The Book Blawg

Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth by Jenny McCarthy

The attraction, however slight, of this book seems to be that it was written by a celebrity who describes her intimate bodily functions using language that others are, quite wisely, too polite to put into print. While amusing, it is not what I would consider funny. As an aspiring childbirth educator, I found some of her story irritating. She tells us that she eats a whole pan of homemade brownies every night, then complains of her swollen ankles. She spends a lot of time lounging on the couch while pregnant, begs the doctor not to turn down her epidural for 2nd stage labor, then has a c-section after 2 1/2 hours of (largely ineffective, one assumes) pushing. She does not breastfeed (no explanation given), but complains about engorgement. Not a book I would recommend to pregnant women. Or anyone, for that matter. Let's hope she doesn't write a sequel.

A New York Times Bestseller? Glad I didn't pay for my copy, or I'd be asking for a refund.