What to Expect When You're Expecting

The #1 bestselling book on pregnancy in a new illustrated, revised, and updated edition. A comprehensive guide that explains everything you need to know about the nine months, from conception to postpartum.

What to Expect When You're Expecting was born—indeed, conceived—with the author's surprise pregnancy. Seeking to know what to expect from pregnancy, she found herself faced with a lack of information in the sources she consulted. Knowing only basic biology and needing answers to her questions and concerns, Heidi Murkoff wrote this book, which became the world's biggest pregnancy bestseller.

This new illustrated, revised, and updated edition brings essential information, practical advice, easy tips, and a realistic view of the pregnancy process. You'll find the latest on prenatal care, exams, which medications are safe, and birth options—water, cesarean, and so on. Your lifestyle during pregnancy is equally highlighted: from dietary trends to coffee consumption; from exercise to sex; from travel to beauty and skincare routines, etc. Are you experiencing symptoms? In this book, you'll find solutions. Expecting twins? There's a chapter on that. Are you about to become a parent? This book is for you, too.

All medical topics have been included and updated with the latest developments in prenatal testing and diagnostics, medication safety (including antidepressants) during pregnancy, umbilical cord blood banks, complementary and alternative therapies, and a new section on postpartum contraception. A wide range of issues are also covered, from gender reveal parties to gifts for the new mother, from consuming caffeine and drinking the occasional glass of wine to smoking an e-cigarette, to how much to share on social media, as well as skin and hair care, the use of cosmetic procedures, and beauty guidelines. For fathers, there are integrated sections throughout the book that address their concerns as partners in pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.

With over 23 million copies sold worldwide, What to Expect When You're Expecting has helped and continues to help mothers and fathers through this magical, yet challenging, journey of pregnancy.