The Wonder Within
For Kansas City native Carey Wickersham, writing her new book, The Wonder Within You, has been a labor of love. Quite literally. As a journalist and weekend morning reporter for Fox 4, she’s accustomed to researching and unearthing a good story—it’s a part of the job. However, those professional skills found themselves intersecting with personal life when tragedy struck.
“Soon after I was married, we became pregnant with twin girls, Hannah and Hope.” Wickersham says. “They were stillborn at 20 weeks. When I became pregnant again a short time later, I was full of fear and very concerned about what I could do to nurture this baby physically, nutritionally, emotionally and spiritually. I began to research pregnancy, even borrowing my OB/GYN's medical books. Soon I began to compile the research, along with some letters I had written from the babies’ point of view. I started collecting quotes and stories from other mothers, as well. It wasn't long until I felt that there just wasn't enough information out there specifically about the developing baby. I knew there were a lot of moms like me who just wanted to know more.”
And so it was through this desire to provide more information to other women, as well as a way to preserve a legacy for her twin daughters, that Wickersham began to write her first book. Contributors Jeannette Burlbaw and Dr. Kristen Wootten have provided additional insight from their own respective fields. Burlbaw, a 30-year veteran sonographer and owner of Prenatal Imaging Centers, provides stunning images and witty anecdotes from her experiences viewing life in the womb, while Dr. Wootten, an OBGYN at St. Luke’s Hospital and assistant professor at UMKC’s School of Medicine, offers medical advice at the end of each chapter.
This is not your mother’s pregnancy book. Throughout its 41 chapters (one for every week of pregnancy, and one for if you are overdue), The Wonder Within You offers stunning 3-D ultrasound images to give the reader insight into the changes that take place in a baby every single week in the womb, as well as helpful medical information and nutritional advice. QR codes are provided as well, and when entered into a smart phone or URL, they offer video of a baby at each week of gestation, showing how these little ones are already developing individual personalities, preferences and physical traits while still in the womb. This unique lean on technology makes The Wonder Within You one of the most technologically advanced pregnancy books on the market, allowing readers to actually see each stage of a baby’s development. As an added bonus, a pregnancy calendar is included, along with stickers to stay organized and space for a mother to journal notes to her baby.
Wickersham hopes to encourage women as they undergo the journey of pregnancy by helping them marvel at all the wonderful things that take place inside. “This generation of parents has the remarkable ability to witness what life is like for their babies long before they are born. It’s prenatal parenting at its best,” she says. “I believe information empowers people to make better decisions for their lives. There is a lot of information inside the covers of The Wonder Within You, but there are also some great stories. I hope the combination of information and inspiration helps women bond with their babies early, so when they arrive, they already feel connected.”
This ability to see what life is like inside the womb throughout the entire pregnancy is something special that not only bonds mothers with their babies but also with other moms. “Women from every culture, race and religion can push aside their differences and come together over one thing...their love for their children,” Wickersham adds. “I want this book to cause us to lock arms with our sisters and encourage each other to become better mamas.”
To pre-order a copy, go to www.TheWonderWithinYou.com or check out your local bookstore for its arrival on Aug. 1. And don’t forget to sign up for Wickersham’s e-mail updates as well, so you can receive new information regarding all things pregnancy and babies.
Lauren Greenlee considered one of the highlights of her pregnancies to be the ultrasounds, particularly the 3D ultrasound she had with her second son. She and her family reside in Olathe.