"What To Expect When You're Expected" by David Javerbaum (***)

October 19, 2009 11:32 a.m. EST

224 pages

Spiegel & Grau

Who better to write a book about what to expect while you are a fetus than a former embryo himself? Emmy-winning comedian and former executive producer of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," author David Javerbaum takes a hilarious look from a growing fetus' point-of-view in his new book, "What to Expect When You're Expected: A Fetus's Guide to the First Three Trimesters." This laugh-out-loud parody of the popular "What to Expect" series for expectant mothers is the perfect book for those who need a little humor and a lot of patience in preparation to get through their nine-months of love, labor, and pain.

Answering the questions that we're all afraid to ask, Javerbaum brings up some serious issues with humorous footnotes concerning the fetus and their well-being, including, "Will something go wrong with me if my mother finishes that glass of white wine while she's pregnant?" and "I know I live in mommy, but am I in one of her nicer neighborhoods?" Uniquely fresh, the book provides a different perspective from the numerous books that give the same, repeated information on pregnancies copied over and over again and in your local bookstore's bookshelves.

At a time when many parents-to-be are seriously occupied baby proofing their home, going to numerous doctor visits, birthing classes, and so forth, taking a step back and enjoying Javerbaum's great sense of humor in his book which also provides great illustrations, sidebars ("uterine liner notes") and diagrams ("Your Father's Sperm: Where Are They Now?") can be thoroughly enjoyed by just anyone. Who can't help but laugh at a young fetus's worries and concerns such as "Mommy's already pregnant, so why does Daddy keep trying to reinseminate her?" or "My parents are thinking about getting a Doula. Is now really the time to be thinking about a new car?" The one thing readers can expect while going through the book is the multiple strange looks from the others waiting at the doctors office while you are reading and seriously laughing louder than you'd expect.

"What to Expect When You're Expected" hits bookshelves Oct. 20.