as well as the joys-of adjusting to pregnancy and new motherhood. Misconceptions ends with the birth of my first baby, and an epilogue describes the birth of

Getting Ready for Bebé
Waiting for Bebé: A Pregnancy Guide for Latinas
by Lourdes Alcañiz
Every time my mother peels an apple, a tomato or a peach, she buries the peels in her garden. Well-nourished soil, she says, yields healthy plants. And she must be right because there's always disputes among our neighbors and family to see who gets

Postpartum and Physical Changes
Buff Moms: The Complete Guide to Fitness for All Mothers
by Sue Fleming
Some of the most common physical changes that occur after having a baby make it especially difficult to start exercising. They are: Bleeding: Lochia, or bloody vaginal discharge after birth, will start to disappear after several weeks.

Buff Benefits of Exercise During Those Long Nine Months
Buff Moms-to-Be: The Complete Guide to Fitness for Expectant Mothers
by Sue Fleming
The Emotional Gain. When you're pregnant and bloated, why in the world would you want to put on an exercise outfit, look at yourself in the mirror, and work out? Believe it or not, exercise can actually help you feel better.

Oh! My Aching Pregnancy
Your Perfectly Pampered Pregnancy: Beauty, Health, and Lifestyle Advice for the Modern Mother-to-Be
by Colette Bouchez
Solutions for Your Most Common Health Problems. Whether you've just discovered you're pregnant, or you've known for a while that baby is on the way, chances are you have already begun to notice changes in your body.

Why a Cesarean?
The Essential C-Section Guide: Pain Control, Healing at Home, Getting Your Body Back, and Everything Else You Need to Know About a Cesarean Birth
by Maureen Connolly, Dana Sullivan
With the benefit of hindsight, we know that our Cesarean deliveries weren't the result of anything we did or didn't do. But very few pregnant women (at least those who are not carrying multiples or have certain medical conditions) plan

Preparing for a New Baby
Caring for Your Baby and Youn: Birth to Age 5
by Steven P. Shelov, M.D., The American Academy of Pediatrics
Pregnancy is a time of anticipation, excitement, preparation, and, for many new parents, uncertainty. You dream of a baby who will be strong, healthy, and bright--and you make plans to provide her with everything she needs to grow and thrive.

Before You Give Birth
The Kidfixer Baby Book : An Easy-to-Use Guide to Your Baby's First Year
by Dr. Stuart Altman
The inevitable question, after sharing the happy news with friends and family, is bound to be: do you have a name picked out? After twenty-five years as a pediatrician with a private practice on Long Island, you can imagine the names I've heard.

Pregnancy, Birth, and the Fourth Trimester
The 7 Stages of Motherhood: Making the Most of Your Life as a Mom
by Ann Pleshette Murphy
I was thirty-one when I became pregnant with our first child. From the moment my obstetrician gave us the good news, I began to fantasize about our baby, to picture myself as a mother. The hazy sonogram image I carried in my wallet, the fetal heartbeat

Creating a Baby
Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives: A Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth Through Meditation, Ayurveda, and Yoga Techniques
by Deepak Chopra, M.D., David Simon, M.D., Vicki Abrams
A much-needed antidote to our modern, assembly-line approach to childbirth, this new book is designed as a guide for all who wish to participate in the wondrous process of bringing new life into the world. Its ideas derive from two sources

The First Trimester
Knocked Up: Confessions of a Hip Mother-to-be
by Rebecca Eckler
Rebecca Eckler is a popular newspaper columnist who lives the fabulous life and gets paid to write about it. So when a tipsy romp with her fiancé on the night of their lavish engagement party leaves her unexpectedly expecting