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Pregnancy Guide

Congratulations. Whether it was planned or a shock, your pregnancy is guaranteed to be a truly life-changing experience. Forget the effort involved in becoming a captain of industry or securing your Ph.D. - the next nine months will provide the sharpest learning curve of your life!

From the moment that stick turns blue, you are bombarded with so much information and 'dos and don'ts' that you feel at a loss. Who can you turn to? Modern lifestyles mean that society has become fragmented. You may live far away from your family. Your life as a young professional without children is likely to be primarily defined by your work - and increasingly it is in the workplace that friendship groups are made. When you get pregnant, your focus changes. That's not to say work becomes less important; there is just a whole lot more to think - and worry - about. You may be the first of your group to get pregnant. So who can you chat to about your feelings and thoughts about your bump without fear that they will yawn into their sushi (which you can't eat right now), chug down their wine (ditto) and dash away to a pressing engagement?

When you are pregnant, or your partner is expecting a baby, minor worries can become major fears as you flip the pages of newspapers and magazines. You become ultra sensitised to every pregnancy scare story - justified or hyped - until it seems that nothing is safe including the air you breathe, the food you eat, the water you drink and the pets you love. Niggling worries and the stress they cause is a more common 'pregnancy complaint' than morning sickness. Yet you may feel silly about your questions and concerns, and may not want to bother the doctor or midwife.

Your healthcare providers are a source of much information and guidance, but that can be focussed mainly on the physical side of pregnancy, leaving your questions unanswered and your concerns seeming trivial. You may also find that you are whisked through your appointments so quickly that you forget what you wanted to ask.

Well, that's where Infinite Ideas can help. It's not written by a midwife or an obstetrician. It's written by a parent, just like you. A mother who has been pregnant four times, and has felt the same sense of confusion and doubts and questions as you. Are you ready to become a mother? Do you have to wear sensible smocks while you are pregnant - or skimpy little numbers like all those proud rock-star mums? How much weight will you gain? How can you avoid getting so many stretch marks that you look like you are wearing a permanent tigerskin swimsuit? Will you ever see your feet again?

The tips and advice in this guide come from years of experience - mine, and that of friends, family and of the many women I meet in the course of my work. The combined experience of all the women and the partners of those with blossoming bumps is priceless. Being pregnant connects us to all the other women who are - and have been - pregnant. Like members of some clandestine club, pregnant women smile at each other in the street or the train. They compare the most excruciatingly intimate details of their life - yes guys, all the details - and make new friendships. Pregnancy will make you bond with the strangest people; people you may not have even met without your bump. All these serendipitous meetings enhance your life and broaden your outlook. Pregnancy is a great leveller, as you learn to blithely discuss your nipples, flatulence and haemorrhoids with near strangers - or is that new friends?

This guide has been written to help you to relax enjoy your pregnancy. It considers medical issues to help you to make informed choices, but it will also help you with things that aren't earth shattering or vital to the health of your baby - but they will help you to feel good about yourself at a vulnerable time. From matters as wide ranging as enjoying sex in pregnancy to how long you can safely teeter along in your Manolos without damaging your body, this guide will help you to make decisions for yourself. It aims to personally empower you at a time when it is all too easy to feel like a 'baby receptacle.' You do not want to spoil this blissfully happy experience with 'what ifs' and worries - so put your feet up (you may as well make the most of being pregnant) with this guide and prepare to enjoy yourself!

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