Yes, if you’re doing the math, it very often turns out that, in relationships, one plus one equals three. What could be better: a new country, a new relationship, a new job, a new home, and now a new baby! Starting a family can be an exciting (and nerve-racking!) experience. It’s also lots of fun. Okay, maybe the mom-to-be isn’t having so much fun when she has morning sickness each day.

For many women, one of the most exciting times in life is when they learn that they are pregnant. Suddenly, there are plenty of things to think about. Prenatal care is really important. In the first place, a doctor will calculate the baby’s due date pretty accurately. It’s fun to wonder if the new arrival will come on Halloween or Christmas Day. Mom must be sure she stays healthy and makes healthy choices. After all, now she’s eating for two. Expectant mothers have tons of questions, and the best person to give the answers is her OB/GYN. This doctor is usually just called an OB or obstetrician. The obstetrician will recommend avoiding all alcohol. If the mom-to-be is a smoker, the doctor will definitely recommend quitting. The doctor can also answer questions about what foods are best to eat, what medicines are safe to take, what vitamins are good to take, and how much exercise is okay. Some moms even have questions about how safe it is to be around the family pet! Good prenatal care makes sure that the baby will have the best, healthiest start to life.

Women in the United States have many choices about the type of childbirth they want. Although in the past women relied on doctors (usually men!) to make all the decisions about their childbirth, women today are far more vocal about how they want their baby to be born. And doctors (often women!) are happy to support a woman’s choice. There are deliveries that involve medical procedures performed by a doctor and drugs to ease the process, and others that are called natural deliveries because they have less involvement of a doctor and fewer drugs.

Sometimes, in a vaginal birth, the mother may choose certain drugs to ease the pain. Not all women wish to have these drugs, however. Some choose vaginal delivery with no drugs at all. (Of course, they may change their minds once the labor pains start!) A popular approach to childbirth is the Lamaze method, which emphasizes special ways of breathing and ways to focus on special thoughts in order to manage the pain.

Some women don’t like the idea of a medical delivery at all. They may choose to have the baby at home or in a special birthing center that is made to look like a comfortable home rather than a medical center. In these cases, the birth is often managed by a midwife. A midwife is not a doctor but a licensed caregiver who has had training in the birth process. A midwife can guide a normal delivery, but some state laws may require her to be in a hospital or special birthing center. If there is an emergency, everyone wants mom and baby to have immediate medical care from a doctor.

Everyone hopes a delivery will go smoothly. But sometimes emergencies happen, and a doctor may have to help in the process. Sometimes a forceps delivery may be necessary for a difficult birth. And in a real emergency, a doctor may have to perform a Caesarean section. This is a surgical procedure, commonly called a C-section, in which the baby is delivered through an incision in the mother’s abdomen. Because it’s surgery, the new mother must recover in the hospital for a few days.

Are you wondering where Dad is in all this? In the old days, Dad would be out in a waiting area, nervously pacing back and forth, just waiting to hear if his baby has been born. Not anymore! Nowadays, Dad is a very hands-on assistant in the whole process. Of course, Mom has the real job, but Dad will help out by trying to keep her comfortable through all the stages of labor. Most of the time, Dad will be in the delivery room, and he’ll hold his new baby as soon as it’s born.

Sure. Mom does all the work, and Dad has all the fun.

JAE: Lia, I’m so excited about your happy news! When are you due?

LIA: I know, I know! Can you believe it? I’m going to be a mom again! The OB says our little darling should arrive on December 8. And she says it could be twins!

JAE: What!? Twins? Do twins run in the family?

LIA: Yes, my husband is a twin and so is his mother!

JAE: Wow, when will you know for sure?

LIA: Well, the doctor’s going to do an ultrasound at my next visit. We’ll know for sure then. We’ll also know if it’s a little Johnny or Janie—but I’m not sure I want to know.

JAE: Really? You don’t want to know? But if you know it’s a boy or girl, you’ll be able to shop for little girl things or decorate for a little boy. It would be so convenient to know the baby’s gender in advance.

LIA: I know, I know. But I just love the idea of being surprised.

JAE: Well, as long as it’s healthy, I guess it doesn’t matter if you know in advance if it’s a boy or girl.

LIA: Exactly! So now I will definitely start eating right. I’m going to be the perfect mom-to-be. No more fast food drive-thrus for me. Good-bye, French fries!

JAE: Ha, perfect! I’ll get you a nice spinach salad right now—with a side of broccoli!

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