If life is a series of tests, Mandy Keeling just hit the mother lode. Ordinarily, I'm a fan of pink--lovely color, does smashing things for the complexion. But not when it's the bright, glaring stripe staring back at me on the pregnancy test. Then, pink is the color of major oops, of morning sickness, of boyfriends who seemed decent but now are part of some Jerk Witness Protection Program. Still, I've got a few things going for me--bitter humor, a divine right to eat till I'm the size of Marlon Brando, and good friends who've managed to get me a job interview with one Damien Sharpton: in need of a personal assistant, and some say, a good, swift kick in the arse. If you want to make a lasting impression, by all means, toss your cookies in your future boss's wastebasket, which is located directly between his excruciatingly sexy legs. Apparently, Mr. Gorgeous-But-Unbearably-Anti-Social must like personal assistants who violate his trashcan, because I got the job. And if I can avoid him via text messaging for the next nine months of free health insurance, everything will be just fine. Except that he's just asked--no, insisted--that I go with him on a business trip to the Caribbean. Gulp. Ordinarily, this would be cause for celebration. Ordinarily, I'd shave my legs, pack my bikini, revel in day-glo drinks and my seething lust for Mr. Swarthy-And-Secretive. But there's nothing ordinary about this situation. . .which means it could be absolutely extraordinary. . .

100 years of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin: Reviews and New Perspectives is a collection of articles written by some of the world's leading experts on the pregnancy hormone and cancer marker hCG. In 2019 it is difficult to ignore the effect that our understanding of hCG has had on the lives of millions of people worldwide. The hCG immunoassay, in one form or another, is now one of the most common medical tests conducted and is often the first indication that a mother-to-be is pregnant. Not only a marker of pregnancy, hCG is utilized in the diagnosis and monitoring in oncology and presents a potential target for novel cancer therapeutics. 100 years ago, in 1919, Hirose was demonstrating gonadotropic functions which resulted from a chorionic factor. Over the last century this factor has become defined as hCG and more recently explored as not one molecule but a group of molecules with variable structure and variable functions in both pregnancy and cancer. hCG is a multi-faceted molecule that has clinical and therapeutic implications but can be a challenging topic for researchers and physicians alike. This text covers the different structures and functions of hCG exploring the genes and evolution of the molecule, the different protein and glycosylation structures which can exist and their effect on structure, detection and quantification. 100 Years of hCG is not an attempt to recount the history of every publication on hCG, but rather a collection of reviews and new perspectives by "hCG-ologists", the term used by Hussa to describe biochemists working on HCG in the first book written on the topic over 30 years ago. Some of the authors have been around a while, some not so long, but others are just beginning their journey with a most beguiling molecule. - Provides updated information on a complex and changing subject in five sections - Reviews historical perspectives and developments over the last 100 years - Includes novel insights into the structure, function and detection of hCG in pregnancy and cancer - Includes chapters on the use of mass spectrometry to detect and quantify hCG as well as traditional immunoassays and over the counter pregnancy tests - Describes the role of hCG in pregnancy, endometrial receptivity and embryo implantation and the use in fertility treatment - Addresses the specific hyperglycosylated hCG test that can distinguish a normal term from a failing pregnancy and also screen for preeclampsia and gestational hypertension in pregnancy as well as its use as a marker and treatment target in cancer. - Includes chapters on the development and use of hCG vaccines - Includes a section on hCG and in subunits in cancer

Practicing specialists in pathology, laboratory medicine, and obstetrics comprehensively summarize the latest scientific findings and their experiences in the use and interpretation of laboratory testing in patients who are pregnant or experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss. Topics of interest include the effects of normal physiological changes on test results, test selection for diagnosis, changes in reference ranges, monitoring the pregnant patient, new technologies, and the limitations of laboratory testing. The authors not only clearly explain currently used test methods and technologies for the nontechnical reader, but also provide comprehensive details for laboratory professionals. The comprehensive appendix that compiles published normal reference ranges by first, second, and third trimester consttitutes an excellent resource for professionals caring for pregnant women.

This diary is used to track ovulation with the use of OPK's (ovulation predictor kits) when trying to conceive. You can also record your period, sex and pregnancy test strips.

Bovine Reproduction is a comprehensive, current reference providing information on all aspects of reproduction in the bull and cow. Offering fundamental knowledge on evaluating and restoring fertility in the bovine patient, the book also places information in the context of herd health where appropriate for a truly global view of bovine theriogenology. Printed in full color throughout, the book includes 83 chapters and more than 550 images, making it the most exhaustive reference available on this topic. Each section covers anatomy and physiology, breeding management, and reproductive surgery, as well as obstetrics and pregnancy wastage in the cow. Bovine Reproduction is a welcome resource for bovine practitioners, theriogenologists, and animal scientists, as well as veterinary students and residents with an interest in the cow.

This guide provides a full range of updated, evidence-based norms and standards that will enable health care providers to give high quality care during pregnancy, delivery and in the postpartum period, considering the needs of the mother and her newborn baby. All recommendations are for skilled attendants working at the primary level of health care, either at the facility or in the community. They apply to all women attending antenatal care, in delivery, postpartum or post abortion care, or who come for emergency care, and to all newborns at birth and during the first week of life (or later) for routine and emergency care. This guide is a guide for clinical decision-making. It facilitates the collection; analysis, classification and use of relevant information by suggesting key questions, essential observations and/or examinations, and recommending appropriate research-based interventions. It promotes the early detection of complications and the initiation of early and appropriate treatment, including time referral, if necessary. Correct use of this guide should help reduce high maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity rates prevalent in many parts of the developing world, thereby making pregnancy and childbirth safer.

Within the continuum of reproductive health care, antenatal care provides a platform for important health-care functions, including health promotion, screening and diagnosis, and disease prevention. It has been established that, by implementing timely and appropriate evidence-based practices, antenatal care can save lives. Endorsed by the United Nations Secretary-General, this is a comprehensive WHO guideline on routine antenatal care for pregnant women and adolescent girls. It aims to complement existing WHO guidelines on the management of specific pregnancy-related complications. The guidance captures the complex nature of the antenatal care issues surrounding healthcare practices and delivery, and prioritizes person-centered health and well-being --- not only the prevention of death and morbidity --- in accordance with a human rights-based approach.