My Boys Can Swim!: The Official Guy's Guide to Pregnancy

A few weeks ago, my husband turned to me out of the blue and remarked smugly, "I can't believe how some guys don't know anything about pregnancy." I wasn't sure how to respond. I hadn't been very impressed with his knowledge to date. I was 3 months along and I had read several of the books designed for women. But his cousin had given him this book, and the guy who wouldn't look sideways at "What to Expect..." was making his way through "My Boys Can Swim." Soon he started coming up with some good stuff. When I discovered my favorite jeans uncomfortably tight, he gave me a hug and promised that I'm going to look great with the big belly. When he caught me examining myself sideways in the mirror, trying in vain to suck in my growing pouch, he said, "Enjoy your pregnant body." When my emotions got the best of me and I dove in for an argument, he gracefully disengaged me. And the real kicker came yesterday. As I was directing him to steer clear of an area of foul smelling air, I admitted to having what seemed to be an extra supply of gas lately. "Oh, the book said that would happen!" he responded cheerfully as he quickly scurried by. Buy it, and leave it in his favorite bathroom.

This is the only book I could get my husband to read about pregnancy. But this is written in a style that kept him interested, and I even heard him lauging several times. Very well written!

Pregnancy books generally cater to women -- but what about the father-to-be? Author Ian Davis remembers telling his wife one day during her pregnancy that he'd rather get root canal surgery than read one more excruciating page of what to Expect When You're Expecting. For him, like most men, the only interesting part of pregnancy is what happens before the egg is fertilized. With that in mind, he wrote My Boys Can Swim, a wry, witty, endlessly entertaining book that address the concerns of every dad-to-be. Inside are unique guy insights you'll never find in those other pregnancy books, such as: -- You'll lose count of the number of strangers that will see your wife naked. Okay, it's medical and all. Still, you'll swear there were guys coming in and out of the room just to catch a peek. -- Lamaze is just some fancy French word that doesn't mean much of anything. If the class was called "Coping with the Excruciating Pains of Childbirth, " who would go? -- If you're worried about your wife gaining too much weight during pregnancy, don't sweat it. Fat and happy is always better than thin and cranky. -- And many more!

I was so tired of reading pregnancy books about how wonderful pregnancy is. Yes, we all know that in the end it's worth it. But during those nine months of waiting, things happen to your body and mind that you (and no doubt your spouse) never could have imagined. The way that Ian Davis describes his wife's pregnancy and the experience that they shared, reminds us all that we need a sense of humor. My husband and I were laughing so hard as I read him some highlights that I had to put the book down at some points just to breathe! A great gift for any expecting couple or any couple just thinking about it.