The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby's First Year by Dawn Dais

I've had multiple friends who are moms tell me, "Oh, Elaine, I'm not going to tell you about (fill in the blank) in case you do decide to have kids." They don't want to scare me off by telling me stories of pregnancy, labor and delivery, nursing, diapers, etc.

The most honest report I've had from a mom was from my cousin. When I visited her in the hospital after her first baby was born, she told me, "Elaine, if you ever think that having a 'natural birth' sounds good, pull out all of your toenails first and see if you like how it feels." Okay, so that was several hours after her boy was born. But now that I think of it, just a couple of weeks ago, when she saw me watching her son, she said, "Elaine, stick with the shih-tzu." Hum.

Anyway, this book goes into the nitty gritty of pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, diapers, and sleep deprivation. The author is very likeable, down-to-earth, and funny. I think it's gonna make a great baby shower gift.