Dear Future Mama: A TMI Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and New Motherhood from Your Bestie

Singer Trainor debuts with an empathetic program for expecting mothers. She provides advice on keeping up one’s mental and physical health while expecting and recounts anecdotes from her pregnancy, discussing her fear of miscarriage, decision to stay on antidepressants, disappointment at finding out she was having a boy instead of the girl she had been imagining, as well as what it was like to get a C-section. Checklists outline how to prep for each trimester; Trainor recommends that mothers in their first trimester ask their health insurance providers what kinds of appointments are covered and that mothers in their third trimester babyproof their house and tour the maternity ward where they plan to give birth. She also provides exercises from her personal trainer, such as how to properly do dumbbell squats and reverse lunges, alongside recipes from her dietitian, which include sweet potato quiche, Mongolian beef and broccoli, and kale and cannellini bean soup. Though Trainor’s advice sometimes feels more applicable to pop stars than ordinary people (she counsels readers that they don’t “have to go all out for your pregnancy announcements”), the compassionate tone (“I insist you become your biggest fan”) feels like chatting with a good friend. Expecting mothers will find this a plucky companion. (Apr.)