An acclaimed OB-GYN reveals the latest discoveries in prenatal care and the critical takeaways for expecting parents. This book is an indispensable guide to the revolutionary advances in the understanding of pregnancy and birth. For decades, Susan Fisher, PhD, and her team at the University of California, San Francisco, have been at the forefront of research into how babies develop in the womb. Fisher traces prenatal development, which proceeds at breakneck speed during the first eight weeks. She unlocks the secrets of the placenta, which steers the course of pregnancy and can affect childhood health. Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy contains the trailblazing science needed to help expectant parents understand: . Which prenatal vitamins are essential and when to take each . Which prenatal genetic tests are risk-free and which are a waste of money . Why mothers-to-be should decline store receipts and avoid flame retardants . When to be concerned about nausea . Why expectant mothers should listen to their own mother’s birth stories AUTHOR: Susan Fisher, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences in the School of Medicine of the University of California, San Francisco. She lives in San Francisco.