Pregnancy as a Time of...Mirth?! Yes
If You Keep Everything in Perspective, the Perinatal Period Has Its Laughs
OK; by now dear reader, if you’ve been with me (and since I have precisely TWO readers, both of them ME, I know you haven’t! lol) you know that I practice Prenatal Massage at home in New Jersey. I also practice Postnatal Massage at home in New Jersey. I actually provide other related services, but this substack entry focuses on pregnancy.
Anyway, I encounter many pregnant women.
Of course, everyone approaches pregnancy in their own way. That’s probably the best way. What worked for cousin Myra might not be right for your sister.
One observation I’ve made is that pregnancy can be a time of mirth or a time of sorrow. Now, some pregnancies are complicated, but even so, some women don’t let that get them down.
If you’re someone who did find that pregnancy was depressing, or you’re pregnant and are experiencing depression, know that your outlook affects everything.
If you can learn to laugh at all but those matters that by their nature warrant a more demure demeanor and serious outlook, you will find that pregnancy can be a lot of laughs.
Is it funny when you get lightning crotch because you’re being unintentionally elbowed in the cervix by the baby?
Is it funny when, in the third trimester, you have to pee every half-hour?
Is it funny experiencing daily nausea?
The answer to the above questions is, obviously, no.
So, then what’s so funny?
It’s just the banality and ridiculousness of it all. We are consciousness.
We’re not consciousness trapped in a body, we are a consciousness that is a mind-body.
While there may be something comforting in this reality, where is the humor?
Well, that’s for each pregnant person to discover on their own.
Can you laugh at the fact that pregnancy has temporarily turned you into what feels like a pee factory? Perhaps.
Pain is not funny. That much is true. And again, serious issues are never funny. But in all other circumstances, laugh away!
If you check Google Scholar for the search terms “pregnancy depression” you get quite a return. Click the link and discover for yourself that there’s a lot of research on the topic.
After titling this entry “Pregnancy as a time of Mirth,” I did a Google search and found a book that may help a pregnant couple get to the point where they can easily see levity in all things pregnancy, while respecting the beautiful time the prenatal phase truly is.
Giving Mirth: Funny Thoughts on Pregnancy, Newborns and Tots Paperback – November 13, 2020
by Ben Rosenfeld (Author), Michelle Slonim Rosenfeld (Author), Jonathan Antonio (Illustrator), Chris Havel (Illustrator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 78 ratings
Giving Mirth: Funny Thoughts on Pregnancy, Newborns & Tots is an illustrated humor book that helps ease the stress of parents-to-be.
Giving Mirth is the book to read after you've read all those What To Expect When You're Expecting type books, got hit with anxiety and could use some laughs.
Comedians Ben and Michelle Rosenfeld* take you through their hilarious entry into parenthood with pithy jokes and over 200 illustrations that also makes this double an adult coloring book.
Unlike other humorous new parent books, Giving Mirth is written by two professional stand-up comedians who tested all this material on live audiences, so you'll actually laugh when reading it. They also tested these jokes on their baby, so your baby will laugh too.
*Michelle's maiden/stage name is Michelle Slonim, but for this book, Ben insisted she uses her new government-issued last name so that people would believe they are real-life husband and wife. Michelle responded, "Ugh, fine, as long as you watch the baby today."