Thinking Pregnant: Conceiving Your New Life With a Baby

Media portrayals of beaming mothers and happy, gurgling babies tell only part of the story. Seasoned parents know that the fantasy of perfect motherhood is just that, and that there are enormous changes in all areas of life attendant on having and bringing up children. Thinking Pregnant is for women (and their partners) who know they want to have children but also want to prepare for the reality of the event. Megan Steelman goes beyond the standard medical advice found in many guides. She discusses the shifts in self-image and in one's body that pregnancy and motherhood bring, analyzes potential sources of conflict that a baby can introduce into a relationship, and elucidates the myriad alterations in identity and lifestyle when, in her words, "the new normal" takes over.