Book excerpt: The complete illustrated guide from conception to birth. The Pregnant Body Book is a comprehensive visual guide to every aspect of conception, pregnancy and birth exploring the important changes that take place in a completely revolutionary way. State-of-the-art images, extraordinary photography and accessible text track each stage of both the mother and baby's development from fertilisation to birth week-by-week. This unprecedented guide covers everything you could possibly want to know from the science behind sex and conception to the intricacies of genetics and includes a detailed look at the anatomy and physiology of both the male and female reproductive systems and the groundbreaking medical advances that define the 21st-century understanding of pregnancy. The Pregnant Body Book is the first of its kind and an ideal reference for prospective parents, as well as both medical and midwifery students.