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Health Books about pregnancy


What is pregnancy?

Pregnancy is the carrying of one or more embryos or fetuses by female mammals, including humans, inside their bodies. In a pregnancy there can be multiple gestations (for example, in the case of twins, or triplets). Human pregnancy is the most studied of all mammalian pregnancies.

Human pregnancy lasts approximately 40 weeks between the time of the last menstrual cycle and birth (38 weeks from fertilisation). The medical term for a pregnant woman is "genetalian," just as the medical term for the unborn human is an embryo (early weeks) and then "foetus" (until birth). A woman who is pregnant for the first time is known as a primigravida or gravida 1: a woman who has never been pregnant is known as a gravida 0; similarly, the terms para 0, para 1 and so on are used for the number of times a woman has given birth.

In many societies' medical and legal definitions, human pregnancy is arbitrarily divided into three trimester periods, as a means to simplify reference to the different stages of fetal development. The first trimester period carries the highest risk of miscarriage (natural death of embryo or fetus), while during the second trimester the development of the fetus can start to be monitored and diagnosed. The third trimester marks the beginning of viability, which means the fetus can survive if an early natural or induced birth occurs. Because of the possible viability of developed fetus, cultural and legal definitions of life often consider a fetus in the third trimester to be a distinct living person.

See also Pregnancy terms and definitions
(Days in Waiting:  A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy Bedrest)

Days in Waiting: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy Bedrest

Mary Ann McCann

deruyter-Nelson Publications, 1999-02-01

Price: $15.93

Keywords: Books for Parents, Books, Music More, Health, Mind Body, Personal Health, Pregnancy Childbirth, Specialty Stores, Women's Health

Reviews:

Exactly what I needed...just when I needed it!
Bedrest has been a challenge for me. I am an attorney, and accustomed to a highly charged life. My doctor's order of complete bedrest was a shock and left me quite frustrated and depressed. I have bought and read everything I could find about pregnancy complications, and pregnancy bedrest. This book made me laugh, and it made me cry. It made me feel like I wasn't alone. It empowered me to take some charge of my new life as an expectant woman confined to bed. I am now pursuing some hobbies that have been neglected due to my busy law practice. I am concentrating on nurturing the child in my womb. The chapter written for husbands was perfect for my husband, and helped him so much. I wish I could convince Borders to carry this book; it is really important for women to have resources to help them.
Very uplifting, practical and helpful.
I was so excited when I received my autographed copy of this book. It has helped me so much. I have Preterm Labor and will be on bedrest for at least two more months. Her book has just been the greatest thing for me. I no longer think that I'm the only one who has some of the feelings that I was having. I've also enjoyed reading about all of the ideas for occupying my time. I took her advice, and started crocheting again!
The bedrest exercises are great, too, and I was so relieved when my doctor said that I could do them.
This book has just saved me. It's like a friend...it just sits on my bedtable as a reminder that I CAN survive!
Simply a necessity for surviving a bed rest pregnancy!
After reading lots of reviews of the bed rest books, I bought two different ones. This one is the best. It offers the most practical, down-to-earth advice. This author definitely has the most experience with bed rest, and since I had both hospital and home bed rest, this was really important to me. I loved the journaling aspect of the book, too... I highly recommend this book. It will be well worth it.
The standard by which other bedrest books can be rated.
This book is the one I like the best. It's also the one that I recommend to all of my patients in my practice. The information is honest, which I appreciated during my own high-risk pregnancies. I think it's great that the author had the courage to discuss some of the emotional issues associated with bedrest. That meant a lot to me, and it's what I hear most from patients who have read this book. They all mention that "someone finally understands."
McCann's book also has a great chapter for men, aptly written by McCann's husband.
Finally, the author of this book is more qualified than the other authors. Two lengthy bedrests, including a three month hospitalization, give her great experience to draw from.
I heard her speak this spring at a conference, and her information is simple, concise, and honest. I recommend this book every week.
The best of the 3 or 4 on the market
My favorite of all of the bedrest books. I have now read four, and this is the one I recommend. P>This is the book with the most practical advice, helpful suggestions, and seems to be written by the author with the most experience. Both at-home and hospital-based bedrest pregnancies are discussed, and the author experienced both so she offers personal advice.

Also, I loved the "after the baby is born" chapter, and found her frank discussion of the issues to be a great relief.



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