Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn ─ The Complete Guide

If you only buy one pregnancy book, this should be the one! It’s the most complete. It covers all aspects of childbearing, from conception through early infancy, and tells you what to expect. It offers detailed information, suggestions on decisions to make, and advice on steps to take to have a safe and satisfying experience.

Informed choice emphasis: We present a wide range of options on many topics (for example, home birth, free-standing birth centers, community hospitals, and regional hospitals for high-risk pregnancies) and the information you need to evaluate them, and questions to ask to decide which is right for you, given your health situation and your personal goals and priorities.

Research-based AND practical: The book is up-to-date based on current medical research and recommendations from leading organizations. It’s also rooted in the real-life experiences of new families. The five authors bring to their writing a combined total of 150 years of experience working with expectant and new families as educators, nurses, counselors, doulas, physical therapists, and lactation consultants. We have been at hundreds of births,
heard thousands of birth stories, and assisted innumerable new parents in adapting to their new lives. We also have a combined total of 12 children and 12 grandchildren. All of this experience allows us to speak with compassion, understanding, and wisdom of what really works in the real-world of parenting.

Companion website: Our book is detailed and comprehensive, but we also offer on our website even more details on select subjects, including lists of all the best resources on each topic and worksheets to guide your decision-making process. The website also includes a bonus chapter on pre-conception, ways to improve your health and fertility before pregnancy begins.

Over a million copies in print

Penny Simkin, a physical therapist, has been a childbirth educator and doula since 1968.? She trains childbirth educators, doulas, and doula trainers and frequently conducts workshops for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.

Janet Whalley, a registered nurse and lactation?consultant (IBCLC), has been a childbirth educator since 1975.

Ann Keppler, a registered nurse, parish nurse, and lactation specialist, has taught childbirth classes and new parent classes since 1975.

Janelle Durham, a social worker,?has worked with new parents since 1993.? She is a birth doula, childbirth?educator, and lactation educator.

April Bolding?has a doctorate in physical therapy and is a childbirth educator, birth doula, water fitness instructor, and author.