Pregnant Pause [Paperback]

Carrie Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Pre-partum Depression Rule #1: Never Wear an Empire-Waisted Dress to a Baby Shower

If you've been asked the question "When are you going to have a baby?" so many times that you feel as though your uterus is starring in a new reality TV show, this hilarious, insightful book is for you.

Carrie Friedman shares her daily struggles with what she calls her "pre-partum depression" from baby lust to panic, and everything in between. Fending off the "dreaded question" from everyone, including her yoga teacher, and navigating the minefield of toddler birthday parties, as well as creating her own faux baby registry under an assumed name, Carrie Friedman captures the process of deciding to have a baby with humor and smarts.

Whether you're uncertain, ambivalent, or scared about having kids, Friedman offers a dose of comfort and a bellyful of laughs in this witty, insightful book.

Carrie Friedman is a freelance writer who lives in Los Angeles with her husband. She graduated from Boston College in 1999 and has since done postgraduate work in writing at UCLA. Carrie has been published in Newsweek, on several websites, and currently writes a column for Mad As Hell Club called "Discount Therapy."

"A very honest, personal, and humorous exploration of one woman's pre- pregnancy journey." --Christie Mellor author of Three-Martini Playdate

"Carrie Friedman is an absolute delight!" -- Jamie Cat Callan, author of French Women Don't Sleep Alone: Pleasurable Secrets to Finding Love

"Pregnant Pause is insightful, touching and incredibly funny. Carrie Friedman finally gives a voice to the non-pregnant and persecuted! If you're looking for refuge from the pressure of prying questions, pet substitution and the call of your biological clock, her sharp wit is a hilarious diversion." -- Adrianne Frost, author of I Hate Other People's Kids

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Citadel Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806531169
• ISBN-13: 978-0806531168
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,396,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't pause...BUY THIS NOW!, April 22, 2009

By 

G. Kellett "MissWrite" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pregnant Pause (Paperback)

I was excited for this book to come out after reading Ms. Friedman's article in Newsweek last year. The book was a delightful page turner. Friedman honestly lets you into her heart and into her head. She gives voice to thoughts that we have all had (or should have had) and is so witty and wonderful that you can't help but feel for her and fall in love with her all at the same time.

And this book isn't just for single gals. I have been married for 8 years. The first 7 of which I was sans child. My husband and I married young and wanted to wait to be financially stable and on a clear career path before starting a family...so we know, first hand, the pain and anguish and irritation that Ms. Friedman details in her book. A must read for new parents, too! As you don't want to even slightly resemble the obnoxious parents she beautifully mocks.

"Pregnant Pause" is a fun read. Truthful, hilarious and sweet. I bought a bunch as baby shower favors. They were a hit!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book for newly marrieds!, November 5, 2010

By 

Tiffany A. Harkleroad "Tiffanys Bookshelf" (Kittanning PA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pregnant Pause (Paperback)

I first must explain how I happened upon this book. Frustrated with getting a lot of pressure to become pregnant so soon into married life, I wrote a blog entry on my other blog site Tall Tales from a Small Town about this frustration. I was considering titling it "A Pregnant Pause" and googled the phrase to get a good definition. And then I found the book....and my salvation. I ordered it straight away.

I read the book in a day, because it was manna for my soul. Finally, someone understood.

Carrie wrote this book from a very personal perspective, explaining that she did want kids.....eventually. She talks about the fear of parenthood, the fear of how it will change her life as a woman, and the fear that she will become like those total whackado moms out there. You know the ones.

She also raises interesting, and valid points, about questionable parenting techniques that have become pop cultural norms, and offers explanations for why women push their maternal views on other members of their gender.

The thing I loved best is that Carrie gave a voice to thousands of women, probably hundreds of thousands. She made me feel normal, like there is absolutely nothing wrong with waiting to have a baby. It is not selfish, it is not abnormal, it is just the best decision for me.

Thank you, Carrie, for making me feel at home in my identity as a married woman, something I was struggling with. I have recommended that my husband read this as well, since it could have so easily been written by me, to allow him to better understand why I get so frustrated with the cultural baby craze on my behalf.

As a personal note, I did still write my blog on the same topic, and if interested, you can find it here. It is not nearly as brilliant as Carrie's book, but read it, and if you feel the same way, go buy Carrie's book, and spread the word.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the Mark!, April 3, 2009

By 

K. Cottrell (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pregnant Pause (Paperback)

As a single parent, a teacher, and a therapist, the world would be a better place if all potential parents and current parents would not only read Ms. Friedman's book but heed her words. A masterful commentary on parenting!