Classic kiwi comedienne Jacquie Brown has documented her journey as a pregnant woman in this title, which also covers pre-pregnancy, labour and birth and the ‘fourth trimester’ (the first three months with a newborn). In a literary market already covering a lot of these bases, Jacquie had her work cut out for her to produce something that would stand out from the myriad of pregnancy guides available. I think she suceeded admirably.
I’m liking
There is a great combination of approaches in this book that make for lively, engaging reading. Jacquie sometimes writes factually about what happens in the journey to/during pregnancy and sometimes she includes her own diary entries from that period, detailing what she encounters. There are anecdotes from other women and men about their journies and experiences on certain topics, which make for great reading and offer a broad perspective on how different, yet similar, pregnancy can be for different families. Jacquie also involves professionals on various topics dealt with in the book, so you can be reassured that the information given is accurate and well researched. Being a comedy star, Jacquie does dash out the humour in reasonable doses throughout ‘I’m Not Fat, I’m Pregnant!’, but she is sensitive where sensitivity is due and has struck a nice balance between the two.
The book is broken into sections – so it is easy to find information, and information is thoroughly cross referenced throughout the book also which is handy, as pregnancy has so many ailments that can occur at any point in time. The mid section of the book deals with pregnancy on a week-by-week basis, so you can read it and find out exactly what your little ‘nubbin’ is up to at roughly that point in time.
I’m particularly fond of the fact that the book covers with some detail what can happen in the three months following birth – as many pregnancy books end at birth. It is handy to have a reference guide for post-pregnancy without having to go and buy another book (like one feels like going to a bookstore or library immediately after birth!)
I also like the fact that many, many side effects of pregnancy are dealt with and normalised in ‘I’m Not Fat, I’m Pregnant!’. Even some things I received blank looks on from my own health care professionals are in Jacquie’s pregnancy guide. I found that very reassuring!
Things that made me go hmmmm
The only thing I didn’t really enjoy about the book was the odd swear word here and there. It’s not littered with profanity at all, but being pretty sensitive to this type of language, it stood out to me. C’est la vie, I’m sure most people would pass it by without a second glance.
The conclusion
I read this book in the weeks following my own adventure through the wonders of fertility, pregnancy, birth and fourth trimester. In that timeframe and before, I had read several other similar books on the market covering these topics. ‘I’m Not Fat, I’m Pregnant!’ is the most engaging, comprehensive and readable guide I have come across. I thoroughly recommend it as the kiwi girl’s guide through this amazing, incredible time.
