Pregnancy is hard, y’all. As your fingers swell up and look like sausages and your engorged breasts seem to take on heartbeats of their own, you may feel as if your body is self-destructing. Although it’s not actually imploding, it is changing rapidly and intensely. Most other pregnancy books tend to focus on the fetus or may gloss over physical symptoms that send many mamas waddling to Dr. Google and baby boards. Not this book!
Pregnancy, OMG! is 100 percent mama-centric, filled with non-airbrushed photos of diverse real mamas-to-be, as well as medically accurate advice on dozens of topics other pregnancy books often ignore, including jewelry allergies, dry mouth, pregnancy thrush and more—lots more, especially “down there.”
After three challenging pregnancies of my own, which resulted in two great kids (my daughter, Baby Nancy, is a rainbow baby—miscarriage and other darker aspects of pregnancy are also discussed in the book), I wanted Pregnancy, OMG! to be everything a pregnant woman needs to get the emotional and physical support necessary to have the healthy pregnancy that she deserves. And if I do say so myself, this book delivers! Pun intended.
At a time when pregnant women need to be more aware of their bodies than ever (as shown by Serena Williams’ life-saving self-advocacy), Pregnancy, OMG! is a great way to empower expecting women at a very vulnerable time in their lives. Click through the gallery below for a sneak peek into the realest and most representative pregnancy book to ever hit the market.
One of the best parts about Pregnancy, OMG! are the first-person stories from real mamas dishing about their weird pregnancy symptoms, from growing a third boob to going bald. One mama hated her husband’s smell during all four of her pregnancies… but each time the affliction went away minutes after she gave birth!
Does it sometimes feel as if lightning is striking your crotch, or like someone is stabbing you in your groin or pelvis area? While most pain in pregnancy is not normal, you shouldn’t be alarmed by every single sudden twinge. A common cause of these shooting pains is your expanding uterus, which can cramp as it makes room for the baby. Also, because your digestive system is out of whack, these pains may be a result of the excess gas or flatulence that’s finding its way out.
Itching in pregnancy is extremely common—and unbelievably annoying. Most pregnant women will simply have the occasional itch, especially in the steadily stretching belly area, but one in five is likely to experience such severe itching that it interferes with daily activities and, even worse, with sleeping. In this condition, known by the highfalutin name of pruritus of pregnancy, the itching is related to the pregnancy itself, and it tends to affect the whole body (not just the abdomen).
Contrary to popular belief, Couvade syndrome isn’t rare, it’s just so embarrassing for men that they don’t discuss it in public. It’s possible that up to half of dads have some symptoms of a sympathetic pregnancy, with emotional changes being most common, though hormonal and physical changes are reported as well.
All your nerve endings—but especially those in your nether regions—are on high alert during pregnancy. What’s more, the extra vaginal discharge ruining your underwear doubles as a sex lubricant. Your clitoris may be swollen and hypersensitive, just like your breasts, lips, and other erogenous zones. You want sex. You want it now. And then maybe again in an hour. If you don’t typically orgasm during sex, you may start doing so now. Think of it as a delightful dividend—one you most definitely deserve.
New York Times bestselling author Nancy Redd’s Pregnancy, OMG! (St. Martin’s Press) is available to purchase on Amazon.
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