Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy, 2nd Edition

Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D., is an award-winning author. She writes frequently about nutrition and health for publications such as Men's Fitness and Muscle & Fitness Hers, and she blogs at www.betteristhenewperfect.com. Ward is the mother of three and lives in the Boston, MA area.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, with over 75,000 members committed to improving health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education, and advocacy.

Completely updated and revised with the latest guidelines for nutrition and lifestyle before, during, and after pregnancy.

Expect the Best is a comprehensive guide for new and future parents that answers the most frequently asked questions about nutrition and lifestyle habits from preconception to post-delivery. This second edition translates the latest research and expert recommendations about how to have the healthiest baby possible into clear and concise advice without preaching, and includes a wide range of topics, such as:

• the healthiest lifestyle for fertility (including for dads-to-be!);
• calories and weight gain throughout pregnancy and after delivery;
• important vitamins and minerals and how to include them in your eating plan;
• what, and how much, exercise is best before, during, and after pregnancy;
• keeping food safe, and foods to avoid during pregnancy;
• how to manage morning sickness, gestational diabetes, and more; and
• what to eat when breastfeeding

This book provides easy-to-follow sample meal plans, and an expanded recipe chapter features more than 60 simple, nutritious recipes, including vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. This complete resource supplies what you need to make the best choices throughout your entire pregnancy journey!

“As a nutritionist for a fertility treatment practice, I rely on Ward to provide common sense advice for moms and dads. I love how the book accounts for the different ways pregnant and breastfeeding women live their lives. I’m thrilled to have this updated resource to recommend to my patients!”―Hillary M. Wright, MEd, RD, LDN, author of The PCOS Diet Plan: A Natural Approach to Health for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

“Expect the Best serves up an easy-to-follow formula for pregnancy success. Filled with up-to-date information, important insights, and lots of hands-on recipes, Ward manages to make good nutrition more palatable, practical, and fun!”―Laura A. Jana, MD, FAAP, pediatrician and author of The Toddler Brain: Nurture the Skills Today That Will Shape Your Child’s Tomorrow

“As women, we often struggle with making healthy choices. Ward has created an excellent resource to guide moms on healthy eating prior to, during, and after pregnancy. This book should be required reading for women who are planning a pregnancy or are already pregnant. You won’t be disappointed!”―Wendy L. Wright, MS, FNP, FAANP, FAAN, Adult/Family Nurse Practitioner, and Owner, Wright & Associates Family Healthcare