Before Your Pregnancy

Now completely revised and updated, the classic guide that helps mothers- and fathers-to-be conceive more easily and boost the odds of a healthy pregnancy Covering preconception and interconception (between-pregnancy) well-being for women and men, Amy Ogle and Lisa Mazzullo draw on new research from their complementary fields of expertise and reveal how good preconception health can lower the risk of pregnancy complications and improve lifelong health. Why a ninety-day guide? It takes that long for sperm to mature, and at least that much time for the prospective mother to ensure that her body becomes pregnancy-ready. In a warm, intelligent style, the authors address up-to-date topics such as age, heredity, vaccinations, supplements, and weight. In easily accessible chapters, this guide covers such topics as • Nutrition: meal makeovers plus new facts (and fiction) about fish, omega-3s, vitamins, and herbs • Personal readiness: how to assess emotional, financial, and physical readiness, including a preconception-friendly exercise program, plus advice for avid athletes • Becoming an informed patient: choosing a doctor, insurance coverage, baby-friendly medications, and the latest genetic screening guidelines • Women’s health: expanded coverage of gynecologic and medical conditions affecting fertility and pregnancy (including bariatric surgery and physical disabilities), and steps to create a welcoming womb by optimizing immune health • Environment: a roundup of environmental exposures and travel tips • Men’s health: practical lifestyle advice for men to help maximize the number and health of sperm • Conception: clear signs that predict when to “start trying,” and the truth behind common myths • Infertility: reassuring options for reproductive assistance • Interconception health: the best plan for pregnancy recovery, before trying for another • Resources: questionnaires for your preconception medical visit, and charts to track fertility signs

"If you are pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, this guide is for you! Having a baby can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be a time of uncertainty. Many parents have questions and concerns as they face all the changes that pregnancy brings. With advice coming from everyone, it's tough to know who to listen to. That's why having accurate information is so important! This guide will help you to make good decisions about how to take care of yourself before, during and after your pregnancy"--Page 1.

"A fabulous resource for moms-to-be! In this comprehensive guide to nutrition and health during pregnancy, Ward provides solid, research-based answers to women's most frequently asked questions about diet, exercise, weight gain, and supplements and offers specific advice that's easy to incorporate into your daily routine.'' -Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., bestselling author of Joy's Life Diet and nutrition/health expert for the Today Show "Ward and the ADA serve up practical, easy-to-use advice that is sure to help inform and inspire new and expectant moms." -Laura A. Jana, M.D., coauthor of Food Fights and Heading Home with Your Newborn "Any woman who is even thinking about getting pregnant for the first or third time needs to read this excellent and timely book. Ward has done a fabulous job compiling the most recent scientific evidence about pregnancy and translating it into a fun, easy-to-read book with quick, nutritious, and delicious recipes." -Kathleen M. Zelman, M.P.H, R.D., Director of Nutrition, WebMD "This book shares a wealth of information that takes into account all the different ways a pregnant woman and new mother lives her life. It might be the only book on prenatal nutrition you'll ever need." -Peg Moline, Editor in Chief, Fit Pregnancy magazine Are you thinking of having a baby?

This is a must-have guide for every woman who is pregnant or wants to know more about pregnancy.

The new comprehensive guide to healthy conception, pregnancy, and postpartum that every woman over thirty must read More and more women are choosing to have children later in life, but since fertility declines starting at age thirty, many moms-to-be face conception and pregnancy with fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. Women thirty and older who wish to conceive naturally are often told it is a "bit too late" for easy conception, or they are forced to turn to invasive, expensive treatments. But there is a better way! With How to Concieve Naturally: And Have a Healthy Pregnancy After 30 readers will discover that it's possible to have a healthy pregnancy in your thirties or early forties. Experts Christa Orecchio and Willow Buckley share their vast knowledge of holistic health, nutrition, and fertility in this powerful program that has helped thousands of women conceive naturally and quickly. From a 12-week preconception fertility detox to a postpartum plan to rebalance hormones, this book empowers women to take charge of their fertility at any age. Orecchio and Buckley present the most current research in nutrition and homeopathy to equip women with the wide-ranging knowledge they'll need on each step of the journey to having a baby naturally, from preconception to postpartum. /DIV

Announcing the prequel. From Heidi Murkoff, author of America's bestselling pregnancy and parenting books, comes the must-have guide every expectant couple needs before they even conceive—the first step in What to Expect: What to Expect Before You're Expecting. An estimated 11 million couples in the U.S. are currently trying to conceive, and medical groups now recommend that all hopeful parents plan for baby-making at least three months before they begin trying. And who better to guide wanna-be moms and dads step-by-step through the preconception (and conception) process than Heidi Murkoff? It's all here. Everything couples need to know before sperm and egg meet up. Packed with the same kind of reassuring, empathetic, and practical information and advice and tips that readers have come to expect from What to Expect, only sooner. Which baby-friendly foods to order up (say yes to yams) and which fertility-busters to avoid (see you later, saturated fat); lifestyle adjustments that you'll want to make (cut back on cocktails and caffeine) and those you can probably skip (that switch to boxers). How to pinpoint ovulation, time lovemaking, keep on-demand sex sexy, and separate conception fact (it takes the average couple up to 12 months to make a baby) from myth (position matters). Plus, when to seek help and the latest on fertility treatments—from Clomid and IVF to surrogacy and more. Complete with a fill-in fertility journal to keep track of the babymaking adventure and special tips throughout for hopeful dads. Next step? What to Expect When You’re Expecting, of course.

It’s a cover-to-cover revision of America’s bestselling guide to getting pregnant, with updated information about genetic screening, ovulation tracking, fertility treatments, and risks like Zika. What to Expect Before You’re Expecting has everything that eager-to-be moms and dads need to know about getting pregnant, from getting their bodies ready to make a healthy baby to getting that healthy baby on board faster. You'll find baby-friendly foods to order up (say yes to yams); fertility-busters to avoid (see you later, saturated fat); how to pinpoint ovulation, time baby-making sex, keep on-demand sex sexy, and separate conception fact—it takes the average couple up to 12 months to make a baby—from myth—position matters. With the latest on health insurance coverage, preconception travel and the Zika virus, sex selection techniques, antidepressants, and information on family-building options for single women and same-sex couples. Plus, for the 1 in 8 couples who experience infertility, the latest on both low-tech and cutting-edge fertility treatments, from medications to IVF and surrogacy. It’s everything you need to know for that baby-making adventure.

“This is an outstanding book for anyone thinking of having a baby.”—Lee Salk, Ph. D., author of The Complete Dr. Salk: An A-to-Z Guide to Raising Your Child A classic in the field of preventive medicine, here is an authoritative and comprehensive guide to reducing the risks to your baby before you get pregnant. Written by a pioneer in pregnancy medicine and a New York Times feature writer, Before You Conceive is aimed at parents and includes: • A prepregnancy guide to nutrition: what you should eat—what to avoid • Safe and easy-to-follow exercise guidelines before and during pregnancy • What you should know about over-the-counter and prescription drugs • The importance of your family medical history • Advice on fertility enhancement • How toxins and unsuspected hazards in the workplace and in homes may affect your pregnancy • Immunizations that may help prevent birth defects • Reducing the effects of preexisting medical disorders on your pregnancy • PLUS, information on irregular menstruation, reversing tubal ligation and vasectomy, smoking and passive smoking, alcohol and drugs, your biological clock, and much more! “Prepregnancy planning is an idea whose time has come. This book is a ‘should read’ for those women and couples thinking about pregnancy who want to prevent problems and paln for an optimal result.”—Timothy R. B. Johnson, M. D., Director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine