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Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth
The New York Times bestseller--never shy, frequently crude and always funny, Jenny McCarthy gives the lowdown on pregnancy in the grittiest girlfriend detail
Revealing the naked truth about the tremendous joys, the excruciating pains, and the inevitable disfigurement that go along with pregnancy, Jenny McCarthy tells you what you can really expect when you're expecting! From morning sickness and hormonal rage, to hemorrhoids, granny panties, pregnant sex, and the torture and sweet relief that is delivery, Belly Laughs is must-read comic relief for anyone who is pregnant, has ever been pregnant, is trying to get pregnant, or, indeed, has ever been born!
Revealing the naked truth about the tremendous joys, the excruciating pains, and the inevitable disfigurement that go along with pregnancy, Jenny McCarthy tells you what you can really expect when you're expecting! From morning sickness and hormonal rage, to hemorrhoids, granny panties, pregnant sex, and the torture and sweet relief that is delivery, Belly Laughs is must-read comic relief for anyone who is pregnant, has ever been pregnant, is trying to get pregnant, or, indeed, has ever been born!
165 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2004
About the author
Jenny McCarthy
30 books257 followersJennifer McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress and author. She first appeared in Playboy magazine in October 1993 and was named Playmate of the Year in its June 1994 issue. She later began a career in television and film and has recently started writing books dealing largely with her pregnancy and motherhood of a child with autism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,033 reviews
July 20, 2008
Another book I wish I could give less than one star. McCarthy shows herself to be unintelligent and unenlightened as she spreads fear, panic, and gross misinformation to any pregnant woman who might be unlucky enough to read this book. I know she is trying to be funny, but to anyone capable of complex thought, she's just a dull hack. And her constant self derision, making herself out to be a "crazy pregnant woman" as she wrote about her husband's rude treatment of her, was just pitiful. No shocker that she is now divorced from him.
Someone gave me this book, and I still don't know why. Anyone who knows me even remotely should be able to guess I would hate it.
There have been a handful of books in my life that come into my possession and leave me wondering "What the hell am I going to DO with this?" I don't want to leave it on my shelf, because it's not worthy of taking up precious space. I don't want to give it away because I can't bear the thought of being responsible for someone else reading such crap. And I don't want to toss it in the fire just because I am inherently opposed to burning books. Belly Laughs is one of those books. I suppose one day I may get a kitten and it will need litter box fodder ...
Someone gave me this book, and I still don't know why. Anyone who knows me even remotely should be able to guess I would hate it.
There have been a handful of books in my life that come into my possession and leave me wondering "What the hell am I going to DO with this?" I don't want to leave it on my shelf, because it's not worthy of taking up precious space. I don't want to give it away because I can't bear the thought of being responsible for someone else reading such crap. And I don't want to toss it in the fire just because I am inherently opposed to burning books. Belly Laughs is one of those books. I suppose one day I may get a kitten and it will need litter box fodder ...
September 18, 2007
I received this book as a present from a friend. Her words were, "If you can't trust advice from a playmate, who can you trust?"
"Belly Laughs" is probably selling copies around the country because Jenny McCarthy has turned her foul mouth and crude observations on her pregnancy symptoms. The descriptions are wince-able at times, but not all together unamusing. The sheer abundance of massive body changes in pregnancy is fodder for the author to compare private parts with food and over-active bodily functions with the animal kingdom.
One thing she did - if only very briefly - was correctly identify the feeling of your body being hijacked and what that does to your self-image. Not that I feel sorry for a celebrity, but I am 100% grateful that my entire self-worth is not based on how I look.
The other thing I liked was the final chapter about the birth of her son. She really conveys the fear and drama of labor. She also described the emergency c-section she ended up having and how scared she felt when things didn't go smooth the whole way.
On the whole, the book is written like a 15-year-old's diary. But I'll read anything about being pregnant if it's delivered to my door these days. Which in itself must be a pregnancy symptom of indulging in terrible literature...Materna-libritis?
"Belly Laughs" is probably selling copies around the country because Jenny McCarthy has turned her foul mouth and crude observations on her pregnancy symptoms. The descriptions are wince-able at times, but not all together unamusing. The sheer abundance of massive body changes in pregnancy is fodder for the author to compare private parts with food and over-active bodily functions with the animal kingdom.
One thing she did - if only very briefly - was correctly identify the feeling of your body being hijacked and what that does to your self-image. Not that I feel sorry for a celebrity, but I am 100% grateful that my entire self-worth is not based on how I look.
The other thing I liked was the final chapter about the birth of her son. She really conveys the fear and drama of labor. She also described the emergency c-section she ended up having and how scared she felt when things didn't go smooth the whole way.
On the whole, the book is written like a 15-year-old's diary. But I'll read anything about being pregnant if it's delivered to my door these days. Which in itself must be a pregnancy symptom of indulging in terrible literature...Materna-libritis?
December 27, 2011
The only word I can really think of to describe this book is cute. It's not so much an educational book on pregnancy as it is a book to tell you that you're not alone. It was refreshingly (and humorously) honest, and totally bang on in a lot of areas. I had many "YES!" moments when she'd describe a symptom or emotion that I'd been feeling, but wasn't sure was normal.
The writing isn't spectacular, but I don't think that's the point. It's written in a conversational way that makes you feel like you're chatting with a girl friend over drinks, and you almost forget that you're reading.
It's an easy, short read that can be finished in one quick sitting, and for any one who, like me, is waiting for the "magic" of pregnancy to kick in (you know, like those women who loooooved being pregnant...???) it's reassuring to see that you're not the only one struggling a little. Even for someone with the money and time for personal trainers and stylists and gym memberships, pregnancy wasn't always the miracle happy time that we're often led to believe that it is. If the weight gain and exhaustion and emotions and self consciousness get the better of even a former Playmate, there may be hope for me yet.
I really recommend this to all women who are expecting or who are TTC. BUT.... be prepared. She's crass, super blunt and she doesn't hold back. This book certainly isn't for the more conservative crowd. She tells it like it is, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The writing isn't spectacular, but I don't think that's the point. It's written in a conversational way that makes you feel like you're chatting with a girl friend over drinks, and you almost forget that you're reading.
It's an easy, short read that can be finished in one quick sitting, and for any one who, like me, is waiting for the "magic" of pregnancy to kick in (you know, like those women who loooooved being pregnant...???) it's reassuring to see that you're not the only one struggling a little. Even for someone with the money and time for personal trainers and stylists and gym memberships, pregnancy wasn't always the miracle happy time that we're often led to believe that it is. If the weight gain and exhaustion and emotions and self consciousness get the better of even a former Playmate, there may be hope for me yet.
I really recommend this to all women who are expecting or who are TTC. BUT.... be prepared. She's crass, super blunt and she doesn't hold back. This book certainly isn't for the more conservative crowd. She tells it like it is, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
February 26, 2013
This book is written by McCarthy, not a studied author, in a conversational tone. It is meant to be a frank discussion about her pregnancy experience and it succeeds in being such. It is not a researched textbook of pregnancy and doesn't claim to be.
I found many negative reviews of this short memoir that I thought were quite unfair. McCarthy's stories are enjoyable because of the aforementioned tone being so different from the majority of pregnancy books. Also, she is characteristically willing to discuss topics that most people/books will not (i.e. defecating on the delivery table). She delves into her actual emotions over her various pregnancy symptoms, another thing not found in your typical pregnancy book.
Admittedly, reading this after McCarthy's divorce, one really notices how much of a jerk her then husband was to her; it does distract the reader from the light heartedness intended by the writing style. She does not seem to intentionally make her husband out to be a villain. Indeed she blames herself, claiming pregnancy induced mood swings, for all of his poor behavior. I am glad that she opened her eyes later in life and divorced this man.
Reading non-fiction some years after it is written always changes how the text is received. One sees the past McCarthy's uncaring for natural foods and lifestyle. She is now very health conscious, largely due to her son's medical issues in childhood. I honestly do not think she would make the same birth nor feeding choices were she to have another child. Although I do feel the need to mention a woman's right to choose epidurals, formula feeding, or anything else that woman feels is right for HER body and HER family, even if they are not the same choices I would make.
All in all, I loved this book. It was funny and frank, everything I expect and enjoy Jenny McCarthy to be. The comedy style is typical of McCarthy humor. If you aren't familiar with her, I would describe comedy as geared towards a young adult audience, "potty humor." Not for everyone.
Don't give this book to someone unless you know they enjoy this kind of humor and such casual writing. Otherwise, it's going to receive continued bashing from an audience it wasn't intended for (Like your finishing school headmaster or your English lit. major roomie).
Loved it, recommend it
I found many negative reviews of this short memoir that I thought were quite unfair. McCarthy's stories are enjoyable because of the aforementioned tone being so different from the majority of pregnancy books. Also, she is characteristically willing to discuss topics that most people/books will not (i.e. defecating on the delivery table). She delves into her actual emotions over her various pregnancy symptoms, another thing not found in your typical pregnancy book.
Admittedly, reading this after McCarthy's divorce, one really notices how much of a jerk her then husband was to her; it does distract the reader from the light heartedness intended by the writing style. She does not seem to intentionally make her husband out to be a villain. Indeed she blames herself, claiming pregnancy induced mood swings, for all of his poor behavior. I am glad that she opened her eyes later in life and divorced this man.
Reading non-fiction some years after it is written always changes how the text is received. One sees the past McCarthy's uncaring for natural foods and lifestyle. She is now very health conscious, largely due to her son's medical issues in childhood. I honestly do not think she would make the same birth nor feeding choices were she to have another child. Although I do feel the need to mention a woman's right to choose epidurals, formula feeding, or anything else that woman feels is right for HER body and HER family, even if they are not the same choices I would make.
All in all, I loved this book. It was funny and frank, everything I expect and enjoy Jenny McCarthy to be. The comedy style is typical of McCarthy humor. If you aren't familiar with her, I would describe comedy as geared towards a young adult audience, "potty humor." Not for everyone.
Don't give this book to someone unless you know they enjoy this kind of humor and such casual writing. Otherwise, it's going to receive continued bashing from an audience it wasn't intended for (Like your finishing school headmaster or your English lit. major roomie).
Loved it, recommend it
June 2, 2008
This book was a very shallow book, I felt. Yes, it deals with some of the more embarrassing and less beautiful sides of pregnancy, but I also felt that it exaggerated them. I liked that Jenny was all about the comfort zone, it's important to embrace pregnancy and give in to the gear because it's COMFORTABLE though not the sexiest thing you've ever worn. I was unhappy with some of her choices and some of her attitudes about labor & delivery & breastfeeding. I do believe that if Jenny were to go back and write this book over, it would be very different today. Her son ended up being Autistic, and she is now an advocate of natural foods, etc... I do believe she has changed since this book. It's a very light, easy read...big words (by this I am referring to the typeface, not the intellectual level!)...not really words of wisdom, however.
June 28, 2008
This New York Times best seller is just that for very good reason. Belly Laughs, subtitled: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth - is to true to it's title.
Jenny McCarthy, former playboy playmate (which she now regrets doing after seeing her husband drool over playmates on television while sitting next to her now gargantuan frame) and co-star of the MTV show "Singled Out" from the mid-90's, truly does tell you the naked truth. Out of the many pregnancy books this definitely tops my list of recommendations.
For those of you who are not familiar with Jenny McCarthy she is a wild, upfront, and more than often insulting woman who thinks that all to often she comes off as the stereotypical blond (as she will make reference to that many times over.)
I've never really considered myself a fan of this womans, as a matter of fact I picked this out without ever realizing who had written it. Reading it however gave me a newfound appreciation for this loud-mouthed, formerly obnoxious (to me at least) woman.
McCarthy takes you through many of the moments and fears during her own pregnancy. Trying so very hard to conceive and finding not as easy to get "knocked-up" as she'd assumed, from the day she found out all the way (and had to wait ten hours for her husband to arrive home to tell him the good news) to the table she was so very afraid she would "poo" on (I don't know about you but I had no idea that this was a common occurrence during birth.)
Although I doubt many of you out there have the celebrity pull to make reservations anywhere you please merely because a friend of yours gave high kudos to a steak at a particular place or fear that the public will figure out that your formerly sized four behind is now a fourteen do to pregnancy - You barely notice or resent those facts.
I walked away from this book feeling more enlightened that I'd have ever expected. When you do find a book that mentions the increased urgency in your need to urinate - not many will tell you how long your pregnant self will be able to hold it (fifteen seconds said McCarthy)
Looking for a great laugh? This isn't for you. The title belly laughs refers closer to being able to look back at all the bodily functions and the situations that bloomed because of them - and laugh. However, I must admit the thought of any woman in her ninth month teetering on the side of her SUV to urinate down the road from her destination because of a fight with her husband that caused him to stop the care - is indeed humorous. But that's my sense of humor, not yours - you may find more of this book laugh-out-loud funny than I did. I'm not particularly a laugh-out-loud kinda gal.
Whether you choose this book to begin your preparations for pregnancy, know nothing about childbirth, or are in the middle of your self-assigned reading this is a must-have. Between the covers on this book are everything you have yet to find one book address and with such frank honesty to boot.
I sat down his morning to read this cover to cover and was done by the afternoon. It was only 165 pages with a blank page in between almost every chapter that counts as a page that aids in making that 165 seem like even less. The chapters are delightfully short so that if you have cause to get up to do other things frequently your read will barely if at all be disturbed.
In fact, just start buying it for everyone you know whether they have kids or are planning to have kids.
____________________________________________________________
Contents:
So You Got Knocked Up? (Getting pregnant)
Honey, Your Sperm Really Do Work! (Pregnancy Tests)
Barf-O-Rama (Morning Sickness)
Niagra in My Pants (Vaginal Discharge)
Psycho Chick (Hormonal Rage)
Holy S***, I Think I Hard-boiled My Baby! (Taking Hot Baths)
Granny Panties (Letting go of the G-String)
I Can Either Pee on You or You Can Get the Hell Out of My Way! (Frequent Pee Breaks)
Passing Stonehenge (Constipation)
Is it a Penis or Vagina (Finding out the sex)
Can I Have a Mustard Sandwich with Pickles, Anchovies, Peanut Butter, and a Little Cottage Cheese? ... Oh, and Throw a Few Fish Sticks on There! (Cravings)
Where the Hell Can I Find a Mummu? (Nothing to Wear)
Freddy Krueger Ain't Got Nothing on Me! (Dreams)
Is That an Apple on Your Rectum, or Are You Just Happy to See Me? (Hemorrhoids)
Hi, Porn Star! (Engorged breasts)
Ready and Squeeze ... Your Kegals (An Excercise for the Vagina)
Well, It's Not 1972 Anymore! (Baby Boomers Explaining How it Was in Their Day)
Did a Sewer Tank Just Explode or Did you Just Fart? (Gas)
Hands off Dude! (Strangers Touching your Belly)
I cant see! I'm Bleeding! I Can't Stand it! (Weird and Painful Bits and Pieces)
www. i have to stop buying baby sh*t .com (On-line Baby Stores)
Is it Hot in Here or is it Just Me? ... It's Just Me? (Hot Flashed and Fainting Spells)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ooooooohhhhhhh!... I'll Take Another of Those Please (Orgasms in Pregnancy)
The Crying game (Hormonal Blues)
So, Anyway like I Was Saying ... Wait, What Was I Saying? (Wandering Mind)
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Prettiest Pregnant Lady of Them All? Clearly Not You, Lady! (Face Acne and Rashes)
It's a bird! it's a plane! ... No, it's a Really Swollen Pregnant Lady! (Water Retention)
The McRib Sandwich (Back Pain)
Headaches (Headaches ... Duh)
That Ain't My A*s! (Cellulite Gain)
No, Not Yet! I'm Not Ready for This Yet! (Premature Labor)
Poopin' on the Table (The Dark Side of Delivery)
The Blue Twinkies (Your Swollen Vagina)
Die, Model B*tch, Die! (Hating Skinny People)
OOOOH! I Think I felt the Baby Move ... of Maybe it's Just Gas (Baby Kicks)
Organizing Freak (Your Nesting Instinct)
Breathing for Dummies (Lamaze)
What the Fu*ck are These? (Stretch Marks)
I Just Need to Lay Down for, Like, Five Minutes ... Okay, Maybe Three Months (Sleepiness)
Pig in the Pasture (Sex in the Ninth Month)
The Moment of Truth (Labor and Delivery)
Let Me Repeat (Husband No-No's)
____________________________________________________________
Back of the book:
"Jenny McCarthy on ...
Mood Swings: If I had been offered a movie role when I was pregnant, I could've played an amazing Psycho Chick .... The thing is, you know what you're saying is crazy. You are very aware that you're screaming and the veins on your face are pulsating, and it's all over something as stupid as running out of mayonnaise. But knowing that you're crazy and doing anything to stop yourself are two very different things.
Morning Sickness: Strangers gawked at me as they saw me going in Aisle 3 holding up some cheese. It's hard having these symptoms in public when you don't look pregnant. If I were nine months along they would look at me like 'oh look, poor little pregnant lady doesn't feel so good.' Instead they looked at me as if to say, 'Don't bulimics puke after they eat?'
Weight Gain: My breasts became so out-of-control huge and heavy that I actually weighed them. I have a food scale, and I just had to know how they'd compare to a meal, so I plopped a breast up on the metal tray. Each breast: five pounds. That's ten pounds of breast.... Though there are guys in this world who might disagree, to me that's totally insane!"
Jenny McCarthy, former playboy playmate (which she now regrets doing after seeing her husband drool over playmates on television while sitting next to her now gargantuan frame) and co-star of the MTV show "Singled Out" from the mid-90's, truly does tell you the naked truth. Out of the many pregnancy books this definitely tops my list of recommendations.
For those of you who are not familiar with Jenny McCarthy she is a wild, upfront, and more than often insulting woman who thinks that all to often she comes off as the stereotypical blond (as she will make reference to that many times over.)
I've never really considered myself a fan of this womans, as a matter of fact I picked this out without ever realizing who had written it. Reading it however gave me a newfound appreciation for this loud-mouthed, formerly obnoxious (to me at least) woman.
McCarthy takes you through many of the moments and fears during her own pregnancy. Trying so very hard to conceive and finding not as easy to get "knocked-up" as she'd assumed, from the day she found out all the way (and had to wait ten hours for her husband to arrive home to tell him the good news) to the table she was so very afraid she would "poo" on (I don't know about you but I had no idea that this was a common occurrence during birth.)
Although I doubt many of you out there have the celebrity pull to make reservations anywhere you please merely because a friend of yours gave high kudos to a steak at a particular place or fear that the public will figure out that your formerly sized four behind is now a fourteen do to pregnancy - You barely notice or resent those facts.
I walked away from this book feeling more enlightened that I'd have ever expected. When you do find a book that mentions the increased urgency in your need to urinate - not many will tell you how long your pregnant self will be able to hold it (fifteen seconds said McCarthy)
Looking for a great laugh? This isn't for you. The title belly laughs refers closer to being able to look back at all the bodily functions and the situations that bloomed because of them - and laugh. However, I must admit the thought of any woman in her ninth month teetering on the side of her SUV to urinate down the road from her destination because of a fight with her husband that caused him to stop the care - is indeed humorous. But that's my sense of humor, not yours - you may find more of this book laugh-out-loud funny than I did. I'm not particularly a laugh-out-loud kinda gal.
Whether you choose this book to begin your preparations for pregnancy, know nothing about childbirth, or are in the middle of your self-assigned reading this is a must-have. Between the covers on this book are everything you have yet to find one book address and with such frank honesty to boot.
I sat down his morning to read this cover to cover and was done by the afternoon. It was only 165 pages with a blank page in between almost every chapter that counts as a page that aids in making that 165 seem like even less. The chapters are delightfully short so that if you have cause to get up to do other things frequently your read will barely if at all be disturbed.
In fact, just start buying it for everyone you know whether they have kids or are planning to have kids.
____________________________________________________________
Contents:
So You Got Knocked Up? (Getting pregnant)
Honey, Your Sperm Really Do Work! (Pregnancy Tests)
Barf-O-Rama (Morning Sickness)
Niagra in My Pants (Vaginal Discharge)
Psycho Chick (Hormonal Rage)
Holy S***, I Think I Hard-boiled My Baby! (Taking Hot Baths)
Granny Panties (Letting go of the G-String)
I Can Either Pee on You or You Can Get the Hell Out of My Way! (Frequent Pee Breaks)
Passing Stonehenge (Constipation)
Is it a Penis or Vagina (Finding out the sex)
Can I Have a Mustard Sandwich with Pickles, Anchovies, Peanut Butter, and a Little Cottage Cheese? ... Oh, and Throw a Few Fish Sticks on There! (Cravings)
Where the Hell Can I Find a Mummu? (Nothing to Wear)
Freddy Krueger Ain't Got Nothing on Me! (Dreams)
Is That an Apple on Your Rectum, or Are You Just Happy to See Me? (Hemorrhoids)
Hi, Porn Star! (Engorged breasts)
Ready and Squeeze ... Your Kegals (An Excercise for the Vagina)
Well, It's Not 1972 Anymore! (Baby Boomers Explaining How it Was in Their Day)
Did a Sewer Tank Just Explode or Did you Just Fart? (Gas)
Hands off Dude! (Strangers Touching your Belly)
I cant see! I'm Bleeding! I Can't Stand it! (Weird and Painful Bits and Pieces)
www. i have to stop buying baby sh*t .com (On-line Baby Stores)
Is it Hot in Here or is it Just Me? ... It's Just Me? (Hot Flashed and Fainting Spells)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ooooooohhhhhhh!... I'll Take Another of Those Please (Orgasms in Pregnancy)
The Crying game (Hormonal Blues)
So, Anyway like I Was Saying ... Wait, What Was I Saying? (Wandering Mind)
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Prettiest Pregnant Lady of Them All? Clearly Not You, Lady! (Face Acne and Rashes)
It's a bird! it's a plane! ... No, it's a Really Swollen Pregnant Lady! (Water Retention)
The McRib Sandwich (Back Pain)
Headaches (Headaches ... Duh)
That Ain't My A*s! (Cellulite Gain)
No, Not Yet! I'm Not Ready for This Yet! (Premature Labor)
Poopin' on the Table (The Dark Side of Delivery)
The Blue Twinkies (Your Swollen Vagina)
Die, Model B*tch, Die! (Hating Skinny People)
OOOOH! I Think I felt the Baby Move ... of Maybe it's Just Gas (Baby Kicks)
Organizing Freak (Your Nesting Instinct)
Breathing for Dummies (Lamaze)
What the Fu*ck are These? (Stretch Marks)
I Just Need to Lay Down for, Like, Five Minutes ... Okay, Maybe Three Months (Sleepiness)
Pig in the Pasture (Sex in the Ninth Month)
The Moment of Truth (Labor and Delivery)
Let Me Repeat (Husband No-No's)
____________________________________________________________
Back of the book:
"Jenny McCarthy on ...
Mood Swings: If I had been offered a movie role when I was pregnant, I could've played an amazing Psycho Chick .... The thing is, you know what you're saying is crazy. You are very aware that you're screaming and the veins on your face are pulsating, and it's all over something as stupid as running out of mayonnaise. But knowing that you're crazy and doing anything to stop yourself are two very different things.
Morning Sickness: Strangers gawked at me as they saw me going in Aisle 3 holding up some cheese. It's hard having these symptoms in public when you don't look pregnant. If I were nine months along they would look at me like 'oh look, poor little pregnant lady doesn't feel so good.' Instead they looked at me as if to say, 'Don't bulimics puke after they eat?'
Weight Gain: My breasts became so out-of-control huge and heavy that I actually weighed them. I have a food scale, and I just had to know how they'd compare to a meal, so I plopped a breast up on the metal tray. Each breast: five pounds. That's ten pounds of breast.... Though there are guys in this world who might disagree, to me that's totally insane!"
November 16, 2012
I read this over two years ago and it still makes me angry to think about.
I get that it's supposed to be lighthearted and funny, and apparently it is for many individuals. However if you are like me and find yourself pregnant and desperately ignorant of what pregnancy entails, this is NOT the book for you. It tries to take the negative aspects of pregnancy and make them humorous, but I was horrified. Terrified. I could not sleep at night because I was waiting for all these mortifying things to happen to me.
If you are seeking practical advice, look elsewhere. If you are on your second or third pregnancy, or if you are completely unaffected by hearing other people's pregnancy horror stories, by all means pick up a copy of Belly Laughs. For me, personally, never opening this book would have been a blessing. I worried needlessly about all kinds of things I never ended up experiencing. No two pregnancies are the same and you are better off talking to your doctor or reading something with substantial research behind it.
I get that it's supposed to be lighthearted and funny, and apparently it is for many individuals. However if you are like me and find yourself pregnant and desperately ignorant of what pregnancy entails, this is NOT the book for you. It tries to take the negative aspects of pregnancy and make them humorous, but I was horrified. Terrified. I could not sleep at night because I was waiting for all these mortifying things to happen to me.
If you are seeking practical advice, look elsewhere. If you are on your second or third pregnancy, or if you are completely unaffected by hearing other people's pregnancy horror stories, by all means pick up a copy of Belly Laughs. For me, personally, never opening this book would have been a blessing. I worried needlessly about all kinds of things I never ended up experiencing. No two pregnancies are the same and you are better off talking to your doctor or reading something with substantial research behind it.
August 22, 2022
Just take this book with a grain of salt and know what you're getting into and you'll enjoy this book.
Jenny is not an expert or claims to be, she is just giving what happened to her, and her stories (funny and very dramatic stories), and bits of advice for mind set and body every now and then.
I feel like the main purpose of this book is to know that you're not alone in the process, other women go through it, the experiences that happen are different yet normal.
This book is basically organized chapter by chapter on all Jenny's pregnancy symptoms and the stories around them.
Yes she can be overly dramatic and take things to the extreme but sometimes that's what makes her funny.
It's a quick and easy read. And if you're pregnant it's a great book to read when you're sitting on the toilet in your 2nd/3rd trimester with constipation to get a little reassurance and a laugh out of.
She made me laugh in the chapter she was in a jacuzzi and some lady yelled at her to get out because she shouldn't take a hot bath, and then she was freaking out that she hard boiled her embryo lol
Jenny is not an expert or claims to be, she is just giving what happened to her, and her stories (funny and very dramatic stories), and bits of advice for mind set and body every now and then.
I feel like the main purpose of this book is to know that you're not alone in the process, other women go through it, the experiences that happen are different yet normal.
This book is basically organized chapter by chapter on all Jenny's pregnancy symptoms and the stories around them.
Yes she can be overly dramatic and take things to the extreme but sometimes that's what makes her funny.
It's a quick and easy read. And if you're pregnant it's a great book to read when you're sitting on the toilet in your 2nd/3rd trimester with constipation to get a little reassurance and a laugh out of.
She made me laugh in the chapter she was in a jacuzzi and some lady yelled at her to get out because she shouldn't take a hot bath, and then she was freaking out that she hard boiled her embryo lol
October 30, 2009
In regards to having a baby, Jenny McCarthy says, "If I can do it, ANYONE can!" Um, Jenny, I think you mean this about writing a book.
I agree with the other reviewers who said this book isn't funny. Only one little part even brought a smile to my face, and it's not like I didn't want to laugh. Also, the subtitle should be The Naked Truth About My Pregnancy and Childbirth Experience because of the wide variations in experiences among women. It really is largely negative, immature, and annoying how often she talks about being a celebrity, but it only took a couple hours to read. This is not a book I would've bought, but checked it out at the library out of curiosity. It felt like reading a magazine article by someone who is not a professional writer, and I'm surprised it was ever published.
I agree with the other reviewers who said this book isn't funny. Only one little part even brought a smile to my face, and it's not like I didn't want to laugh. Also, the subtitle should be The Naked Truth About My Pregnancy and Childbirth Experience because of the wide variations in experiences among women. It really is largely negative, immature, and annoying how often she talks about being a celebrity, but it only took a couple hours to read. This is not a book I would've bought, but checked it out at the library out of curiosity. It felt like reading a magazine article by someone who is not a professional writer, and I'm surprised it was ever published.
April 30, 2018
The only lighter book I read when I was pregnant with my first child, and a welcome read at that.
We can all get bogged down in the descriptive, scientific doorstop manuals when we are pregnant - of course we want to be informed - but isn't it nice when you read something that takes you out of yourself and helps you see the humorous side of growing a human?
Jenny McCarthy's first pregnancy wasn't pretty, and here she tells you all about it, from her huge weight gain to her morning sickness, gas, water retention, cravings and hormonal rages. She also goes through (in great detail) her labour which is both terrifying and hilarious. In true McCarthy style, she is honest and crass, but I adore her for her self-deprecating humor and unapologetic openness. There are so many laughs here and I would really recommend this if you are pregnant and feeling any bit self-conscious or withered from your changing body.
I'll leave you with this quote from a section in the book where McCarthy describes sitting in a crowded waiting room before seeing a doctor about her pregnancy-induced constipation:
"I knew what they were thinking: 'Jenny McCarthy has butt hole problems?' I was so embarrassed, until I realized that they had no right to be smirking: Those assholes were also there because of their own assholes. I felt better already."
We can all get bogged down in the descriptive, scientific doorstop manuals when we are pregnant - of course we want to be informed - but isn't it nice when you read something that takes you out of yourself and helps you see the humorous side of growing a human?
Jenny McCarthy's first pregnancy wasn't pretty, and here she tells you all about it, from her huge weight gain to her morning sickness, gas, water retention, cravings and hormonal rages. She also goes through (in great detail) her labour which is both terrifying and hilarious. In true McCarthy style, she is honest and crass, but I adore her for her self-deprecating humor and unapologetic openness. There are so many laughs here and I would really recommend this if you are pregnant and feeling any bit self-conscious or withered from your changing body.
I'll leave you with this quote from a section in the book where McCarthy describes sitting in a crowded waiting room before seeing a doctor about her pregnancy-induced constipation:
"I knew what they were thinking: 'Jenny McCarthy has butt hole problems?' I was so embarrassed, until I realized that they had no right to be smirking: Those assholes were also there because of their own assholes. I felt better already."
October 11, 2022
Jenny McCarthy must be a mad genius. She offers a hilarious, light-hearted, and realistic understanding of the process and product of pregnancy.
Just listen to the titles of some of the chapters:
Die Model Die (Hating Skinny People) - she laments having been a pretty playmate. Had she known how playmates make pregnant women feel, she would have been the "fattest, hairest playmate of all time."
Pig in the Pasture - sex when you're the size of a pig
Poopin' on the Table (The Dark Side of Delivery) - self-explanatory
I was laughing and taking mental notes. She entertained me while enlightening me on a few details that it are nice to know, such as 4-1-1 which means a contraction every 4 minutes that lasts 1 minute in length for 1 hour. This means you should go to the hospital. Until then, take a shower or give yourself an enema to avoid the last mentioned chapter...I learned this much more effectively than in a textbook style, flowers and butterflies book.
This is the only book I will recommend to other pregnant women in the future. Until, perhaps, David Sedaris writes one.
Just listen to the titles of some of the chapters:
Die Model Die (Hating Skinny People) - she laments having been a pretty playmate. Had she known how playmates make pregnant women feel, she would have been the "fattest, hairest playmate of all time."
Pig in the Pasture - sex when you're the size of a pig
Poopin' on the Table (The Dark Side of Delivery) - self-explanatory
I was laughing and taking mental notes. She entertained me while enlightening me on a few details that it are nice to know, such as 4-1-1 which means a contraction every 4 minutes that lasts 1 minute in length for 1 hour. This means you should go to the hospital. Until then, take a shower or give yourself an enema to avoid the last mentioned chapter...I learned this much more effectively than in a textbook style, flowers and butterflies book.
This is the only book I will recommend to other pregnant women in the future. Until, perhaps, David Sedaris writes one.
April 21, 2008
I read this book shortly after I found out I was pregnant and okay, so I admit, it may not be the best book ever written. However, it's a short, fun read and I recommend it to anyone who is currently pregnant, has been pregnant or is planning on becoming pregnant.
June 5, 2020
My first Jenny McCarthy romp. Pretty good blend of grossness, comedy and authenticity.
Started reading when I was about 4 months pregnant; got busy with being pregnant; put the book down a few days before going into labor. Finally finished the book almost exactly 9 months post-partum.
Make no mistake, I enjoyed the book and found it humorous and authentic. I just can't read Jenny McCarthy straight through. It was interesting to read the first half of the book (about pregnancy itself) during my own pregnancy, and FINALLY finish the labor and delivery chapter months after going through my own labor and delivery (albeit in a much less dramatic fashion than described in Jenny's book!)
Although my experiences differed dramatically from hers, it was a fun ride. If there's nothing else you can say about Jenny McCarthy, it's that she's deadly honest. I'll read more by her in the future.
Started reading when I was about 4 months pregnant; got busy with being pregnant; put the book down a few days before going into labor. Finally finished the book almost exactly 9 months post-partum.
Make no mistake, I enjoyed the book and found it humorous and authentic. I just can't read Jenny McCarthy straight through. It was interesting to read the first half of the book (about pregnancy itself) during my own pregnancy, and FINALLY finish the labor and delivery chapter months after going through my own labor and delivery (albeit in a much less dramatic fashion than described in Jenny's book!)
Although my experiences differed dramatically from hers, it was a fun ride. If there's nothing else you can say about Jenny McCarthy, it's that she's deadly honest. I'll read more by her in the future.
February 13, 2018
Describes her pregnancy 🤰 good book
December 13, 2018
This book was recommended to me by a coworker after we had a frank conversation about some of the less-discussed brutal or confusing pregnancy symptoms I was experiencing. The coworker told me she howled with laughter while reading, to the point where her husband wondered if she was ok from the other room. I’m not sure I ever laughed out loud at all because I was so busy thinking about how I could write this book a million times better and being bitter that Jenny McCarthy can write, publish, and make money off this trash piece of “literature” only because she was once, as her author’s bio states, the host of the “enormously popular MTV dating show ‘Singled Out.’” Give me a break.
It’s a quick read, and I gave it two stars for honesty and being willing to talk about the symptoms and fears people are less likely to discuss during pregnancy, and the chapter on her labor and delivery was poignant and honest. (*EDIT* After writing my review, I realized I really did hate this book and lowered my rating to one star despite the concessions made here.)
But it’s poorly written, full of ugly gender stereotypes, a handbook for a terrible unequal marriage (that I’m unsurprised led to divorce), and totally unrelatable in many ways due to her celebrity status, of which she brags and boasts and checks all the worst stereotypes of. Furthermore, a lot of the “advice” she gives is either based on her ONE experience (in which I honestly find her over dramatic and annoyingly helpless) or things she’s heard. It is NOT advice I would trust at all, including when she’s in preterm labor at 25 weeks and her doctor tells her to sit down and have a glass of wine. YIKES. I seriously hope most pregnant women who read and enjoy this book enjoy it only for laughter and not for advice because it is loosely based in both reality and fact.
I keep wondering what I’m supposed to say about this book to my coworker if she asks how I liked it.
It’s a quick read, and I gave it two stars for honesty and being willing to talk about the symptoms and fears people are less likely to discuss during pregnancy, and the chapter on her labor and delivery was poignant and honest. (*EDIT* After writing my review, I realized I really did hate this book and lowered my rating to one star despite the concessions made here.)
But it’s poorly written, full of ugly gender stereotypes, a handbook for a terrible unequal marriage (that I’m unsurprised led to divorce), and totally unrelatable in many ways due to her celebrity status, of which she brags and boasts and checks all the worst stereotypes of. Furthermore, a lot of the “advice” she gives is either based on her ONE experience (in which I honestly find her over dramatic and annoyingly helpless) or things she’s heard. It is NOT advice I would trust at all, including when she’s in preterm labor at 25 weeks and her doctor tells her to sit down and have a glass of wine. YIKES. I seriously hope most pregnant women who read and enjoy this book enjoy it only for laughter and not for advice because it is loosely based in both reality and fact.
I keep wondering what I’m supposed to say about this book to my coworker if she asks how I liked it.
January 19, 2009
Eh, I was mostly unmoved by this book, although I did laugh out loud at one point and the last chapter about her labor moved me to tears. Although I think almost any coherent story about birth could move me to tears right now. (And almost any patron can make me want to throw a book at them, but that's another story for another time.)
Maybe it's telling that the passage that made me laugh is about uncontrollable crying:
"Sometimes you have no idea why you're crying. I remember sitting on the sofa watching a piece of lint roll by and I burst into tears. My husband kept asking me what was wrong, and I remember trying to think of why I was crying, but there wasn't a reason. Crying for no reason just didn't compute for him, so finally I would just make something up, as in, "I'm crying because you forgot to take the garbage out." pg 93
I'm going to have to remember that. "I'm crying because you said we shouldn't go to Chipotle for the third time this week." Although that one wouldn't be making up an excuse, it would sadly be true. Mmmmm, chipotle. Is it lunch time yet?
Maybe it's telling that the passage that made me laugh is about uncontrollable crying:
"Sometimes you have no idea why you're crying. I remember sitting on the sofa watching a piece of lint roll by and I burst into tears. My husband kept asking me what was wrong, and I remember trying to think of why I was crying, but there wasn't a reason. Crying for no reason just didn't compute for him, so finally I would just make something up, as in, "I'm crying because you forgot to take the garbage out." pg 93
I'm going to have to remember that. "I'm crying because you said we shouldn't go to Chipotle for the third time this week." Although that one wouldn't be making up an excuse, it would sadly be true. Mmmmm, chipotle. Is it lunch time yet?
January 13, 2011
I thought this book would be funnier than it was. I picked it up to read something lighter than the pregnancy books I've been swimming in recently. It wasn't really that funny. And I didn't necessarily like the slant against anything natural in childbirth. It is sad that Jenny is so anti-breastfeeding. It is sad that she is so against natural birth. It really didn't surprise me to read that her labor ended in a c-section with the way she went about things. You could really see that one coming. I think there are better pregnancy books out there. I don't think any of this was "something other women won't tell you" because I've had conversations about each of the taboo topics with real people. It is a good portrait of the typical American pregnancy and birth experience, but there is really nothing funny about that. It is just sad.
September 19, 2007
The rumors are true. Read this book and you will find yourself laughing out loud. Jenny delivers the story of her pregnancy in a warm-hearted, spirited manner that is simply irresistible. You'll finish it in a day and close the book feeling informed about all of the stuff "they" never tell you about before you get pregnant.
There may be more in-depth books out there about what to expect when you're pregnant, but none of them do it with such flair. If you're expecting, read it. If you have a friend who is pregnant, go ahead and buy it for her. It's a must-read for the "bump" set.
There may be more in-depth books out there about what to expect when you're pregnant, but none of them do it with such flair. If you're expecting, read it. If you have a friend who is pregnant, go ahead and buy it for her. It's a must-read for the "bump" set.
September 19, 2007
This is a laugh-out-loud-bare-bones-truth about pregnancy, labor and delivery. Jenny lays it all out for you....every detail, but she does it in such a heartwarming way! She instantly becomes your best gal pal, leaving no detail un-told!! You will laugh yourself silly...but maybe you shouldn't read it if you're 7 or 8 months pregnant...you just might pee yourself. And Jenny had a whole chapter about that too!
December 18, 2017
This book definitely had me laughing, especially whenever she mentioned wearing a muumuu! The chapters were quick and to the point. She did go through a lot in her pregnancy and thankfully I haven't experienced much that she mentioned (yet?!). The way she wrote about her hardships poked fun at herself and had a comedic spin on it for sure. I might pick up her next book about the first year of motherhood.
June 24, 2016
I was after something light hearted to read at the end of my pregnancy. This book is a short and fast read. I'm glad I read it at the end stage, I couldn't relate to barely any of this - to me her pregnancy seemed like a horror story!! If I read this early on I think it would have terrified me. All in all, it's not bad I just wouldn't take it too seriously.
August 3, 2015
Loved this book! I didn't really learn anything new but I laughed the whole way through and it made me feel not alone in this crazy journey! I def recommend my Prego friends give it a shot, I devoured it in a few hours.
September 21, 2007
Very light-hearted and funny book about one of my least favorite things - being big and pregnant!
September 21, 2007
This was a quick read that made me laugh out loud which was nice for a change...
September 20, 2007
Funny but not informative at all. She's pretty crude and down to the nitty gritty in her details so if you can't handle that, skip it.
August 31, 2015
Funny easy read!
March 18, 2018
neither informative or entertaining.
October 25, 2017
I read Belly Laughs in two sittings. It was lent to me by my cousin, and at first I was a little apprehensive because of some of McCarthy's more controversial views but I gave it a try. Luckily Belly Laughs is mostly about the weird (and often gross-ish) things your body can go through when you're expecting and it's light on any pressing topics, if they come up at all. I didn't take this as an advice or help book, she's not an expert and says so from chapter one. Take this at face value, it's a book for pregnant women to read so that they don't feel so alone or abnormal when their body is going through changes no one warned them about.
DISCLAIMER: I'm a pretty gross TMI-type of individual myself so I respected Jenny McCarthy for giving us all the gross details and mostly enjoyed it. This book is probably not for the faint of heart!! If you'd rather not talk/read about bodily functions... you should probably pass.
What I didn't like about the book was her mentioning her (growing) number on the scale. It's fine to talk about how your body gets bigger and even to mention how many lbs you put on during pregnancy, but I felt she was being insensitive to readers who are larger than her. I didn't feel it was necessary for her to put her "big" number out there especially when the average American woman is probably closer to her "big" number than her "normal" number. I guess it was to make skinny readers feel better about their "big" number, but you're leaving out a really large portion of your audience by doing that. Her husband also annoyed me, but that did not affect my scoring of the book. 4/5
DISCLAIMER: I'm a pretty gross TMI-type of individual myself so I respected Jenny McCarthy for giving us all the gross details and mostly enjoyed it. This book is probably not for the faint of heart!! If you'd rather not talk/read about bodily functions... you should probably pass.
What I didn't like about the book was her mentioning her (growing) number on the scale. It's fine to talk about how your body gets bigger and even to mention how many lbs you put on during pregnancy, but I felt she was being insensitive to readers who are larger than her. I didn't feel it was necessary for her to put her "big" number out there especially when the average American woman is probably closer to her "big" number than her "normal" number. I guess it was to make skinny readers feel better about their "big" number, but you're leaving out a really large portion of your audience by doing that. Her husband also annoyed me, but that did not affect my scoring of the book. 4/5
June 23, 2017
Terrible. I picked this book up at the library (at least I didn't waste money on it!), thinking it would be nice to have a laugh in my 37th week of pregnancy. The only thing this book accomplished was making me hate Jenny McCarthy, her husband, and her team of "doctors". Luckily this is my 4th pregnancy so I'm pretty well versed in birthing babies, but I feel sorry for those first time moms who pick up this book. It's filled with worst-case scenarios, bad decisions, bad advice, fear, and complaining. Not funny, not empowering, and definitely not helpful for the pregnant crowd. Now excuse me while I go read something by Ina May...
February 11, 2019
Overall, this book was a hilarious, light-hearted, and fun read! Some aspects were very relatable! There were a few chapters, however, that as a Catholic/Christian, I believe are quite immoral and advice given in the book that is equally so. Not only this, but she mentions her Catholic Faith in the book, which is very misleading to Catholics and non-Catholic Christians alike that might not know Christ’s teachings on these things. Between that and the gratuitous swearing, I cannot give the book 5 stars.
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