How to Keep a Sense of Humor During Pregnancy

You've got facial hair and sciatica, walk with a waddle and pee each time you sneeze. "This pregnancy business sure is fun," you may be thinking to yourself sarcastically. But actually, it can be hilarious. Humorous books and movies about pregnancy remind us that while the process of bringing a baby into the world may be both humbling and awe-inspiring; it also offers many opportunities to laugh.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Read funny books. "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" by Vicki Iovine allows you to laugh through your increasing girth and decreasing bladder control, while remembering the larger picture. "Safe Baby Handling Tips" by Kelly and David Sopp reassures you that you're probably going to be a much better mother than most of the lousy parents out there--it illustrates right and wrong ways to check a baby's diaper, with a picture of a hand right in the middle of poo as an example of a wrong way. Paul Reiser's classic "Babyhood" can help dads-to-be laugh through pregnancy.
2. Watch funny pregnancy movies. Start with "Nine Months" starring Hugh Grant and make sure "Knocked Up" is on your list. YouTube.com and MetaCafe.com have many hilarious pregnancy films--all very short--available online. Type "funny pregnancy" into the search engines and enjoy.
3. Keep a funny perspective. Your uterus is growing from the size of a pear to a size of a large shopping bag. Your underwear is as large as a parachute. Funny noises emit from you at all times of the day and night, and you find yourself eating relish straight out of the jar. Remind yourself while you might be uncomfortable, this is funny stuff.
4. Keep a pregnancy humor diary. Even when your days are filled with morning sickness, caffeine withdrawal or discovery of yet another ugly stretchmark, try to write down one funny thing every day. Once your baby is born and you're no longer puking, you'll be up late for many nights and will enjoy the humorous trip down memory lane--and the journal can act as good birth control once the baby is sleeping through the night.