The Unexpected
Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Navigate the unexpected in pregnancy with the New York Times bestselling author of CRIBSHEET
Half of us might experience complications during pregnancy. Conditions such as pre-term birth, pre-eclampsia, miscarriage and postpartum depression can be isolating. What's the best approach to take when you're faced with uncertainty? In the years since she launched her data-driven approach to parenting, Emily Oster kept hearing questions from readers about dealing with pregnancy after complications.
Offering parents the clarity they need, Oster provides practical advice and insight alongside foetal medicine specialist Dr Nathan Fox, as well as with data on recurrence and treatments shown to lower risk. Laying out the road map for a better birthing process, THE UNEXPECTED promises to make the hardest parts of pregnancy that little bit easier.
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Oster (The Family Firm), an economics professor at Brown University, teams up with obstetrician Fox to provide a thorough primer on preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, miscarriage, and other pregnancy difficulties. In each chapter, Oster details recurrence rates and care options for a condition, and then Fox describes how he treats patients experiencing it. For instance, Oster explains that gestational diabetes, which can occur when "the hormones of the placenta affect processing of blood sugar," has a roughly 48% chance of recurring in future pregnancies and is typically treated through diet and exercise. Fox then assures readers that for most people, gestational diabetes is a "nuisance... but not a dangerous one" and can usually be kept in check by eating fewer carbohydrates and increased protein. The authors demonstrate a keen awareness of how the pregnancy following a previous complication can cause psychological distress, as when Fox reports that pregnancies after a stillbirth often revive feelings of grief. To cope, he recommends patients "assemble a strong support system," which might include a psychologist, support group, or loved ones. Oster's cogent presentation of scientific data manages to be informative but not dry. It's a valuable resource for parents who have experienced pregnancy complications.
