The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy: A Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Beyond

Read This AFTER You Have Your First Child

I have mixed feelings about this book. While it is entertaining & easy to read without getting bored, it is also a bit alarming for first time Mom's, even with all the humor. What the author does make sure to point out (which is pretty darn important) is that each pregnancy is unique & that it's probably best not to Google everything about pregnancy because why oh why would you want to find out about all the things that can go wrong & stress yourself out anymore than you probably are?

The sad (but also funny in it's own way) thing is how she jokingly trains the Mom-to-be in order to prepare for her new bundle of joy. Things like tying your hand behind your back while holding an open bag of flour & not spilling the flour while going to the bathroom & calling your friend on the phone (or something very similar to this). While these things are meant to be funny they can also most certainly cause an already hormonal woman undue stress.

Telling the reader to enjoy sleep, reading, going out to eat, going anywhere really because once the baby comes, forget about it you'll never enjoy these things again for the next 18 - 20 years isn't exactly accurate. Have a baby, your life is over. This is not what a woman needs to hear. Granted your life will change drastically, but everyone's life is different, so constantly reminding the reader that they will not be able to do anything they now currently enjoy is just plain cruel. Plenty of new moms are still able to enjoy all of these things. It depends on Mom's network of friends &/or family &/or spousal support &/or lifestyle in general.

The author also has a very conventional & unhealthy way of looking at food & exercise & seems to assume that the reader is the same. Think: typical unhealthy SAD American/Western diet. Not everyone is this way. There are plenty of people who are healthy, who enjoy exercise & will gladly do gentle workouts like yoga or walks for the duration of the pregnancy. Not everyone is a twinkie chomping, TV binge watching almost alcoholic. At least, I'm optimistic enough to believe this.

Part of me kind of wants to say, "Here read this, maybe you'll get some laughs." but another part of me is concerned that this will cause additional stress to my first time Mom-to-be little sister. While she is a very conventional twinkie & liquor loving gal, she is also very stressed out & emotional right now & I have a feeling that this book might be exactly what she doesn't need which is ironic because initially I thought this book would be great for her. She has a sarcastic yet goofball personality so I thought this would be the "right" pregnancy book for her, but I'm thinking a copy of the book I read for myself instead, The Field Guide to Pregnancy: Navigating New Territory with Research, Recipes, and Remedies will be more beneficial to her, I know I found it extremely helpful.

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