The third edition is designed for nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, students in these areas, and other health professionals who provide prenatal and postpartum care in outpatient settings. Since the first edition was published, practice knowledge has changed in many areas and we were aware of the importance of updating the information. The extensive revisions in this edition reflect new guidelines for practice endorsed by professional organizations and/or the government. Each chapter has been updated with new references and each contains new management strategies. Throughout history, quality care before, during, and after childbirth has played an important role in reducing maternal and fetal death, preventing birth defects, and decreasing the incidence of other preventable health problems. Health care providers have a remarkable opportunity to provide health education, assessment, and early problem identification and management during the preconception and childbearing years. To help achieve these goals, this third edition presents the best available practice evidence for providing preconception, prenatal, and postpartum care in one easy-to-use publication. It is organized into four parts. Part I comprehensively covers preconception counseling and care, as well as the latest guidelines on screening for genetic disorders before and during pregnancy. Part II provides a wealth of information on key assessments, including laboratory and ultrasound diagnostics for the initial prenatal visit and for subsequent visits. Throughout the book, it presents topics using a problem-based schema that highlights history, physical examination, laboratory and diagnostic testing, differential diagnosis, management, indications for consultation and/or referral, and follow-up care. This format is particularly evident in Parts III and IV. The third edition has two new chapters to reflect emerging issues and other pertinent practice concerns based on our conversations with students and ambulatory obstetric providers.