San Francisco Public Library

Expecting better, how to fight the pregnancy establishment with facts, Emily Oster

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 282-302) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Expecting better

bibliography

819640545

Emily Oster

how to fight the pregnancy establishment with facts

Pregnancy--unquestionably one of the most profound, meaningful experiences of adulthood--can reduce otherwise intelligent women to, well, babies. We're told to avoid cold cuts, sushi, alcohol, and coffee, but aren't told why. Rules for prenatal testing are hard and fast--and unexplained. Are all of these recommendations right for every mom-to-be? Here, the author shows that pregnancy rules are often misguided and sometimes flat-out wrong. Pregnant women face an endless stream of decisions, from the casual to the frightening. Expecting Better presents the hard facts and real-world advice you won't get at the doctor's office or in the existing literature

In the beginning : conception. Prep work ; Data-driven conception ; The two-week wait -- The first trimester. The vices : caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco ; Miscarriage fears ; Beware of deli meats! ; Nausea and my mother-in-law ; Prenatal screening and testing ; The surprising perils of gardening -- The second trimester. Eating for two? You wish ; Pink and blue ; Working out and resting up ; Drug safety -- The third trimester. Premature birth (and the dangers of bed rest) ; High-risk pregnancy ; I'm going to be pregnant forever, right? ; Labor induction -- Labor and delivery. The labor numbers ; To epidural or not to epidural? ; Beyond pain relief ; The aftermath ; Home birth: progressive or regressive? And who cleans the tub?

Expecting better, why the conventional pregnancy wisdom is wrong--and what you really need to know