The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: An All-Canadian Guide to Conception, Birth and Everything in Between

575 Pages·2000·22.65 MB·English

by  Ann Douglas

Praise for Ann Douglas and her previous books
About The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby
“Probably the best reference book on the market, giving nonjudgemental and
fairly exhaustive information on [a variety of] hot-button topics…. The book
lays out as much information as possible and leaves the decision-making to the
parents—a surprisingly rare gambit in the bossy world of pregnancy books….”
—Amazon.com Parenting Editor
“Whether you are looking for the latest information on high-tech resources or
down-to-earth everyday suggestions, this book has it all. There are money-saving
tips and charts and checklists to help you through the pregnancy months and get
you ready for the delivery; the comments are honest and often touching as Moms
talk about disappointments and highs that were part of their experience. A great
resource to have on hand.” —Valleykids Parent News
“Anyone who wants to become a parent may very well be overwhelmed by all the
decisions to be made. Fortunately, The Unofficial Guidedoes a good job of ex-
plaining it all. When there is conflicting data (will it be breast or bottle?) the
authors present both sides of the argument. There’s even a frank discussion about
the pros and cons of having a baby, including the truth about the mommy track.”
—LN. B, Newsday
“There may be better books on individual pregnancy topics, but few can touch
the excellent overview of nearly every pregnancy-related issue this book offers. It
should answer all the panicky, late-night questions of most expectant couples.”
—WH, Great Expectations
About The Unofficial Guide to Childcare
“The childcare bible.” —Chicago Tribune
“A lot of practical information…. This clearly written tome discusses working-
parent stress, evaluating out-of-home and in-home childcare options, finding care
for a special-needs child, breastfeeding, and part-time care.” —LA Parent
“The Unofficial Guide to Childcareexplains how to do a foolproof appraisal of
childcare professionals, with plenty of insider secrets and time-saving tips.”
—Newsday
About Baby Science
“With candid photos and a warm, conversational text, Baby Sciencedescribes the
first extraordinary year of life.” —Children’s Book of the Month Club
“Douglas helps a youngster navigate the Baby World with ease.”
—JW. W, Courier-Post
“A clearly written, factual book aimed at young children. Peppered with interest-
ing little facts and simple explanations about a baby’s first year, it addresses many
of the questions kids have about babies.” —Peterborough Examiner
“Engagingly educational in focus, Baby Science…explains how to guess what babies
are trying to say, why their bodies look the way they do, how to hold them and how
much they eat and sleep.” —Publisher’s Weekly
About Sanity Savers: The Canadian Woman’s
Guide to Almost Having it All
“Useful advice and information delivered in a fun, reassuring and practical way.”
—LB, Senior Editor, Canadian Living
“When the going gets tough…the tough get tips from Ann Douglas.”
—AR, Host of CityTV’s Breakfast Television
“An excellent resource for women who are desperate to restore some sanity to their
too-busy lives.” —C E, Senior Editor, Homemaker’s
“Sanity Saversnot only helps mothers keep all those balls in the air, but it helps
us relax when one inevitably drops.”
—LB, Parenting Columnist, The Toronto Star
About Family Finance
“[Ann Douglas] writes in a no-nonsense way, rather like a mom organizing her life
and leaving to-do lists all over the house.”
—ER, Personal-Finance Columnist, The Toronto Star
“Every parent can profit from reading Family Finance…it’s an engaging read.”
—HM. K, Canadian Living
the
mother
of all
pregnancy
books
the
mother
An All-Canadian Guide
of all
to Conception, Birth &
Everything in Between
pregnancy
books
A N N D O U G L A S
Macmillan Canada
Toronto
First published in Canada in 2000 by
Macmillan Canada, an imprint of CDG Books Canada
Copyright © Ann Douglas 2000
All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, or stored in a
retrieval system, without the prior consent of the publisher, is an infringement of the
copyright law. In the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying of the material,
a licence must be obtained from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (CANCOPY)
before proceeding.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Douglas, Ann, 1963-
The mother of all pregnancy books : an all-Canadian guide to conception, birth, and
everything in between
Includes index.
ISBN 0-7715-7720-6
1. Pregnancy – Popular works. 2. Childbirth – Popular works. I. Title.
RG525.D68 2000 618.2 C00-931653-1
This book is available at special discounts for bulk purchases by your group or organi-
zation for sales promotions, premiums, fundraising and seminars. For details, contact:
CDG Books Canada Inc., 99 Yorkville Avenue, Suite 400, Toronto, ON, M5R 3K5.
1 2 3 4 5 TRANS-B-G 04 03 02 01 00
Cover and text design: Sharon Foster Design
Illustrations: Kathryn Adams
Cover Photography: Karen Whylie/Coyote Photos
Authors and Publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book. CDG Books
Canada, the sponsor, and the authors make no representations or warranties with
respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically dis-
claim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. There
are no warranties that extend beyond the descriptions contained in this paragraph. No
warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials.
The accuracy and completeness of the information provided herein and the opinions
stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to produce any specific results, and the
advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every individual. Neither
CDG Books Canada, the sponsor, nor the authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or
any other commercial damages including but not limited to special, incidental, conse-
quential or other damages.
Macmillan Canada
An imprint of CDG Books Canada Inc.
Toronto
Printed in Canada
To Joan and Robert,
for believing in my “baby”
and for serving as midwives
during its delivery
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Acknowledgments
While my name may be the one that’s splashed on the front cover of this
book, The Mother of All Pregnancy Bookswas anything but a solo effort.
Writing a book of this size and scope requires assistance from a huge
number of people—people I’d like to take a moment to thank right now.
First of all, I’d like to thank the parents who agreed to share intimate
details about their lives with me while I was researching this book:
Stephanie Anderson, Mike Arless, Kim Arnott, Rita Arsenault, Claudia E.
Astorquiza, Gustavo F. Astorquiza, Josie Audet, David Austin, Sadia Baig,
Aubyn Baker, Ken Barker, Nicole Barker, Christina Barnes, Kristi-Anna
Beaudry, Michael Beaudry, Kim Becker, Lorinda Beler, Lori Bianco, Janelle
Bird, Janet Bolton, Susan Borkowsky, Carolin Botterill, David Botterill,
Lanny Boutin, Alison Briggs, Julie Burton, Rosa Caporicci, Stacey Couturier,
Alex Crump, Jennifer Crump, Julie Cunningham-Marrows, Elvi Dalgaard,
Marguerite Daubney, Marinda deBeer, Claudio Dinucci, Julie Dufresne, Rod
Dufresne, Don Estabrook, Stephanie Estabrook, Maria Ferguson, Susan
Fisher, Jane Fletcher, Cyndie Forget, Deirdre Friedrich, Jiri Fuglicek, Anne
Gallant, Daniel Gallant, Sean Gallaway, Shannon Gallaway, Carrie Gallo,
Susan Gibson, Cheryl Gilleshammer, Andrea Gould, Jeff Gould, Joyce
Gravelle, Susan Gray, Line Hamelin, Bonnie Hancock-Moore, Terri Harten,
Lynn Hawrys, Jennifer Henderson, Kevin Henderson, Charlie Hendren,
Mark Higgins, Richard Higgins, Brian Holmes, Lisa Holmes, Tracey
Hrvoyevich, Kathy Ireland, Mark Ireland, Jodi Jaffray, Robert Jaffray, Debbie
Jeffery, Jennifer Johnston, Teagan Jones, Chris Kapalowski, Maria Latham-
Foley, Brian Lavender, LeeAnne Lavender, David Lindensmith, Kimberly
Long, Janis Louie, Liz Luyben, Lana Luzny, Warren Luzny, Jeff MacDonald,
Jennifer MacDonald, Myrna MacDonald, Stephanie MacDonald, Lara
MacGregor, Pandora D. MacMillan, Alexandra Marocchino, Heather
McElroy, Melanie McLeod, Colleen Melsted, Jennifer Millenor, Kirk Millenor,
Christopher Moore, Carissa Nicholson, Chris Nicholson, Erika Nielsen,
Beverley North, Tammy Oakley, Chrystelle Pasquet, Yves Pasquet, Ken
Pawlitzki, Maria Phillips, Tina Pilon, Heather Polan, Julie Pyke, Angelina
Quinlan, Scott Ridley, Jennifer Kathleen Roos, Regan Ross, Lynn Rozon,
Donna Sanders, Russ Sanders, Chris Schneider, Denice Schneider, Brenda
Scott, Collin Smith, Jennifer Smith, Charlie Sousa, Elizabeth Sousa, Jenna
Stedman, Ben Stephenson, Bevin Stephenson, Elizabeth Taylor, Jasmine
Taylor, Lori Voth, Jane Walden, Amanda Walker, Darci Walker, Garth Walker,
Jennifer Walker, Dorothy Williamson, Henry Williamson, Chrystal Workman,
Laura Young, and Susan Yusishen.
I’d also like to thank the technical reviewers who agreed to review rele-
vant portions of the manuscript of this book to ensure that my facts were
bang-on: Susan Hubay, public health nutritionist, Peterborough County-
City Health Unit; Kathryn MacLean, Sidelines Canada Prenatal Support
Network; and Jenna Stedman, professional fitness and lifestyle consultant
and certified personal fitness trainer.
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Margaret Lightheart, MD, FRCSC
(OB/GYN), part-time assistant clinical professor in obstetrics and gyne-
cology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, for reviewing the
manuscript for accuracy and offering countless helpful suggestions. Her
detailed comments on the book arrived by fax and e-mail at all hours of
day and night—basically anytime she found herself with a lull between
deliveries!
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the contribution of Tracy
Keleher of Canadian Parents Online, who helped me to recruit multitudes
of parents to interview for the book.
I am also forever indebted to my husband, Neil, for the countless
hours he spent holding down the fort and entertaining a tribe of wild chil-
dren so that I could (almost) meet my book deadline.
Finally, I’d like to thank all the people who played an important role
behind the scenes while I was researching and writing this book: my
research assistants Janice Kent and Brenda May, and the numerous
unsung heroes on the editorial, production, and marketing teams at CDG