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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
(Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby

Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby's First Year

Mayo Clinic

William Morrow, 1994-12-08

Price: $33.00

The 9 months preceding and the 12 months following child birth are exciting, trying, confusing times; they are the months of many questions. You wonder about your itchy palms, morning sickness, fetus development, home midwife or hospital doctor choices, what to eat, amniocentesis, miscarriages, labor painkillers, maintaining your physical and emotional health after childbirth, and, not least, how to care for your growing, developing baby. A live-in pediatrician would be nice; a 750-page comprehensive reference guide is the next best solution. It won't eliminate anxiety, but it's a reassuring presence, and a soothing source of answers and explanations.
Keywords: Babies Toddlers, Books for Parents, Books, Music More, Family Relationships, Health, Mind Body, Infants, Medicine, Motherhood, Obstetrics Gynecology, Parenting Families, Parenting, Personal Health, Pregnancy Childbirth, Specialty Stores, Women's Health

Reviews:

The Best
This is absolutely the best resource for anyone trying to conceive, pregnant, with an infant or just curious about the entire process.

My husband and I used this exculisevly with our first child. Now that we are ready to have a second, I've tried other books (What to Expect, Girlfriend's Guide, etc) and have been dissapointed by all. This is truly the only book you need for pre-conception through your child's first birthday.

I love that this book take a serious tone and a more professional viewpoint. It doesn't joke or make fun of any part of the pregnancy process. One of my favorite parts was its breakdown of labour and delivery. I read this section many times and made notecards to take to the hospital with us.

Everytime our daughter sneezed, spit-up or had a fever we ran for this book. (hey we were first time parents!) I was living very far from my own family in a country were I didn't speak the language. This book was my bible and comfort. I never thought to look anywhere else for answers.
Get This Book FREE!
This is a wonderful book to have throughout your pregnancy and your child's first year. It has been a great help to me and my family. Yes, it is a thick book, but it has lots of great information.
I suggest that everyone own a copy so that's why I'd like everyone to know that you can contact your local State Farm office and they will send you one for free. You don't even have to be a customer and they don't try to get you to switch to their insurance. The phone call was less than 5 minutes which is great when you're a busy mom. No, I don't work for State Farm, I just like to get stuff for free.
Not bad..
This is a big heavy book, full of lots of information. But as other posters have mentioned, it is a bit outdated. It calls Norplant and Depo "New", when it has been around for awhile now. The pictures are a little outdated. I liked Miriam Stoppards "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth" for its pictures and brief look at topics. I will use this one a reference, but some of the sections need a complete overhaul.
This is a must for the first year and beyond....
This is a great book that I received when I was pregnant with my twin boys who were born at 35 weeks. They are now 3 1/2 and I have a little girl that is just 18 months old. I find that every now and then I refer back to this book for one reason or another... even now! I love this book. I didn't read it cover-to-cover but I wound up looking in the glossary for certain topics that pertained to the moment. I got the answer I needed in a pinch -- sometimes in the middle of the night. This is a wonderful gift for a friend or family member who is expecting... not just for first time parents either.

Keep this book on hand as your children grow up. You just never know when you're going to need it!
Consider this book a necessity for all your questions
I purchased this book for my daughter, along with several other books about pregnancy. This book answered so many questions, not only for her, but also for her sister during their pregnancies and ensuing questions about their newborns. This book was a favorite as far as covering most any subject that came up, or for a quick answer during the pregnancy and the baby's first year. It is a large book, but a GREAT reference book -- very COMPLETE!


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