Oh, the joys of pregnancy! There's the gasiness, constipation, queasiness, and exhaustion; the forgetfulness, crankiness, and the constant worry. Of course, no woman is spared these discomforts and humiliations, but most are too polite to complain or too embarrassed to talk about them. Not Jenny McCarthy! In Belly Laughs, the actress and new mother reveals the naked truth about the tremendous mood swings, 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. With tips and hilarious musings on morning sickness and hormonal rage, 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! Finding Out You're Pregnant: Finally, his sperm has been put to good use. His poor little fish didn't have to die in a cold rubber, drown in spermicide, or get scrubbed out of your hair. They have served their God-given purpose and the little dip-stick that can change your future has confirmed that life is indeed about to change for you. Morning Sickness: Strangers gawked at me as they saw me gagging in aisle three holding up some cheese. It's hard having these symptoms in public when you don't look pregnant. If I were nine months along they would look at me like "oh look, poor little pregnant lady doesn't feel so good." Instead they looked at me as if to say "Don't bulimics puke after they eat?" Weight Gain: My breasts became so out of control huge and heavy that I actually weighedthem. I have a food scale and I just had to know how they'd compare to a meal, so I plopped a breast up on the little metal tray. Each breast: five pounds. That's ten pounds of breast. Though there are guys in this world who might disagree, to me that's totally insane.

"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." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

With actress and mother Jenny McCarthy's signature frankness and humour; a no-holds-barred guide to what you can really expect when you're expecting.