Sharon Perkins - Dad's Guide to Pregnancy For Dummies

Dad’s Guide to Pregnancy For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

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Copyright © 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022934308

ISBN 978-1-119-86715-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-86716-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-86717-3 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used In This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5 Part 1: You’re Going to Be a Dad (Yes, You) Chapter 1: Welcome to Dad Land The Glorious, Frightening, Mind-Boggling World of Fatherhood Becoming a Modern Dad Deciding to Take the Plunge (or Not) Peering into the Pregnancy Crystal Ball Chapter 2: Your Conception Primer Sperm, Meet Egg: Baby Making 101 Tracking the Journey: Using Fertility Apps and Monitors Evaluating Health to Get Ready for Parenthood Keeping Sex from Becoming a Chore Taking a Brief yet Important Look at Infertility Sharing Your Decision to Have a Baby Chapter 3: Non-Traditional Dadhood Becoming a Two Dad or Dad Alone Family Working with an agency Drawing up a contract Deciding how involved you’ll be in the pregnancy Being Involved When You’re Not Able to Be Around

6 Part 2: The Final Countdown: Nine Months (or Less!) to Baby Chapter 4: Balancing Joy, Anxiety, and Nausea: The First Trimester Baby on Board: It’s Official! Early Prenatal Care: Kicking Off a Nine-Month-Long Relationship Baby’s Development during the First Trimester Dealing with Possible Complications in the First Trimester Reducing Early Developmental Risks Common First Trimester Discomforts — Yours and Hers Chapter 5: Growing into the Second Trimester Tracking Baby’s Development during the Second Trimester Checking Out Mom’s Development in the Second Trimester Testing in the Second Trimester Having Sex in the Second Trimester Exploring Different Options for Childbirth Classes Dealing with Insurance (or a Lack Thereof) Chapter 6: Nesting, Registering, and Naming (Oh My!) A Guy’s Guide to “Nesting” Understanding the Art of the Baby Registry Celebrating the Wee One’s Impending Arrival: Baby Shower Basics Chapter 7: Preparing for What Could — But Probably Won’t — Go Wrong Managing Pregnancy-Related Medical Issues Handling Abnormal Ultrasounds Preparing Yourself for Preterm Labor and Delivery Hi, Baby Baby Baby: Having Multiples Keeping Cool in Monetary Emergencies Chapter 8: Nearing the Finish Line: The Third Trimester Tracking Baby’s Development during the Third Trimester Finding Out What Mom Goes Through in the Third Trimester Guaranteeing a Smooth Admissions Process Picking a Pediatrician Whose Baby Is This, Anyway? Dealing with Overbearing Family Members Chapter 9: The Copilot’s Guide to Birthing Options Choosing Where to Deliver Making Sure Your Birth Practitioner Is a Good Fit Looking at Labor Choices Creating a Birth Plan Picking the Cast: Who’s Present, Who Visits, and Who Gets a Call

7 Part 3: Whoa, Baby! Labor, Delivery, and the First Days at Home Chapter 10: Wowing the Maternity Floor: How to Be the Best Labor and Delivery Partner When It’s Time, It’s Time — Is It Time? Supporting Your Partner During Labor Looking at What Happens During and After Labor Walking Through Common Labor Procedures Coping with Labor Pain Deviating from Your Birth Plan/Vision Having a Cesarean Chapter 11: Caring for Your Newborn Getting Your First Look at a Typical Newborn Feeding a Newborn Changing Diapers Bathing Your Squirming Bundle of Joy Holding Your Baby Co-sleeping Pros and Cons Back to Sleep: Helping Baby Sleep Safely and Comfortably Soothing Baby Indigestion Scheduling Immunizations Chapter 12: Supporting the New Mom … and Surviving Yourself! Handling Housework during the Recovery Phase Supporting a Breast-Feeding Mom Dealing with Post-Cesarean Issues Riding the Ups and Downs of Hormones Sleeping (or Doing Without) Coping with Company Rediscovering the Physical and Romantic

8 Part 4: Under Pressure: How to Worry the Right Way about the Big Stuff Chapter 13: Dealing with Difficult Issues after Delivery Coping with Baby’s Serious Health Problems Watching Out for Mom’s Postpartum Mood Disorders Managing Grief Talking to People about Your Child Chapter 14: Survival Tips for Bumps, Boo-Boos, and More Handling Inevitable Illnesses Protecting Baby from Common Accidents — and Handling Them When They Happen Anyway Managing Medical Crises at Home Open Wide, Baby! Administering Medicine Taking a Baby’s Temperature Deciphering Diaper Contents Teething Symptoms and Remedies Reacting to Medicines and Vaccines Dealing with Food Allergies Chapter 15: Fun, Freedom, and Finances: The Cost of Having a Baby Creating a Family/Fun/Work Balance with Baby Readjusting When — or if — Mom Goes Back to Work Exploring the Expected (And Unexpected) Costs of Baby Managing Your Money Chapter 16: Ensuring a Bright Future for Your New Family Planning for a Financially Sound Future Saving Money for Your Child’s Future Getting the Lowdown on Life Insurance Health Insurance Options for Newborns Taking Care of Legal Matters