When the average American male sees the telltale blue line on a pregnancy indicator, the first thing that crosses his mind isn't likely the number of "nappies" in his future or missed nights out with his "mates" at the pub. Yet these are the worries that occupy the refreshingly honest, and utterly British, author of this informative guide to one of life's greatest adventures. The sheer otherness of this pregnancy handbook might be just the key to easing "blokes" into reading about what to expect during their partner's pregnancy. True, there's the world of difference between British socialist medicine and our American system, but the basics of how a baby develops through the three trimesters remains the same, as do the down and dirty details of labor. Smith tackles these topics with self-deprecating humor but also with a surprising amount of detailed knowledge. His book is a natural gift for expectant fathers, and even mothers-to-be may be entertained as Smith moves chronologically from conception to the earliest postpartum days, covering topics like breast-feeding and what to do if things don't go as planned. He breaks the information down into digestible segments that never exceed two pages and that have witty headings like "Big Belly, Big Toes" or "The Crowning Glory." Men who pick up this book expecting to give it a halfhearted skim may very well find themselves hooked by Smith's anecdotes and the casual, addictive way he dispenses knowledge.
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Book Description
"Darling, I’m pregnant!"...these three little words are guaranteed to strike fear into you—even if you’re the most mature father-to-be ever. But the one thing you can be certain of is . . . you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. . . .
Sure, there are hundreds of books out there for the expectant mothers, but they’re often full of quite boring (for us men, anyway) advice on diets and pelvic floor exercises, not to mention the kind of gynecological details that will make your eyes water. Sorry, but we really don’t want to go there. No, we want the lowdown on what’s happening and how it’s going to affect us. A + B = C; straightforward, unabridged, and raw. The Bloke’s Guide to Pregnancy—no flowery prose or idealistic diatribe, just the truth, in bite-size pieces as easy to digest as a packet of biscuits.
Based on more than 100 interviews with blokes who lived to tell the tale—some who even admitted to enjoying the experience—this book has real-life stories as well as tons of advice that isn’t remotely boring (honestly). Now you’ll be able to tell your trimesters from your triple blood tests, as well as getting answers on the following topics:
• Money—Do I really have to spend my entire lager allowance on that hand-held breast pump?
• Sex—Will it harm the unborn baby? (Or am I just being arrogant?)
• Breasts—Will they stay that size forever?
• Hospital Parking Spaces—Am I going to have to fork out £50 every time she thinks she’s going into labour?
. . . and a whole lot more besides…this is a book you’ll want to share with all the blokes in your life!
