Book review: I'm pregnant, not ill, you idiot - Lalita Iyer
post-partum Book Reviews Menstrual Hygiene Day 2018
The book is a memoir about how the writer navigated her pregnancy and life after childbirth. It’s not a guide, but a provocative book dealing with all the ugly bits and pieces about pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood that are swept under a carpet and hidden from other women.
Lalita Iyer says she read the usual ‘mom books’ when she was pregnant and felt that they were not speaking the entire truth. The gory bits were wrapped neatly as clinical facts. And this book is her way of smashing through this deviousness.
The book talks in detail about sex during pregnancy (yes, you read it right), how pregnant women have their personhood taken away from them while they are pregnant… and how people talk to their ‘bumps’ all the time, how pregnant women and new mothers are treated in the workplace and finally how life changes irrevocably after pregnancy and childbirth.
Iyer also recounts how typical Indian families, friends, colleagues, and just about anyone react towards pregnancy and inundates a pregnant woman with advice on what she should do and what she shouldn’t. This also explains the explicit title.
About Lalita Iyer
Lalita Iyer is an author, journalist and an avid blogger.
She has been an Assistant Editor of ‘Man’s World’, Deputy Editor at ‘Hindustan Times’, and Managing Editor of ‘Filmfare’ magazine.
She used to author a popular column called ‘Chickwit’ for ‘Hindustan Times’.
The book “I’m Pregnant, not Terminally Ill, You Idiot!” is her first book. She has written two more books after this- “The Boy Who Swallowed a Nail and Other Stories” and “The Whole Shebang”.
She writes extensively on parenting, gender, relationships and food. You can read more about motherhood in her blog “Mommygolightly”.
Why Should you read I’m Pregnant, not Terminally Ill, You Idiot!
The book is not YashChopra’s version of motherhood, but it is a narrative of motherhood that resonates with many of us ordinary women. Iyer’s version of pregnancy, childbirth and new motherhood comes along with raging desire, gas, mood swings, farts, big breasts, difficulty in peeing… you name it.
Read the book for its wit, empathy, humour and yes, ‘the ugly bits’ that are neatly excised from the dominant narrative of motherhood.
Handle the book with care and you’ll have a great ride, we promise.