The Field Guide to Pregnancy: Navigating New Territory with Research, Recipes, and Remedies

by Caylie See L.Ac.

Overview

For women who feel excited, overwhelmed, terrified, or just plain curious about their pregnancy journey, acupuncturist and integrative fertility expert Caylie See has written this pragmatic, insightful, and straightforward guide to finding the best information, resources, and foods to nourish their pregnancies. Balancing Eastern and Western medical perspectives, natural remedies, and recipes, she maps out the terrain of symptoms that women typically encounter from month-to-month—insomnia, morning sickness, and fatigue, to name a few—and gives explanations and solutions for each symptom. The Field Guide to Pregnancy is an encouraging, enjoyable, and inspiring gem that helps women find comfort in an inherently uncomfortable time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623170899
Publisher:	North Atlantic Books
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Caylie See, MS, LAc, (FABORM) is a board-licensed acupuncturist and herbalist with over two decades of experience guiding women into successful pregnancies. She has often heard the phrase: “I knew it would be challenging being pregnant, but nobody told me [fill in the blank].” She wrote this book to fill in those blanks for readers. Her passion lies in seeing women through the full-spectrum of their pregnancy experience—especially the challenging parts. She believes that underneath these rocky places lies the very information that women need to feel fully supported and understood.
 
In addition to her extensive clinical experience in women’s health, See has held teaching positions at esteemed academic institutions such as the California Institute of Integral Studies and Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley. She is also widely published in peer-reviewed research including the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She is currently the executive director of Integrative Fertility and was the founding vice president of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine.
 
See is also a new mother, an experience that has greatly illuminated these pages.

Table of Contents

Preface xv

Introduction 1

Month 1 7

A Preface to the Weekly Developments 7

East-West Fetal Development 8

Confirming Your Pregnancy 10

The Shock of the New 11

Nutrition 13

Insomnia 17

Depression and Anxiety 18

Fluid Changes: Bloating, Swollen Breasts, and Increased Urination 18

Vaginal Bleeding and Cramping 21

Cancer in Pregnancy 23

Bell's Palsy 24

Epilepsy 25

Metallic Taste 26

Rhesus Factor (Rh Factor) 28

Living with Your Liver 29

Anatomy of a Prenatal Vitamin 35

Checklist for Month One 47

Month 2 51

East-West Fetal Development 52

Ultrasounds 53

Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) 54

Nausea and Vomiting 55

Diet for Morning Sickness 58

Lethargy and Sluggishness 59

Ptyalism (Drooling) 60

Keeping an Eye on Pregnancy 62

Nervousness about Genetic Testing 63

Gestational Diabetes 71

No Cons to Probiotics 77

Travel and X-Rays 79

Environmental Concerns 81

When to Announce Your Pregnancy 84

Preparing Birth Announcements 85

Checklist for Month Two 85

Month 3 87

East-West Fetal Development 88

Constipation and Heartburn 88

Thyroid 94

Nasal Congestion, Snoring, and Nosebleeds 95

The Reality behind Feeling Fat 96

The Ins and Outs of Intercourse 98

Cold and Flu Facts and Prevention 100

Strep Throat 102

Fifth Disease 102

How to Quit Smoking 102

Checklist for Month Three 106

Month 4 107

East-West Fetal Development 108

Vaginal Fluids and Infections 108

Rearranging Your Sleeping Position 113

Childbirth Classes 113

Infant CPR 116

Baby Shower 117

Checklist for Month Four 117

Month 5 119

East-West Fetal Development 120

Fibromyalgia 120

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 121

Maternal Phenylketonuria 121

Shortness of Breath 122

Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Chicken Pox 122

Will and Guardian 123

Enlarged Shoe Size 124

Glucose Screening and Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) 124

Linea Nigra 124

Hemorrhoids 125

Gas and Bloating 127

Checklist for Month Five 129

Month 6 131

East-West Fetal Development 132

Third Trimester Checkup 132

Body Art 132

Vascular Changes 133

Bleeding Gums 134

Leg Cramps 134

Anemia 137

Sickle Cell Disease 138

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Preeclampsia, and Edema 139

Babymoon 141

Pregnancy-Related Skin Conditions 141

Lyme Disease 146

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Pregnancy 146

Kick Counts 147

Fetal Hiccups 147

Checklist for Month Six 148

Month 7 149

East-West Fetal Development 150

Asthma 150

Cystic Fibrosis 151

Syncope, Dizziness, and Fainting 151

Incontinence 152

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 153

Vivid Dreams 154

Practical Baby Preparation 154

Birth Plan 155

Birthing Choices 157

Methods and Tools to Enhance Hospital or Home Births 159

Delivery Prep Strategies 161

Parenting Tips 162

Checklist for Month Seven 162

Month 8 163

East-West Fetal Development 164

Bed Rest 164

Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome, Crohn's Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis 165

Headaches 165

Baby's Position 166

Real, Uncomfortable Weight Gain and Fatigue 167

Back, Sciatic, and Leg Pain 168

Differentiating Between Braxton-Hicks and Labor Contractions 170

Preterm Labor 171

The Art of Flattering Photos 172

Checklist for Month Eight 172

Month 9 175

East-West Fetal Development 176

Hair and Nails 176

Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases 177

Scoliosis 178

Multiple Sclerosis 178

Coming to Terms with Your Readiness 179

Nesting 179

Evaluating Birth Interventions 180

Group B Strep 183

Signs of Labor 184

A Note on Baby's Size 185

Herpes Syndrome and Relevance to Birth 186

Cytomegalovirus 187

Checklist for Month Nine 187

Month 10 189

Breastfeeding 189

Urinary Incontinence after Birth 192

Processing the Placenta 192

Postpartum Nutrition 194

General Postpartum Support Tips 197

Resources 199

Bibliography 201

Index 237

About the Author 246

Editorial Reviews

"Pregnancy is a time of joy, wonder, and unsolicited—even coercive—advice. The Field Guide to Pregnancy: Navigating New Territory with Research, Recipes, and Remedies, by Caylie See, gives women an intimate, honest picture of all the intricacies of pregnancy, so each woman can manage herself, her life, and her own unique healthy pregnancy.... The checklists are practical and surprisingly simple; rather than feeling overwhelmed, women will think, 'I can do this!' This empowerment comes from See’s understanding of pregnancy as not just a physical phenomenon—a woman’s sense of self, not to mention mental and emotional health, is a vital part of the process."
—Melissa Wuske, Foreword

"Straightforward, and always nonjudgmental, See walks women through the changes and challenges of each stage of pregnancy. Her realistic, no-punches-pulled tone makes this a highly valuable resource for women facing major body/life changes amidst a sea of unsolicited, often scary advice."
—Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight

“Over decades of treating thousands of patients, I’ve seen countless women become confounded by the overwhelming number of options when it comes to sound pregnancy advice. I enthusiastically endorse The Field Guide to Pregnancy as a well-balanced presentation of pregnancy symptoms, syndromes, and solutions for the wide range of pregnancy experiences.”
—Eldon Schriock, MD, reproductive endocrinologist at Pacific Fertility Center
 
“This book is two great reads in one: the book itself and the bibliography. A formative resource for any woman who’s pregnant and a treasure trove of research for practitioners who work with pregnant or trying-to-get-pregnant women, The Field Guide to Pregnancy is a discovery for professionals and laypeople alike.”
—Ray Rubio, DAOM, LAc, founder of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine
 
“Throughout my twin pregnancy in 2014, I could have used a resource like The Field Guide to Pregnancy. So many pregnancy books dumb it down, offering the same repackaged information to the lowest common denominator of readers. This one has a fresh and refreshing perspective, deep insight into what causes certain symptoms from both a mainstream Western and traditional Eastern perspective, and great natural remedies that appeal to the earth mama in me.”
—MeiMei Fox, New York Times best-selling author and blogger at AdventuresWithTwins.com

From the Publisher