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Acknowledgments | |
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Introduction | |
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Before the Birth | |
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The Last Few Weeks of Pregnancy | |
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What Kind of Birth Partner Will You Be? | |
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Getting Ready for Labor | |
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Preparing for Life with the Baby | |
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On to the Next Step | |
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Labor and Birth | |
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Getting into Labor | |
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The Labor Process | |
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How Long Will Labor Last? | |
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Signs of Labor | |
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If Her Bag of Waters Breaks Before Labor Begins | |
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"False" Labor, or Prelabor | |
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Labor Progresses in Six Ways | |
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Timing Contractions | |
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Moving through the Stages of Labor | |
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Prelabor | |
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Dilation | |
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Descent and Birth | |
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The Placental Stage | |
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Normal Labor--in a Nutshell | |
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Comfort Measures for Labor | |
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The Three Rs: Relaxation, Rhythm, and Ritual | |
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Self-Help Comfort Measures | |
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Comfort Aids and Devices | |
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Comforting Techniques for You to Try | |
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Taking Care of Yourself | |
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Strategies for Difficult Labors | |
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The Take-Charge Routine | |
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On-the-Spot Coaching (When You Have Had No Childbirth Classes) | |
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The Slow-to-Start Labor | |
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The Very Rapid Labor | |
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The Emergency Delivery | |
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When Labor Must Start (Labor-Stimulating Measures) | |
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Backache During Labor | |
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When the Mother Must Labor in Bed | |
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A Breech Baby | |
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A Previous Disappointing Birth Experience | |
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Incompatibility with the Nurse or Caregiver | |
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The Medical Side of Childbirth | |
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Key Questions for Informed Decision Making | |
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Tests, Technologies, Interventions, and Procedures | |
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Essential Observations | |
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Conditions Influencing the Amount of Intervention | |
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Common Obstetric Interventions | |
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Problems That May Arise in Late Pregnancy, Labor, or Afterwards | |
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Problems with the Mother | |
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The Breech Presentation | |
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Problems with Labor Progress | |
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Problems with the Fetus | |
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Problems with the Newborn | |
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After It Is All Over | |
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Medications for Pain During Labor | |
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Management of Normal Labor Without Pain Medications | |
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What You Need to Know about Pain Medications | |
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Deciding Whether to Use Pain Medications During Labor | |
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Pain Medications Preference Scale | |
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Cesarean Birth, and Vaginal Birth After Cesarean | |
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Know the Reasons for Cesarean Birth | |
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Know What to Expect During Cesarean Birth | |
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Your Role During Cesarean Birth | |
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Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) | |
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After the Birth | |
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The First Few Days Postpartum | |
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The First Few Hours | |
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The Next Few Days for the Baby | |
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The Next Few Days for the Mother | |
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Getting Help and Advice | |
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The Mother's Postpartum Emotions | |
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Practical Matters at Home | |
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Getting Started with Breastfeeding | |
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Advantages of Breastfeeding | |
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Getting Off to a Good Start | |
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Early Concerns | |
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When to Give the Baby a Bottle | |
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Once Breastfeeding Is Established | |
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Parting Words | |
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Recommended Resources | |
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Index | |