9 months in, 9 months out : a scientist's tale of pregnancy and parenthood / Vanessa LoBue.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Expertise can explain the science of what's happening to a fetus or a baby throughout development, but all the science in the world can't tell you what it feels like to have a baby: the pang of morning sickness, the pain of labor, the excitement of birth, and the joy that comes from seeing your baby's first smile. 9 Months In, 9 Months Out explores what we actually experience in the nine months of pregnancy and the nine months that follow. As a professor of infant and child development, author Vanessa LoBue had certain expectations about how pregnancy and motherhood would go. Experiencing it was a different story. As she learned, the first few months of parenthood are much harder than anyone tells you. Written month-to-month in real time as LoBue proceeded through pregnancy and first-time parenthood, 9 Months In, 9 Months Out integrates science and infant development with the personal journey involved in becoming a parent. LoBue also takes a researcher's lens to issues that are top of mind for new parents: breastfeeding, the sleep training controversy, gender development, the science (or lack thereof) behind the link between vaccinations and autism, and the debate over screen time. "-- Provided by publisher.

"Based on my job as a professor of infant and child development, people are always pointing out how "prepared" I will be when I become a parent. My job is perfect for having children, they say, as I should know everything there is to know about having a baby already. The truth is, expertise can certainly tell you the science of what's happening to a baby throughout development, but all the science in the world can't tell you what it feels like to have a baby--the pang of morning sickness, the pain of labor, the excitement of birth, and the joy that comes from seeing your baby's first smile. This book is about pregnancy and first-time parenthood, and what someone who is supposed to be an expert in infancy experiences in the 9 months of pregnancy and the 9 months that follow. The book can offer you two things. First, it offers the psychology of how a baby is developing in the 9 months of pregnancy and the 9 months that follow. Second, it provides a first-hand account of how that science translates to a parent's experience--namely, my own. What's unique and special about this book is that I wrote it in real time while experiencing pregnancy and first time parenthood myself. Most of us hear amazing things about having kids, mostly because parents quickly forget the trials and tribulations of the early days of parenting as their children grow up to be wonderful and interesting people. The truth is, the first few months of parenthood are really hard--much harder than anyone tells you. This book will offer you information about development from an expert in the field, alongside an honest and real time account of how that science translates to a mother's experience"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction -- Part I: Pregnancy, the Adventure Begins -- Chapter 1: Conception: The Science of Getting Pregnant -- Chapter 2: The First Two Months: Signs and Symptoms, From Zygote to Fetus -- Chapter 3: The Third Month: The Dangers of Teratogens -- Chapter 4: The Fourth Month: Developing Sex and Gender -- Chapter 5: The Fifth Month: The Science of Sleep -- Chapter 6: The Sixth Month: Reflexes and Newborn Screening -- Chapter 7: The Seventh Month: Fetal Learning -- Chapter 8: The Eighth Month: Infant Temperament -- Chapter 9: The Ninth Month: Labor and Delivery -- Chapter 10: The Story of My Son's Birth -- Part II: Parenthood, the Real Adventure Begins -- Chapter 1: The First Month: Post-Partum Depression, Crying, and Nursing -- Chapter 2: The Second Month: Infant Perception and Touch -- Chapter 3: The Third Month: Developing Motor Skills -- Chapter 4: The Fourth Month: Language Development -- Chapter 5: The Fifth Month: Infant Emotions -- Chapter 6: The Sixth Month: Cognition and Learning -- Chapter 7: The Seventh Month: Media and Screen Use -- Chapter 8: The Eighth Month: Attachment -- Chapter 9: The Ninth Month: Early Childcare -- Chapter 10: Afterward -- Acknowledgements -- References.