Description
What to Expect® When You’re Expecting
Thanks and More Thanks
So, it’s time for another delivery. And if delivering a book is anything like delivering a baby—and it is, in many ways (you nurture, nurture, nurture, stress, stress, stress, try to breathe, breathe, breathe, and then you push, push, push)—I have a whole lot of birth attendants to thank:
First, always and forever, the father of What to Expect, Erik—the man who made me a mom to Emma and Wyatt, a mom to What to Expect, and the happiest woman on the planet. My 24/7 partner in life, love, work, parenting, and (best of all) grandparenting.
Suzanne Rafer, editor and friend, who has helped me birth more baby books than I can count, and has been there since What to Expect was first conceived (and who actually named our first baby): tirelessly coaching, cheering, and policing my puns (with limited success—that’s what erasers were made for).
Peter Workman, who created the house I’ve delivered all my babies in, and whose legacy lives on in them.
Everyone else at Workman who contributed to this baby: Jenny Mandel, Emily Krasner, Suzie Bolotin, Dan Reynolds, Page Edmunds, Selina Meere, Jessica Wiener, and Sarah Brady.
Matt Beard, who had us covered, cover-to-cover, bringing beautiful images of Lennox before and after. Karen Kuchar for bringing moms and babies to life with her lovely illustrations. Lisa Hollander and Vaughn Andrews for putting it altogether artfully in such a pretty package, Beth Levy, Claire McKean, Barbara Peragine, and Julie Primavera for masterfully producing and managing the seamless sausage-making.
Sharon Mazel, who has nurtured, stressed, breathed (and reminded me to breathe), and pushed alongside me for the last 15 years of birthing What to Expect babies—without ever asking for an epidural—while somehow managing to raise 4 amazing daughters and staying happily married to the second most patient man on earth, Jay.
Dr. Charles Lockwood (who appropriately played the role of ob in What to Expect When You’re Expecting, 4th and 5th editions!), our intrepid medical advisor—always ready to tackle any topic on the minds of moms (even those perhaps best left on the fringe), to bring his enormous reserves of knowledge, experience, wisdom, caring, and compassion to help deliver our latest baby safe and sound (as in sound advice). Dr. Stephanie Romero for her incredibly insightful contributions. Dr. Howie Mandel, for delivering compassionate care—and Lennox.
ACOG, for being tireless advocates for moms and babies everywhere, and to all the doctors, midwives, nurses, childbirth educators, doulas, and lactation consultants around the world who literally nurture the nurturers among us, helping deliver the healthiest start in life for every baby and the healthiest future for all of us. The experts and advocates at the CDC—an organization passionately devoted to the health and wellbeing of our global family, especially when it comes to our most vulnerable—for your shared mission and commitment, for being an invaluable partner in spreading important health messages (and preventing the spread of disease!).
Our other partners in mom and baby health and #BumpDay: International Medical Corps (internationalmedicalcorps.org), humanitarians, first responders, and trainers of healthcare heroes (like my personal midwife hero from South Sudan, Tindilo Grace Losio, aka Amazing Grace). 1,000 Days™, for believing that a healthy future depends on a healthy (and well-fed) beginning. The UN Foundation’s Universal Access Program, for their passionate support of women and girls and their reproductive rights, health, and wellbeing.
Our partners in Special Delivery, the USO, and the amazing military mamas around the world I’ve had the honor to hug and have yet to hug (more hugs coming!).
Our incredible WhatToExpect.com team, fearlessly led by Michael Rose, Diane Otter, and Kyle Humphries, for their endless energy, enthusiasm, innovation, integrity, creativity, conviction, passion, and shared purpose (and for believing in the power of purple).
For inspiration and love, our beautiful “children”: Wyatt, Emma, and Russell, and of course, Lennox. Howard Eisenberg, Abby and Norm Murkoff, Victor Shargai, and Craig Pascal.