Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home

Pregnancy and birth are as ordinary and extraordinary as breathing, thinking, or loving. But as soon as you announce you're expecting, you may be bombarded with advice from every angle -- well-meaning friends, relatives, medical professionals, even strangers want to weigh in on what you should or shouldn't do, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed by their conflicting recommendations.

Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth will help you sort fact from fiction, giving you the most accurate research, up-to-date information, and the firsthand experiences of numerous women who have been exactly where you are today. You'll get the tools you need to take care of yourself and your baby during and after your pregnancy, from tips on eating well during pregnancy to strategies for coping with stress and depression. Learn everything you need to know about:

CHOOSING A GOOD HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

SELECTING A PLACE OF BIRTH

UNDERSTANDING PRENATAL TESTING

COPING WITH LABOR PAIN

SPEEDING YOUR PHYSICAL RECOVERY

ADJUSTING TO LIFE AS A NEW MOTHER

OUR BODIES, OURSELVES: PREGNANCY AND BIRTH IS AN ESSENTIAL RESOURCE FOR WOMEN THAT WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE MANY DECISIONS AHEAD.

While being pregnant is thrilling, the responsibility of a growing baby can provoke anxiety about what is and isn't safe. In The Complete Organic Pregnancy, Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu address how you can minimize your exposure to the invisible toxins that surround us—in everything from food, cleaning products, and cosmetics to furniture, rugs, air, and water. Step by step, they tell you where dangerous chemicals are lurking, why it's so important to avoid them when pregnant, and what you can do before, during, and after your pregnancy to protect your child.

In this exhaustively researched book, the authors (calmly) talk parents-to-be through everything from the safest laundry detergent to which crib mattresses contain toxic flame retardants. You'll find out how to choose the right face cream, plastic water bottles, household cleaners, types of fish, and much more—all with an eye toward keeping you and your baby safe and healthy.

The Complete Organic Pregnancy also features a collection of personal diaries from well-known writers and organophiles, including Barbara Kingsolver and Marion Nestle, as well as recipes from organic chefs. Required reading for anyone heading into this exciting stage of life, The Complete Organic Pregnancy is your chance to make a difference for your children, even before they're born.

-Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., bestselling author of Joy's Life Diet and nutrition/health expert for the Today Show

"Ward and the ADA serve up practical, easy-to-use advice that is sure to help inform and inspire new and expectant moms."

-Laura A. Jana, M.D., coauthor of Food Fights and Heading Home with Your Newborn

"Any woman who is even thinking about getting pregnant for the first or third time needs to read this excellent and timely book. Ward has done a fabulous job compiling the most recent scientific evidence about pregnancy and translating it into a fun, easy-to-read book with quick, nutritious, and delicious recipes."

-Kathleen M. Zelman, M.P.H, R.D., Director of Nutrition, WebMD

"This book shares a wealth of information that takes into account all the different ways a pregnant woman and new mother lives her life. It might be the only book on prenatal nutrition you'll ever need."

-Peg Moline, Editor in Chief, Fit Pregnancy magazine

Are you thinking of having a baby? Perhaps you're pregnant or nursing a newborn. Whatever the case, Expect the Best shows you how a healthy lifestyle from preconception to postdelivery will help you to have the brightest, healthiest child possible. You'll find dozens of useful, easy-to-follow tips for healthy eating and physical activity, including:

• Why you (and your partner) should achieve a healthy weight before trying for a baby, and how good nutrition helps maximize fertility in women and men

• Trimester-by-trimester advice about nutrition and exercise during pregnancy

• Safe postpregnancy weight loss, and the best eating plan for nursing moms

• How diet can help you handle conditions such as gestational diabetes and morning sickness

• 50 delicious, nutritious, and easy recipes your entire family will love