What Not to Expect When You're Expecting

by Zoe Williams

A refreshingly frank and funny take on motherhood that is not designed to make you feel guilty   I have 10 worries, and the first nine are all variations on the theme of labor and "Is there really a baby in there, or just some lizards?" Over the course of her first two pregnancies, Zoe Williams shared her forthright insights into impending and new motherhood in her regular Guardian "Anti-natal" column, a straight-talking corrective to the sea of advice that engulfs pregnant women and new moms. Whether bemoaning the fact that simply being pregnant seemed to give overbearing people the urge to comment on everything she ate, drank, or wore ( I'm drinking coffee and suddenly that makes me an evil mom-to-be. What is wrong with these people? ) or inventing elaborate lies to explain why she was late to take her first born for his injections ( Perhaps I moved to Italy, but the economic downturn destroyed my prospects and I had to move back. ) her commentary is honest, feisty, and—in some cases—downright hilarious. This antidote to standard parenting books offers an idiosyncratic, individual take on becoming a mom—a pregnancy companion with attitude.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2010

Reviews

[Louise Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended pregnancy read for anyone a little intimidated and fed up by the holier than thou breast is best, natural childbirth groups. Entirely subjective, not always right (in my view) but well written (funny) and a worthwhile perspective to counter balance most other pregnancy books.

[Nickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me laugh so much I got a bit hysterical. She obviously didn't put that much effort into it, but I liked it

[Emmaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not as good as Caitlin Moran

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lightly written, easy to read and amusing account of pregnancy and baby rearing issues based on a Guardian column (breastfeeding, weight gain in pregnancy, drinking in pregnancy, epidurals, calpol, infant development – generally her view is to challenge some of the medical consensus as being “nanny state” and simplistic).

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and really easy to read. A refreshing change to all the other 'baby' related books!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few laugh-out-loud moments, mostly just a gently amusing, frank and not too heavy book on new motherhood. A nice one-day holiday read.

[Sarah-egan Pentland · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting alternative to the more conventional pregnancy/baby development books.