What to Expect

From Heidi Murkoff, author of the world's bestselling pregnancy and parenting books, comes the must-have guide every expectant couple needs before they even conceive - the first step in What to Expect: What to Expect Before You're Expecting. Medical groups now recommend that all hopeful parents plan for baby-making at least three months before they begin trying. And who better to guide want-to-be mums and dads step-by-step through the preconception (and conception) process than Heidi Murkoff? It's all here. Everything couples need to know before sperm and egg meet. Packed with the same kind of reassuring, empathic and practical information and advice that readers have come to expect from What to Expect, only sooner. Which baby-friendly foods to order up (say yes to yams) and which fertility-busters to avoid (see you later, saturated fat); lifestyle adjustments that you'll want to make (cut back on cocktails and caffeine) and those you can probably skip (that switch to boxer shorts). How to pinpoint ovulation, keep on-demand sex sexy, and separate conception fact from myth. With fully updated information on immunisation, genetic screening, Zika, ovulation tracking, how fertility can be affected by travel as well as BPA and phthalates, plus when to seek help and the latest on high- and low-tech fertility treatments - from IVF to surrogacy and more. Complete with a fill-in fertility journal to keep track of the baby-making adventure and special tips throughout for hopeful dads. Next step? What to Expect When You're Expecting, of course.

Heidi E. Murkoff is one of the world's leading experts in pregnancy and childcare. She is the principle author of all the titles in the WHAT TO EXPECT series. She lives in Southern California with her husband Erik and two children.