Oh, the joys of pregnancy! There's the gassiness, constipation, queasiness, and exhaustion, the forgetfulness, crankiness, and the constant worry. Of course, no woman is spared the discomforts and humiliations of pregnancy, but most are too polite to complain or too embarrassed to talk about them. Not Jenny McCarthy! In the New York Times best-selling Belly Laughs, actress and new mother Jenny McCarthy reveals the naked truth about the tremendous joys, the excruciating pains, and the unseemly disfigurement that go along with pregnancy. Never shy, frequently crude, and always laugh-out-loud funny, McCarthy covers it all in the grittiest of girlfriend detail. From morning sickness and hormonal rage, to hemorrhoids, pregnant sex, and the torture and sweet relief that is delivery, Belly Laughs is must-read comic relief for anyone who is pregnant, who has ever been pregnant, is trying to get pregnant, or, indeed, has ever been born!

About the Author

Jenny McCarthy is the former host of the popular MTV dating show Singled Out. She has starred in several films, including Scream 3 and Scary Movie 3, and she has recently appeared in several US sitcoms. In 2002, McCarthy and her director husband John Asher had their first child, Evan.

Reviews

McCarthy, 1994 Playmate of the Year, actress (Scream 3; Baywatch; etc.) and former host of MTV's Singled Out, gave birth to her first child in 2002. Her pregnancy wasn't pretty-and she wants to tell readers all about it. At the outset, she tells them, "If you bought this book, you are already aware of my frankness when it comes to certain things-anatomy and bodily functions among them. If someone gave this book to you as a gift and you've never heard of me, apologies to you!" She goes on to recount the nitty-gritty of pregnancy in all its gory detail, covering morning sickness, hormonal rage, cravings, hemorrhoids, "engorged" breasts, gas, hot flashes, fainting spells, weight gain, acne, water retention and, finally, labor. McCarthy is undeniably crass but funny, and her candor and self-deprecation are refreshing. Each brief, chatty chapter focuses on a different-and awful-facet of pregnancy, with McCarthy relating personal anecdotes and usually winding down by reassuring women they're not alone. McCarthy's tales are, for the most part, a hoot, though they may offend more uptight readers. For example, in the beginning of McCarthy's pregnancy, she was constipated, so she visited a specialist. In the waiting room, the assistant called her name, and "everyone... looked up in surprise, and 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." (May) Forecast: An author tour, 20-market radio satellite tour and national advertising should generate sales. The book's cover bears a photo of McCarthy sporting her trademark euphoric grin and blonde hair blowing around her head in sexy waves-which could drive husbands to buy this for their pregnant wives. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Bella Online
"One of the most candid, refreshing and funny books on pregnancy that I have ever read. I laughed so hard at times that I had tears rolling down my cheeks...Humorous and candid."