births daily in the world. With today's scientific competencies, every single one of those people was birthed by a woman. So why is there still so much mystery involved in the process? Your body is hardwired to do this, but that doesn't mean you have any idea what you're about to go through.

Why did I not know what to mentally prepare myself for during the growth and delivery of my baby? Why did I have no idea what would happen to me at the hospital? Why did I think my body was done with "baby things" after forty weeks? Why has the normal for advice passed down woman to woman about pregnancy become "Yes, it'll hurt, but you don't remember that in the end" or four-hundred-plus-page books that take forever to read and are more biology than helpful tips? And why have we, as a society, written that off as okay?!

We would never expect someone to go into a new job with little to no instruction. And when a new employee asks hard-hitting questions in detail and points out faults in the process for correction, we give them an award; we don't pointedly avoid their questions and tell them this is how things are. So why are so many women expected to go into the hospital blind, not having any idea what to expect during their delivery besides you push and a baby pops out?

You are going through a fast-paced, life-altering experience, so you need a fast-paced guide on what to expect for the near future and what you should know to expect from your body and mind during this wonderful experience. The birth of my child was fully worth everything I went through in this book; however, I could have experienced less fear, anxiety, and emotional strain with my husband during my pregnancy had I known what to expect and prepare for from preconception to postbirth normalcy.