I haven’t really loved the pregnancy books I’ve read so far. I don’t know what it is about them, but they have seemed less than accessible and a little boring. And pregnancy is not boring. Tiring, amazing, overwhelming, and bizarre, yes. But definitely not boring.

A friend loaned me Jenny McCarthy’s book, Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth the other day, and I read the whole thing in one sitting in about an hour and a half. And I loved it. I laughed, and I cried. Why did I cry? I have no idea. If any of you pregnant ladies or mothers out there have a specific reason for even 10% of your crying, you’ve got me beat.

McCarthy is extremely open, speaking to the reader as if the two of you are chatting over a couple non-alcoholic beers. (No, I haven’t tried non-alcoholic beer as a means of dealing with my beer cravings, but I’ve considered it!) She is frank and graphic in her descriptions of the myriad physical changes the average pregnant woman notices, but I found that refreshing and honest. Some might be put off by it, so you should know that going into it. If you want to get a taste for McCarthy’s method of expressing herself, watch this video.

I will definitely be reading McCarthy’s other book, Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood.

Note: This review contains affiliate links.