From actor, comedian, co-creator of Marcel the Shell, and New York Times bestselling author of Little Weirds, Jenny Slate, a wild, soulful, hilarious collection of genre-bending essays depicting the journey into motherhood as you’ve never seen it before. What happened was this: Jenny Slate was a human mammal who sniffed the air every morning hoping to find another person to love who would love her, and in that period there was a deep dark loneliness that she had to face and befriend, and then we are pleased to report that she did fall in love, and in that period she was like chimes, or a flock of clean breaths, and her spine lying flat was the many-colored planks on the xylophone, but also she was rabid with fear of losing this love, because of past injury. And then what happened was that she became a wild-pregnant-mammal-thing and then she exploded herself by having a whole baby blast through her vagina during a global plague and then she was expected to carry on like everything was normal—but was this normal, and had she or anything ever been normal? Herein lies an account of this journey, told in five phases—Single, True Love, Pregnancy, Baby, and Ongoing—through luminous, laugh-out-loud funny, unclassifiable essays that take the form of letters to a doctor, dreams of a stork, fantasy therapy sessions, gossip between racoons, excerpts from an imaginary olden timey play, obituaries, theories about post-partum hair loss, graduation speeches, and more. No one writes like Jenny Slate.

A Mystery That Can Finally Be Told! After her father, Dr. George Hodel, a prominent Hollywood physician was acquitted in a sensational incest trial, 16-year-old Tamar gave birth to a blue-eyed, white skinned baby girl. She insisted that the father was "Negro." Outraged by the audacity of their daughter and the stigma attached to a mixed-race child within their midst, her mother quickly arranged to have the baby permanently given away to Jimmie Lee, a black maid in a Nevada casino. Overwhelmed by the problems of raising a white-skinned baby in her black community, Jimmie spent the next twenty years struggling to secretly raise Fauna. Together they endured extreme poverty, alcoholism, starvation, sexual abuse, pregnancy and death, hopelessly bound and knotted together by relentless bigotry. Fauna survived this difficult world with a vow to find the one person who knew her beginnings, her biological mother, Tamar, the woman of her dreams. Fauna sets out to discover the truth, only to uncover her family's notorious secret: her extraordinary grandfather and the murder of the Black Dahlia. ."haunting, poignant and heart-wrenching." The stuff of which movies are made." --Cliff Rothman, Contributor, Vanity Fair ..".laughter, sass, spirit and tears leaves the readers awash in hope." --Alfre Woodard, Actor

Before you get to meet your baby, you spend a swell (so to speak) nine months getting acquainted with your growing belly. The first pregnancy journal devoted 100% to you and your belly, The Belly Book is organized by trimester and includes pages for "time-lapse" belly photos and ultrasound images, as well as prompts for writing about morning sickness, food cravings, maternity clothes you never want to see again, and much more. "Her books radiate fun the way tulips radiate spring- they are elegant and spirit-lifting." - New York Times Book Review

THE REALITY BEHIND REALITY TV—HOLLYWOOD’S FAVORITE MOM-STAR TELLS IT LIKE IT IS Tori Spelling is the first to admit that the “reality” behind her popular television show, Tori & Dean, isn’t always real. Not even Star Magazine could invent the true chaos that happens behind the scenes. Luckily, Tori is famously honest and self-deprecatingly funny when it comes to her personal life. She’s always Spelling It Like It Is… Life is never boring at Tori’s house, but since her New York Times bestselling memoirs sTORI Telling, Mommywood, and Uncharted terriTORI, things have been especially unpredictable: Finding out she was pregnant with her third baby after nearly vomiting live on the Home Shopping Network; trying to hide her fourth pregnancy so soon after giving birth (as her stylist said, “who would be that crazy?”); being rescued from a paparazzo by a mom lynch mob; stalking her celebrity neighbor; and allowing cameras to film every personal detail of her life—from the most challenging time in her marriage to the only time in six years when she really felt as though those cameras invaded her privacy. Tori shares these stories and many more with the usual humor, candor, and down-to-earth charm that her fans love. She also writes openly about her biggest challenges: the terrifying health problems surrounding her high-risk pregnancy with youngest son Finn, her guilt over missing baby Hattie’s early months because she was in the hospital on bed rest, her struggles (and failures) to live within her means after growing up in opulence, discovering how much she has in common with her late mega-producer father, Aaron Spelling, and falling in love with Dean all over again (hint: it didn’t happen at their vow renewal ceremony). After years of intimately revealing her everyday antics onscreen, Tori’s life is still full of surprises. Slowing down long enough to enjoy them? Now that’s another sTORI.

"One baby is a miracle. To be given two at once is a gift beyond words." Two at a Time If having a child is one of the most joyful -- yet at times maddening -- experiences in life, what's in store for you if you're pregnant with twins? Plenty! Let celebrated actress Jane Seymour and author Pam Novotny -- both mothers of twins -- use their firsthand knowledge to guide you along the road of twin pregnancy and newborn care. In this warm, insightful resource, full of sound advice and personal anecdotes, they'll tell you exactly what you can expect: First trimester: why morning sickness is more prevalent in mothers of twins, and what you can do about it; tests you'll need to take; symptoms you may experience Second trimester: detecting physical changes in your body; mood swings Third trimester: the importance of paying attention to your contractions and keeping track of your blood pressure; why you may need full bed rest Birth: will you have a cesarean or vaginal birth? What you need to do when labor begins After the birth: the challenges of two as opposed to one; juggling your nursing and bonding schedules Life at home: how to prepare for the arrival of two newcomers. Each chapter includes a handy checklist to keep you organized throughout your pregnancy, advice on keeping your spirits up, suggestions for dressing smart, and a note to dads from James Keach -- Jane's husband -- on how to be supportive and helpful. A straightforward yet comforting guide to all the overwhelming emotions and physical changes during those amazing months, Two at a Time is a double helping of invaluable advice that will make you fully appreciate the fortune of being twice blessed.

The popular actress offers a guide to twin pregnancies, describing the physical effects of pregnancy, signs of potential problems, birthing options, preparing for a multiple birth, and how to juggle schedules to accommodate two newborns.

PREGNANCY, CHILDREN, & THE VEGAN DIET By Michael Klaper, M.D. A practical guide to creating good health without the use of animal products during pregnancy, lactation, and in growing children. A reading must for all parents to be!

The birth of a child can provoke profound change in a woman-in her health, career, emotions, sex life, and relationships with friends, husband and family. Pregnancy and childbirth radically alter a women's body and metabolism--it's virtually impossible to "bounce back" quickly after childbirth. And many new moms discover that their sex lives and social lives--and with them, their self esteem--evaporate with a new baby, who they somehow seem to have been made wholly responsible for. Life After Birth doesn't cloak the truth in pastel colors, but explores the actual physical, psychological and emotional consequences of giving birth. Through extensive research and interviews, Figes tackles the tough realities of a new mother's life. What she discovered can help a new parent face some of the most difficult decisions she'll ever have to make.

This diary of acclaimed psychologist and radical feminist icon Phyllis Chesler was a pioneering work when it was first published in 1979. A look into the second wave of feminism and the era's changing attitudes toward motherhood and pregnancy, With Child--now with an updated preface from her son--remains relevant for mothers today.