Countdown to Baby: Answers to the 100 Most Asked Questions about Pregnancy and Childbirth Book

	Acknowledgments	xi
	Introduction	1
Part I	First Trimester	3
1	Getting Organized	5
1.	How is my due date calculated?	5
2.	When should I tell my family and friends that I am pregnant?	6
3.	What changes in my diet, exercise, and lifestyle should I make?	8
4.	How do I select the best doctor to deliver my baby?	12
5.	What about having a midwife deliver my baby?	14
2	First Prenatal Visits	17
1.	When should I schedule my first prenatal visit?	17
2.	What is a medical history interview?	19
3.	Will I be able to hear the baby's heartbeat at this visit?	21
4.	What is involved in the physical examination?	21
5.	When should I begin prenatal vitamins?	21
6.	I'm over age thirty-five; do I need genetic testing?	24
7.	When do I choose a hospital and the type of birth I'll have?	28
8.	What happens during my second prenatal visit?	31
3	Potential Issues and Concerns	33
1.	If I've had an abortion in the past, will it affect my pregnancy now?	34
2.	What if I've had miscarriages in the past?	34
3.	What can I do for morning sickness?	35
4.	Is it normal to feel tired and wiped out?	37
5.	Do I have to get rid of my cats?	38
6.	How do I know if I have an ectopic pregnancy?	38
7.	Is vaginal bleeding normal during the first trimester?	40
8.	How do I know if I'm miscarrying and what should I do?	41
Part II	Second Trimester	43
4	Lifestyle and Habits	45
1.	What over-the-counter medicines can I safely take?	45
2.	How can I get calcium into my diet if I don't like milk?	47
3.	Can I consume caffeine while I'm pregnant?	47
4.	How much weight should I be gaining?	48
5.	Is it safe for me to bathe and swim?	48
6.	Is it okay to have sex during pregnancy?	49
7.	Can I color or chemically treat my hair during pregnancy?	50
8.	Are bleeding gums and occasional nosebleeds normal?	50
9.	Can I have dental work done while I'm pregnant?	51
10.	Why am I having skin problems such as acne, rash, moles, and discoloration?	51
5	Special Blood Testing, Fetal Movement, and Ultrasounds	53
1.	Should I take a blood test to check for fetal abnormalities?	53
2.	When should I feel the baby move?	54
3.	When do I get an ultrasound and what is involved?	55
4.	What are three-dimensional ultrasounds?	57
6	Preparing for Baby	60
1.	What do I need to buy before the baby arrives?	60
2.	Can I paint the walls in the nursery?	61
3.	Should I sign up for prenatal classes?	62
4.	What is a written birth plan and should I prepare one?	63
5.	How and when do I select a pediatrician for my baby?	64
7	Potential Problems and Premature Delivery	66
1.	What if I have an incompetent cervix?	66
2.	Why is having twins a high-risk pregnancy?	68
3.	What happens if I go into premature labor?	69
Part III	Third Trimester	71
8	Aches and Discomforts	73
1.	What can I do about indigestion, excessive gas, and constipation?	73
2.	What can I do about hemorrhoids?	74
3.	Is it normal to leak urine when I sneeze, laugh, or cough?	75
4.	What causes varicose veins and what can I do about them?	76
5.	What is causing my nagging backaches and what can I do about them?	77
6.	How can I ease my discomfort enough to get a decent night's sleep?	77
7.	Am I okay even though my legs and feet are so swollen that my shoes don't fit?	78
8.	Why are my breasts already leaking milk?	79
9.	What can I do about stretch marks?	80
10.	What about traveling during pregnancy?	80
9	Prenatal Visits, Medical Issues, and Infections	83
1.	How often are prenatal visits scheduled during the third trimester?	83
2.	If my blood is Rh-negative, how does it affect my pregnancy?	84
3.	Why do you check for diabetes when there's none in my family history?	87
4.	What is preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension?	89
5.	What if I have a medical history of genital warts?	91
6.	What is Group B strep (GBS) bacteria and why will I be tested for it?	92
7.	What if I have a medical history of genital herpes?	94
10	Bleeding in Late Pregnancy	96
1.	What is placenta previa and how is it managed?	96
2.	What is placental abruption and how is it managed?	98
11	Countdown to Delivery	101
1.	How often should I feel the baby move?	101
2.	What are Braxton Hicks or false labor contractions?	102
3.	How often will I have pelvic exams?	103
4.	What happens if my baby is in a breech position?	105
5.	Can I deliver my baby at home?	106
6.	When is labor induction desirable?	108
7.	How safe is it to go past my due date?	111
12	Cesarean Sections (C-sections)	112
1.	Why might I need a C-section?	112
2.	If I've had a previous C-section, how should my new baby be delivered?	114
3.	Must I have a C-section if I'm carrying twins?	116
4.	If I have a C-section, will you tie my tubes if I wish?	117
Part IV	Labor and Delivery	119
13	Going to the Hospital	121
1.	How do I know when to go to the hospital?	122
2.	What is a mucus plug and what does it indicate?	123
3.	What should I take to the hospital?	124
14	At the Hospital	125
1.	What is a birthing room?	125
2.	Will I be shaved? Will I receive an enema in the hospital?	126
3.	How many monitors and tubes must I be attached to during labor?	127
4.	Can I eat during labor?	129
5.	How many family and friends can be in the room for the delivery?	130
6.	What are the stages of labor and how long do they take?	131
7.	How often are pelvic exams done when I'm in labor?	132
8.	What is meconium and is it dangerous?	133
9.	Should my water break naturally, or should the doctor do it?	134
10.	Can my delivery be videotaped?	136
15	Pain Management	137
1.	How will my pain be managed during labor?	137
2.	What about hiring a doula for assistance?	139
16	The Delivery	141
1.	What happens when it's time for my delivery?	141
2.	When and why would the doctor cut an episiotomy?	143
3.	What is fetal distress and how could it affect my delivery?	143
4.	When would a vacuum or forceps be used during delivery?	144
5.	Can my partner cut the baby's umbilical cord?	145
17	After the Delivery	147
1.	What happens after my baby has been delivered?	148
2.	How is my newborn's health evaluated?	149
3.	Should we consider banking some of baby's umbilical cord blood?	150
4.	Should I breast-feed my baby?	151
5.	Can my baby stay in my room while I am in the hospital?	153
6.	If it's a boy, should he be circumcised?	153
7.	How long can I expect to be in the hospital?	154
	Glossary	156
	Index	167
	About the Author	177