What To Expect When You're Expected

What To Expect When You're Expected: A Fetus's Guide to the First Three Trimesters
By David Javerbaum
Spiegel & Grau, 2009. 197 pgs. Non-Fiction

In case you're sick of being pregnant and need some comedic relief, or if you're just looking for a laugh, this "guide for the prenatal reader" should hit the spot. Written by one of the writers and producers of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, this is a spoof on the traditional What to Expect When You're Expecting, including a guide to each trimester (i.e. "Month 5: Acknowledging Your Flailings"), and even question-and-answer sections ("I'm kicking as hard as I can, but Mom says it feels like 'butterflies fluttering.' Am I doing something wrong?"). This book definitely made me laugh out loud, but there were other moments that made me wince, so I wouldn't recommend this for anyone with strong objections to adult language or the politically incorrect. Just in case you were wondering, you can glean some prenatal information from this book, such as what is happening with the fetus at each stage of pregnancy, but if that's all you're interested in I'd say stick to the usual manuals and leave this book for the moments when you just need a laugh.

BHG