Talk to your doctor or nurse while you are pregnant, and bring it up in your childbirth class if it isn't mentioned. Of course, much of the learning process clearly has to do with the practice itself, which has to come after the birth of the baby, but there is still something to be said for absorbing as much as you can beforehand so you'll be familiar with all the issues involved.

For some women and some babies, however, breastfeeding remains impractical or impossible. There is no evidence that formula-fed babies have any significant health or developmental problems in the long run. As Polin says, "if you don't have breast milk it's fine. There should be no sense of guilt." So if breastfeeding doesn't work for you -- as it doesn't for many women, for various reasons -- don't fret: your baby will turn out just fine.

C-Sections or Vaginal Delivery: Should It Be a Choice?

C-section rates have reached an all time high in this country. (6) Some of the reasons for this, according to a Healthgrades study, include the convenience (for doctors and parents) of choosing a delivery date and time; a lack of awareness of the complications associated with it; the rise in multiple births, which could require it; an increase in age-related risk factors in the mother; and a rising willingness of doctors to perform the surgery.

What's particularly apparent is that more women are opting for scheduled C-sections, both for reasons of convenience and perhaps for physical or aesthetic reasons. But the surgery has its risks, including a longer recovery period for the mother and potential health risks to the baby -- therefore, C-sections should not be viewed as a simpler alternative to the old-fashioned method.

Parents: Expect a Long Recovery -- No Matter How You Give Birth

One of our readers, Rebecca, offered that although her C-section was necessary and unexpected, the recovery was long, painful, and exhausting. She says that very early into her recovery she tried to take on more than she should have, which lead to prolonged bleeding and a prescription for additional bed rest, not to mention the tears of pain that were produced from the simple act of rising from her bed.

Had she just taken time to allow her body to recover slowly and steadily, she says, the recovery would have been a lot faster than it was when she tried to speed it up. "It took weeks for me to be able to move normally and get back to all my regular daily activities. Picking up the baby without a lot of pain took a number of weeks, too." It's important to remember that C-sections are major surgeries and hard on the body in multiple ways. Allowing your body the time it needs to heal is ultimately the fastest way to recovery.

That said, there's an intense recovery involved with vaginal delivery as well. Sandy tells us that she wished someone had told her about the time that it takes to recover physically from childbirth. The stitches after a vaginal delivery, she said, were exponentially more painful than she'd anticipated, and it took her a very long time to feel normal again. Melissa, echoing Rebecca's experience but without the C-section, said, "It felt so great to feel lighter [after giving birth]; I was so excited to be a mom, that I did too much too soon and had extra heavy bleeding." Giving birth is a natural event, but it's a radical one. Treat yourself accordingly.