Description

‘Now That You are Pregnant’ is more than a guide; it is an invitation to step into your power. Dr Hilda is handing you the tools she uses every day: the knowledge, the questions, the mindset of prevention and advocacy.

In the world of maternal health, we face a paradox that should shame us all. We have more technology, more clinical trials, more guidelines, and more funding than at any point in human history. And yet, in country after country, women are still dying from preventable pregnancy-related causes. The numbers are not falling as they should. They are stagnating. In some places, they are rising.

This is why this book, written by my esteemed colleague Dr Hilda Alfred, is not just important—it is revolutionary. I have known Dr Hilda for years. I have watched her in the theatre at 2 a.m., calmly taming the storm of a postpartum haemorrhage. I have seen her sit at a bedside, holding the hand of a terrified mother, explaining a complex diagnosis with unwavering clarity and compassion. Her record speaks for itself: over a thousand babies delivered, countless obstetric emergencies managed, and through it all, she has never lost a patient.

This is not luck. This is the result of a meticulous, vigilant, and profoundly respectful practice. Dr Hilda understands that safety is not created by the doctor alone; it is co-created with the woman in her care. She has built her career on this partnership, and now, through this book, she is extending that partnership to you.

Now That You are Pregnant is more than a guide; it is an invitation to step into your power. Dr Hilda is handing you the tools she uses every day: the knowledge, the questions, the mindset of prevention and advocacy. She is not just telling you what to do; she is teaching you how to think like your own best protector.

By reading this book, you are not simply preparing for pregnancy. You are getting on board with a strategy to save your own life. There is no greater gift a caregiver can give, and no more crucial step a mother can take.

Dr Adeola O. Williams, OB/GYN, University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria