Guess the one question every pregnant woman wants answered

Do you know the one question all pregnant women ask during their pregnancy?

As soon as mums-to-be meet author Heidi Murkoff, who wrote What To Expect When You’re Expecting, they all ask one question - no matter where they come from in the world.

‘Pretty much it goes like this, “Is it normal to…' reveals Heidi to Practical Parenting. ‘Is that pain normal? Are my mood swings normal? Are those cramps normal? Is it normal not to want to have sex? Is it normal to want to have sex all the time? Is it normal not to have morning sickness?’

And usually, as Heidi reveals in the book, it’s all normal but we just want to be sure that we’re all going through a similar experience.

Heidi says there are also three other questions that crop up when she meets fans of her book. 

 ‘It’s usually questions about symptoms,’ reveals Heidi. ‘From the common, why do I have morning sickness that won’t quit? to the less talked about, what’s really safe when it comes to sex during pregnancy? To the seemingly random, what are those electric like shocks in my vagina? Answer “they’re called lightning crotch”.

Heidi believes she has become the guru for pregnant women because her book always delivers up-to-date, trustworthy information and in this new edition she has included subjects she's never had to cover off before.

‘Much of the new information is based on changes in recommendations and technology,’ explains Heidi. ‘For instance genetic and prenatal screening, new tests for preterm labour risk and efforts to lower c-section rates. Birthing trends, too, from water birth and hypnobirthing to cord blood and tissue banking. And of course, what to do with the placenta.’

‘Back in the day, there were fewer choices to ask about,’ she adds. ‘Especially when it came to childbirth. Those were the days – and I lived through them as a pregnant woman – when childbirth was a test you could pass (if you had an unmedicated, vaginal birth) or fail (if you had medication or a c-section).’

But Heidi believes there is one thing all pregnant and new mums want in the first few months of their journey – to not feel alone.

‘Essentially you want sisters who know exactly what you’re going through because they’re going through it at the same time,' she explains.

What to Expect When You're Expecting: 5^thedition, the new edition of the world's best-selling pregnancy book, is published by HarperCollins Australia and available at all good bookstores and online here from August 20.