Delivering Frankly Pregnant

Last Monday marked the official publication date of the new book, Frankly Pregnant, a Candid Week-by-Week Guide to the Unexpected Joys, Raging Hormones, & Common Experiences of Pregnancy. I discovered this book after the author, Stacy Quarty, commented on one of my blog posts, and I clicked through to her website, www.franklypregnant.com. On her site, I read that she was offering free advance copies of her soon-to-be-published book about pregnancy to real women across the country, with the goal of getting some honest feedback... So I asked her if I could be one of those women, because I, Gerah, of Baby Poop and Business Suits, am 100% real.

The first thing I thought when I started reading this book was, "MY GOD! I've never read anything written by anyone that reminded me so much of myself! Damn it, Gerah. Why didn't YOU think of this!?"

This book reads like a weekly journal by the author about her personal pregnancy experiences, interjected with factual stuff by a Dr. Miriam Greene, who happens to be MIRANDA'S DR. GREENE FROM SEX AND THE CITY. Dr. Greene on the show, Dr. Greene in real life. Cooooool.

What I love most about this book, is that the author tells the good, the bad, and the ugly. She doesn't hide the gross stuff - she talks about hemorrhoids, referring to them as "Cauliflower Butt." She discusses her fear of being spread eagle in the delivery room with un-manicured pubic hair.

Again, she reminds me so much of myself. Ahhhh.

When reading the book, I felt like I was having a conversation with a girlfriend. Usually, for me, this kind of candid "crotch talk" only happens when I'm alone with a friend or two who is either pregnant or who has been through the pregnancy/childbirth experience. Throughout the book, Stacy Quarty mentions many of her friends' experiences with pregnancy, which again, gives the book this "girl talk" vibe. I've read, re-read, and read again books like What To Expect When You're Expecting - which are nice and all - but seem to read more like manuals or reference guides to pregnancy than a real-life account of it.

I feel pretty confident to say that people who enjoy reading this blog would enjoy Frankly Pregnant. Because she organized the book into weekly chapters, I thought it was fun to be pregnant while reading the book each corresponding week at a time and giggle about all the stuff Stacy Quarty experiences and compare/relate it to my own experiences.

Frankly Pregnant would make a great gift for a friend who just found out she's expecting. Although, it'd have to be the right kind of friend. This book ain't for prissy girls who act like every bit of being pregnant is bliss and perfection. (Sorry, princesses. You must be able to admit you fart before you should read this book.)

The only thing about the book that annoyed me was in the end - there's a Q & A section that gives brutally honest answers to questions most of us are usually afraid to ask. I love the Q & A's, but there were a series of answers, one right after another, that referred to hormones as "horror-mones". It was cute the first time, but then we kept talking about "horror-mones" this, "horror-mones" that. Kind of lost it's cute/funniness.

So, if you're a gal who wants the REAL SCOOP on pregnancy, this book is for you. If you're pregnant, or considering becoming pregnant, and not sure what you're in for, go ahead and read this book along with What To Expect. It'll be like having a wise, matter-of-fact, experienced buddy giving you the lowdown on what to REALLY expect when you're expecting.

After my daughter was born, I glanced around the room and was horrified at the amount of blood everywhere. It looked like a chicken had been slaughtered in there. I ready fifty pregnancy books before giving birth, and NONE of them mentioned anything about a delivery room being covered in bloody spew. I was horrified. Shocked. Disgusted!

If only I had known Stacy Quarty. SHE would have prepared me.

Comments

[Bethany]

I must get my hands on that book... sounds like something right up my alley. I'll be expecting again. Someday (not now, but... someday). And I'm always up for a laugh.

[Nils]

You ... fart?

Wow. Talk about disillusionment.

[candace]

Ever since my kids were born I've wanted to write a book about life with a new baby. I'd call it, "What The Hell Do I Do Now?" because that's how I felt nearly all of the time after my son's birth.

All those touchy-feely, motherhood is magical 24-7 books made me angry.

[mama speak]

This sounds a lot like "girlfriends guide". Luckily I read that while pregnant with kid#1 and was not surprised by the "murder scene" after she was born.

My hubby refers to the "what to expect" book(s) as the "Let's Freak out the Hormonal Pregnant Chick Book" cause it has all these worst case scenarios in it. You know, the exact kind of stuff you need to hear because your hormones aren’t freaking you out enough yet.

[Nils]

If I ever wrote a book about childbirth it would be called "They're All Liars - Yours Won't Go That Smoothly Or Painlessly, And By The Way "A Little Pressure" Is Their Code for "Ever Shit A Watermelon? Yeah, Worse Than That."."

My book about the first six months of parenthood would be "Do You See NOW Why Your Mother Hates You?"

And when they get through that, they get to read "Ha! Bet You Thought That Was The HARD Part, Suckah!"

Hee. This is fun. I'm going to continue it on my own blog.

[Diana]

I heart Nils. Too funny- VERY TRUE!!!

[Diana]

yeah-and the murder scene...someone should give us a clue!!!

[Catizhere]

I just read this one too! You are a much better reviewer than I.

She *does* tell it like it is though. Gee, I can't WAIT for the "stabbing vaginal pain"
sounds like a laugh a minute!

[Monica C.]

Before I had my first daughter, I read a new mom's online journal that described the post-partum blood-related experience as "something out of Saving Private Ryan" - so I was prepared.

[Kim]

I'm getting this book soon, as we are attempting to embark on "round two"....