L25 — June 2011 — Pregnant. Now What Happens?

Intro: Pregnancy is a time of anticipation, wonder and joy. But it's also a time filled with lots of questions: Is my baby growing properly, when will the nausea stop, or how will I know I'm in labor? Mayo Clinic released a new book to help expectant parents get the answers and info they need while they're waiting for that bundle of joy to arrive.

So this is the nursery.

Bess Vincent is pregnant with her first baby.

I'm having a girl and we're going to name her Sophie.

So far things have gone pretty smoothly.

I had your typical nausea and things like that the first trimester.

Then Bess found out she developed gestational diabetes.

I've been able to keep my blood sugar numbers in check through diet and small amount medication.

Still, like most parents-to-be, Bess and her husband, Sean, have had lots of questions along the way.

What's happening at what stage? How quickly are they growing? How is the diabetes going to affect things?

Questions like these are what prompted Mayo Clinic to publish a new book on pregnancy.

"Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" is our new pregnancy book. It's written by a panel of Mayo Clinic physicians with expertise in fertility, obstetrics and gynecology, high-risk obstetrics, and even pediatrics.

Dr. Myra Wick says there's also input in the book from nurses, midwives and dietitians. It's divided into sections — Enjoying a Healthy Pregnancy, Pregnancy Month by Month, Baby Is Finally Here, Important Decisions of Pregnancy, including information on genetic testing, Symptoms Guide, and Complications of Pregnancy and Child Birth. For Bess, the book helped answer two of the most common questions women ask when they're pregnant. First about nausea.

I was really ready to find out when this was going to end.

Second about labor.

Can you explain to me what a contraction is? What am I looking for here? I'm assuming when it happens I'll know (ha, ha, ha).

Yep. Bess knew. Baby Sophie arrived five weeks early, but both mom and baby are doing well.

For Medical Edge, I'm Vivien Williams.

Anchor tag:

Dr. Wick says the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" can help answer many questions, but if something concerns you at any time during your pregnancy, contact your health care provider.

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