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

Autorentext

Amy Ogle, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, and ACE-certified personal trainer.

Lisa Mazzullo, M.D., is a practicing OB/GYN and assistant professor of OB/GYN at Northwestern University Medical School.

Klappentext

"Before Your Pregnancy "is a breakthrough book for prospective parents--a completely detailed resource that prepares mothers and fathers-to-be to conceive the healthiest baby possible, to make pregnancy and delivery easier, and to foster the mental and physical well-being of their infant child. Created by two experienced health-care professionals, this unique handbook not only discusses virtually every aspect of preconception that affects a healthy baby, it tells you how to handle each one. The authors spell out what each parent needs to do, starting at least ninety days before conception (the minimum time needed for sperm to mature). The hundreds of topics covered--many for the first time in any book--include - Men's Health: Building healthy sperm before conception (nutrition, fitness, and medical influences) - Women's Health: Gynecologic well-being, preexisting medical conditions, genetic legacy, boosting fertility, becoming a mother at an older age - Becoming an Informed Patient: Choosing a doctor, what a complete preconception exam includes, important questions and how to ask them, insurance coverage - Nutrition: Improving the health of future generations, preconception meal makeovers, ethnic Food Guide Pyramids, avoiding food-borne illnesses, vitamin and mineral facts, pre-pregnancy body weight - Fitness: Preconception fitness evaluation and exercise prescription, safety tips and motivational anecdotes, preconception strength and flexibility workout - Medications/Herbs: Baby-friendly ones and ones to avoid - Personal Readiness: Emotional, financial, and environmental issues - Romancing the Egg: Tips for success when ready to "start trying" "Plus": Separate questionnaires for the prospective parents to fill out in preparation for their preconception medical visit. This warm, intelligent, and completely informed reference gives aspiring parents exactly the knowledge and support they need to insure the best of everything for their child-to-be. "From the Trade Paperback edition."