$Unique_ID{PAR00400}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Pregnancy and Childbirth:  Introduction}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Ellis, Jeffrey W
Ellis, Maria}
$Subject{Introduction Introductions Pregnancy childbirth birth pregnant 
calculated trimester trimesters menstrual cycle}
$Log{}

Miracle of Birth


Introduction


     Pregnancy and childbirth are supposed to be "natural" processes.  So why
do you have so many questions about what to do and what not to do now that you
are pregnant?
     Rest assured, you're experiencing what all first-time (and even many
second- and third-time) mothers experience when they learn that they're
pregnant.  Pregnancy is a time of change and a time of choices, and it's
natural to wonder what lies ahead.
     In your grandmother's day, the process of carrying and delivering a child
was governed by concern for the physical safety of the mother and baby.  The
choices concerning what to do and what not to do were limited.
     Today, however, medical advances have made pregnancy and childbirth a
great deal safer.  Attention has now turned to making pregnancy a
psychologically rewarding and more comfortable experience as well as a safe
one.
     With so many more options, it's not surprising that you have questions
about pregnancy and childbirth.  Nor is it surprising or abnormal for you to
worry about yourself and your baby, regardless of the advances that modern
medicine has wrought.
     Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to help ensure your
safety and the safety of your developing baby.  There are also many ways to
make childbirth a joyful and fulfilling experience.
     Preparing for childbirth means eating properly, exercising, avoiding
hazards, taking care of yourself, and learning all that you can about
pregnancy, labor, and delivery.  Even though you will see your doctor
regularly throughout pregnancy, the best prenatal care is the care that you
give yourself.  Only you can make the daily commitment to a good diet, safe
exercise and activity, and avoidance of harmful substances.  Your doctor can
only monitor your pregnancy, give you advice, and intervene if complications
occur.  You are ultimately responsible for caring for yourself and your
developing baby.
     That's where this book comes in.  It's designed to answer your questions
and give you the information you need to take good care of yourself and your
baby during pregnancy.  It will help you to understand and visualize how your
baby develops, how your body changes, and how you can help ensure that your
pregnancy and your baby are healthy.  It also provides you with tips and
suggestions for making pregnancy more comfortable and enjoyable.
     Keep in mind that there isn't one specific way of doing things.  Every
pregnancy is unique, and therefore it is difficult to predict exactly what
will occur and when.  Only you and your doctor can decide what is best for
you.  What this book does is provide you with the information that you need so
that you, your husband, and your doctor can make decisions together about
your pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

How This Book is Divided

    The information is divided into four major parts.  The first three parts
correspond to the three trimesters of your pregnancy.  The final part covers
labor and delivery.
     Within each trimester, you will find the following sections:

  -  Your Growing Baby
  -  Your Changing Body
  -  Ask the Doctor
  -  For You and Your Baby
  -  Coping with the Changes
  -  Planning and Preparation
  -  Special Situations

     The "Your Growing Baby" section appears three times in each trimester
(once for every month in the trimester--nine times in all).  This section
discusses how your baby grows and develops during each month.  It is here that
you will discover when your baby's heart starts to beat and when his tiny
fingers develop, as well as other details about his miraculous journey to
birth.
     The "Your Changing Body" section, which likewise appears three times in
each trimester, describes and illustrates how your body changes in response to
your growing baby.  Here you will learn how your body adapts to pregnancy, how
it nurtures your developing baby, and how it prepares for labor and delivery.
     Each trimester also contains three monthly "Ask the Doctor" sections.
Each of the Doctor sections covers a specific question that you may have about
pregnancy, labor, or delivery, such as "How much weight should I gain?" and
"How will I know if something is wrong?"  At the end of each Doctor section,
you will find a summary of what your doctor will probably do and what types of
tests are usually performed during that month's prenatal doctor visit.
     Within each trimester, you will also find a section called "For You and
Your Baby".  This section deals with a specific aspect of prenatal care for
you and your baby.  In the first trimester, for example, "For You and Your
Baby" covers proper nutrition during pregnancy; in the second trimester, safe
exercise and activity; and in the third trimester, rest and relaxation.
     Each trimester includes one "Coping with the Changes" section, which
discusses the discomforts, both physical and psychological, that tend to occur
in that trimester and what you can do to prevent or relieve them.  The Coping
sections also discuss sexual relations, safeguarding your developing baby's
health, and dealing with practical matters like choosing clothing and shoes
for pregnancy.
     The "Planning and Preparation" section occurs once in each trimester as
well.  Each Planning section deals with issues that you need to think about
and discuss ahead of time.  For example, in the first trimester, the Planning
section discusses working and traveling throughout pregnancy.  We talk about
these issues in the first trimester because early in your pregnancy you will
need to consult your doctor about how long you will be able to work and
travel.  Also, you will need to notify your employer as soon as possible about
when you will need to take time off.
     The final section in each trimester is called "Special Situations".  As
the name implies, this section covers situations in pregnancy--such as
carrying more than one baby--that may require a little extra attention,
preparation, and caution.
     After the three trimesters, you will find "Labor and Delivery".  This
part of the book explains what labor is and gives you an idea of what's likely
to happen during childbirth.  We'll take you step by step through the
childbirth process, from the moment you suspect you are in labor to that
wondrous moment when your new baby is placed in your arms.  You'll learn about
the factors that influence labor and what you can do to help the process
along.  You'll find a handy chart that can help you distinguish between real
labor and false labor.  You'll also find strategies for coping with the
contractions that bring your baby closer to birth.
     Within the book, you will also find a group of four full-color pages that
illustrate, in vibrant detail, the wondrous changes that occur in your body
and in your baby through the course of pregnancy.  The first overlay
illustrates early pregnancy; the tiny embryo is attached to the wall of the
uterus and has begun the process of growth and development that will take him
to full development.  The second overlay shows the mother and the baby three
months after conception.  The third overlay illustrates the changes that
occur by the end of the sixth month after conception.  The final color page
shows what the mother and fetus look like at term, when the baby has dropped
lower in the abdomen in preparation for birth.
     At the end of the book, you will find a handy glossary of the terms used
throughout the book and a detailed index to help you locate the specific
information you need quickly and easily.

How to Use This Book

     While this book illustrates and describes the changes that occur in each
month and each trimester of pregnancy, we encourage you to browse through the
book early in pregnancy to get an idea of what's ahead and what types of
preparations and precautions you can make to ensure a happy, healthy pregnancy
and delivery.  This is especially true for the "For You and Your Baby"
sections, which cover important prenatal care topics like nutrition, exercise,
and rest.  Then, as you reach each specific month, you can turn to that
section and explore, in detail, what's happening within your body.
     We also encourage you to use the full-color overlays as a reference for
other sections of the book.  The fine detail and the clear labels will help
you to visualize the changes occurring in your body and understand why you are
experiencing the physical discomforts that occur during pregnancy.
     As we've said, each pregnancy is unique.  Not every pregnant woman
experiences the exact same discomforts at the exact same time during
pregnancy.  Although most women experience "normal" or "typical" pregnancies,
there is no strict definition of what that means.  In addition, some women
develop complications during pregnancy that range from minor to severe.
     In this book, we discuss the changes that typically occur and give you an
idea of approximately when those changes are likely to take place.  If you
don't develop a symptom or change that is discussed here, it doesn't
necessarily mean that something is wrong.  Likewise, while we have tried to be
thorough in our coverage of the changes and discomforts of pregnancy, you may
develop a symptom that is not discussed here.  Once again, that symptom may or
may not signal a problem.  Therefore, if you have any questions about what
you're feeling--or what you aren't feeling--be sure to discuss them with your
doctor.
     As you read and refer to this book, you may notice that we refer to your
relationship with your "husband" and the role that your "husband" may play
during your pregnancy, labor, and delivery.  We realize that there are a
variety of circumstances under which pregnancy may occur and that not every
woman goes through pregnancy, labor, and delivery with "her husband."  We use
this traditional term simply to avoid confusion, without meaning to imply that
all women experience pregnancy and childbirth in the context of such a
relationship.
     You may also notice that we alternate, by trimester, our references to
the gender of your baby and the gender of your doctor.  This method was chosen
in order to account for the obvious possibilities without making the
references confusing.
     This book is meant to give you the information and confidence you need to
make pregnancy and childbirth a healthy, memorable, and joyful time.  We
encourage you to refer to it often throughout your pregnancy and to use the
information it contains to prepare yourself for the months ahead.  By taking
time now to learn about pregnancy and childbirth, you'll feel more at ease as
you approach the birth of your child.  You'll be better able to nurture
yourself and your developing baby throughout pregnancy, and you'll be able to
use the months of pregnancy to prepare your body and mind for labor and
delivery.  By beginning your preparations now, you'll have more energy to
enjoy the miracle of birth and to savor that first moment, when you hold your
beautiful new baby in your arms.


A Note About How Pregnancy is Calculated

     We chose to divide this book into trimesters because pregnancy has
traditionally been referred to in terms of three trimesters, each lasting
approximately three months.  The first trimester of a woman's pregnancy is
considered to begin on the first day of her last menstrual period, and it is
from this date that the estimated date of delivery is calculated.
     Now, you may be saying to yourself, "Wait a minute.  How could I have
gotten pregnant on the first day of my last menstrual period?"  Indeed, you
may even be able to pinpoint the exact day that you did conceive.
     For many women, however, it is difficult to pinpoint the day that
conception occurred.  Although ovulation usually occurs about two weeks after
the start of the menstrual cycle, not every woman's cycle is the same.  So to
simplify matters, a woman's pregnancy has traditionally been referred to as
beginning on the first day of her last normal menstrual period, even though
she may have conceived one, two, or even three weeks after that date.  To put
it another way, when you've reached the end of your calculated first month of
pregnancy, your baby may actually be only one, two, or three weeks old.
     The illustrations and text throughout this book take into account the
difference between when tradition says your pregnancy began and when you
actually conceived.  For example, when we discuss the changes that occur in
the woman's body during the first month, we are referring to the traditional
first month of pregnancy, which begins on the first day of the last menstrual
period.  When we discuss how the baby changes in the first month, however, we
are referring to the actual first month of pregnancy, which began at
conception.  (The monthly illustrations of mother and baby, as well as the
full-color overlays, show the changes in terms of the age of the developing
baby.)
     There's no need to be concerned about this distinction.  After all, each
pregnancy is unique, and the changes do not happen at exactly the same time in
each woman.  The descriptions and illustrations are designed to give you a
general idea of how your baby and your body change as pregnancy progresses.