Exploiting My Baby: Because It's Exploiting Me

by Teresa Strasser

Teresa Strasser made her baby a spleen and some eyebrows. He got her a book deal. Everyone loves babies-and pregnant women-so TV and radio personality Teresa Strasser decided to use this obsession to her advantage. She came up with a way to provide for her newfound family and help other mommies-to-be with this down- and-dirty memoir about first-time pregnancy. An award-winning writer, Teresa is achingly honest about the motherhood she begins experiencing at age thirty-eight. With a biting sense of humor and heart, she portrays the tribulations that come with each trimester, from nausea, weight gain, and bladder infections to dealing with those other kinds of pregnant women. (You know the ones. The ones who glow-and gloat about it.) Exploiting My Baby is a must-read for anyone pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or who is just more crazy than baby-crazy. Hopping on a trail pioneered by such lions as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Erma Bombeck, and Tori Spelling, Teresa has no problem using her pregnancy, childbirth and difficult relationship with her own mother for material. It's her blunt and plain-spoken approach to exploiting her family for literary success that sets her apart.Watch a Video

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Humor, Parenting, Biography, Adult

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2011

About the author

Teresa Strasser is an Emmy-winning writer (Comedy Central) and Emmy-nominated television host (TLC). She has been a contributor to the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Arizona Republic, The Jewish Journal, HuffPost, and The Today Show. Her first-person essays have garnered three Los Angeles Press Club Awards, including Columnist of the Year. She’s appeared on The View, CNN, Good Morning America, The Talk, and Dr. Phil. Radio and podcast audiences know her as Adam Carolla’s co-host. Her first memoir, Exploiting My Baby: Because It’s Exploiting Me was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and optioned by ABC.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I'm not this book's target market, being that I'm neither female nor pregnant. But my wife is pregnant, so books about pregnancy have been a topic in our household. I've found a couple of good books for expecting dads, but my wife complained that all the books for women are either technical books or "Hey, girlfriend, you're a goddess because you're pregnant" books. She wanted to read the Dad books just so she could have something more realistic and sensible, but also fun to read.

Then I remembered that Teresa Strasser has a book about her pregnancy. I only heard of Strasser in the past year, as Adam Carolla's news girl sidekick on his podcast (and former radio show). She's not on anymore, but I always was impressed by her quick wit and sense of humor, which is often lacking in the morning radio news girl role. I don't think Carolla's podcast is nearly as good now that she's gone.

So I picked up a copy, and we're both reading it. I just finished. My path with the book was: I liked it okay, and then I liked it less, and then I liked it more, and I came away really liking it.

There wasn't much to dislike. Her wit and humor definitely come through the page. But a few chapters in, I felt she was trying too hard to be witty. It was as though every sentence needed a clever turn of phrase. And some of the chapters read like filler, as though her editor suggested she pad the book a bit. I'm thinking specifically of the chapter that just lists bad mothers in history (fiction and otherwise). Or the chapter that lists the substances she'll miss while pregnant. Those chapters broke up her narrative without adding enough insight or entertainment to justify the pages spent on them.

But for the most part, the book was quite entertaining. I laughed out loud several times. And as a guy, I appreciated that this book on pregnancy had just as many sci-fi references as it did Joan Crawford references.

In a recent episode of Carolla's podcast, he and Strasser talked about her book and he pointed out that you're not really going to find much new stuff in a pregnancy book that hasn't been written about before, but you would buy a book like this if you like the author's voice. In this case, the author is clever, neurotic, honest, funny, and quick witted, and the book is definitely worth reading. Especially if you're expecting.

I confess I even felt a bit emotional by the end, like I'd gone through quite a ride with her over the few days it took me to read the book. I didn't expect that.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't even know who Teresa Strasser was before ordering her book (it popped up with some other baby-related books I was ordering on Amazon and so I thought, "Why not?) I was hoping for some LOL moments from this one. Those never really happened for me.

But I did have to chuckle over just how many essays I could certainly relate with being pregnant myself (two in particular: 1) her thoughts about the women who tell you to "Go to the movies/date/vacation now because when the baby comes, you never will again"....In her words, "How about you shut your rude, projecting, bitter soup coolers and let me be?" -- HA! AMEN!! and 2) her two cents on figuring out baby products——"It reminds me of doing a crossword puzzle; it makes me feel stupid and bored")

I may not have been the biggest fan of Teresa's attitude about her own mother (let's say she's not a fan, and that's putting it mildly) or her bawdy mouth (it just got in the way of her points), but I do have to say it's reassuring to read about another woman's journey into first-time motherhood and to know that it's perfectly OK to be nervous and worried and concerned about so much of the ride (How will I do in labor? Will I love this baby enough? So many questions that you ask yourself on a near-daily basis)

I'll end with this thought of hers that I did really love and could identify with in a lot of ways:

"When it comes to experiences that are Big, the menu is limited, less like an IHOP and more like the entree options at a catered function. You can move to a new city, fall in love, follow your dream--or have kids. Maybe I'm missing a couple, but the kitchen is limited and if you wait too long, they run out of things. I'm not exactly the girl who came up with baby names in elementary school and rocked her dollies to sleep. I envy women who love babies, who know just how to hold them and comfort them, have always known. I was not that girl. Still, if having babies is the life-altering, perspective-giving, kick-ass miracle that people say it is, why would we want to miss out on one of the few peak experience entrees on the universe's menu?"

[Wanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I barely made it through this one. Though rarely, some of the things she wrote about were funny, mostly she just complained too much. She also felt sorry for herself way too much. I am currently pregnant with my second child and neither pregnancies have warranted the amount of boohooing and complaining that she has done in this book. She chose to get pregnant. She needs to suck it up and deal with it, her self proclaimed problems could be much much worse. She has a lot of mommy issues as well. I wouldn't say no to reading something else by her as long as it's not about her life or pregnancy!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved LOVED this book. I truly wish I could be friends with Teresa Strasser... She's hilarious and I'm pretty sure she would like me too. :)

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Teresa and I loved this. I just revel in spending time with her voice and perspective. This book chronicling her impending motherhood is absolutely hilarious, so smart, and beautifully touching. She is raw and funny and so good at examining this common milestone – becoming a mom – through her own singular, immensely entertaining lens. I highly recommend it if you’re a mom or want to be one, or if, like me, you just love essays that mostly make you cry with laughter but sometimes make you cry with empathy and appreciation for such gorgeous vulnerability. The audiobook makes the experience even better.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this book was the funniest pregnancy book I read-and I read a few. Although Teresa Strasser's willingness to be vulnerable and honest about her experience with pregnancy might not be for everyone-I loved her dry sense of humor and courageous willingness to keep it real. This book is way more intelligent and well-written then the other pregnancy books I read, including Jenny McCartney's and up there with the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. Would highly recommend it for a sensitive, thinking woman who wants to laugh (and at times cry) until their baby bump hurts.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this one up at the library sale for a dollar for something lighthearted to read, and that's pretty much exactly what it was- lighthearted, chronologically ordered blog post-esque essays chronicling a first time mom's pregnancy. Strasser is funny, but more of a vague smile than a laugh out loud sort in this book. I enjoyed it and in terms of baby/pregnancy memoirs, it would be a good one to hand to a tired, can only stay awake for a chapter at a time type read for a new mom. It's bot necessarily anything great, but it's entertaining in a bland way. 3 stars.

[Marc Elmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of Mrs. Strasser's writing, from the early days. This one does not disappoint. She brings you from laughter, to tears, to euphoria, to frustration and then repeats the process. It was an absolute joy to read - her talent for writing shines through brilliantly. If you are tired of the run-of-the mill pregnancy book, you'll find this one to be refreshingly honest and hilarious. I found the ending to be especially breathtaking and uplifting. Some truly superb work.

[Karen Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know she is supposed to be funny by being so honest and raw, but I just felt like there was too much complaining.

[Shabnam Aggarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, loved it.

[Erin Eichler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realism and humor

I thought I was the only one that felt these things. Currently, on my 3rd pregnancy, I wish I would have read this with each pregnancy

[Ciara · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is one of the better pregnancy memoirs i have read, for sure. & i have read quite a few, because they have been my favorite thing to read for the last few years as i come to terms with my baby rabies. strasser won me over right off the bat with an intelligent, darkly humorous writing style, & her very first chapter was about how she convinced herself (for no real reason other than being 38 years old) that she would be incapable of conceiving. she got pregnant pretty quickly anyway--within two or three months. (lucky duck...i've been trying for right months & i'm only 32.) she writes a lot about how people are always cautioning women who want to conceive not to think negative thoughts lest they make themselves barren. seriously, this happens SO MUCH & she punctures this myth & takes no prisoners in doing so. she is also refreshingly straightforward & honest about having an STI & how that informed her conceptions of her own fertility & reproductive health.

the rest of the book carries on in a similar vein. so many "mommy memoirs" out there are really goofy & bouncy & make a lot of references to wine (because wine is what people drink when they don't want anyone to think they may have alcoholic tendencies). they can be fun to read, but strasser writes like a girlfriend giving you the straight talk on how sometimes things suck. sometimes things really, really suck. but i didn't feel that she ever really devolved into self-pity or the kind of narcissistic complaining that can be very off-putting in a pregnancy memoir when the person reading the memoir is not, but desperately wants to be, pregnant.

as the book progresses, strasser worked more & more entries from her blog into the story, which was disappointing, but i understand the impulse. you're working toward a deadline, you are pregnant &/or have a baby eating up all your time & energy, you already have some topical writing that you can just drop into the manuscript to boost the page count, who's it hurting? luckily her blog posts are still pretty good. not quite as interesting & nuanced as the other stuff, but okay. the only one that bothered me was about how strasser wants to punch pregnant women who don't want people touching their bellies. her argument is that a pregnant belly is just irresistible to people--it signifies the very mystery of life & people shouldn't be expected to keep their hands off. i could not possibly disagree more. but that was one quibble over the course of 300+ pages, so...well done.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this page-turner and wish that I'd had it when I was pregnant. However, even now that my boy is one year old, I remember so much about pregnancy that I could really relate to what she was going through. The constant internet searches for bewildering symptoms that ultimately turn out to be inconsequential. The hormonal amplification of anxiety and mood swings that you worry could warrant a stay in a psych ward. Weight gain and water retention that has you changing shoe size. For Teresa there was a healthy dose of "I don't want to become like my mother" thrown in, which she doesn't bother to moderate, and the reader gains from her risky exposition.
Just a warning: there is a chapter on Teresa's c-section that was not particularly odd and ended happy and healthy for all. She goes into some detail about her experience, which is scary for someone being in that position for the first time. It's not gory or overt, but it is honest - something that a particularly anxious mom might want to avoid until all is done. Even Teresa warns the reader that the subject matter could be nerve-racking and gives the reader fair warning to skip ahead.
By the end of the book, I came away feeling like I wasn't alone for being such a basket case who was physically uncomfortable even in my sleep.

[Priscilla Rouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teresa Strasser is an inspiration to me. Her self-deprecating humor and obvious intelligence will draw in any reader. I have no children and I adored this book. My Mother did as well at about age 73 when she borrowed it from me and said she couldn't put it down. Teresa makes you feel as if a friend is writing you a very detailed letter about her adventures in everything from getting pregnant to the birth itself, the jewish rites of passage after birth and everything in between. She has been quite open on first the Adam Carolla Radio Show then the Podcast about her own questionable upbringing including her divorced parents sending her back and forth for parental visitation unattended on both a a bus and an airplane before kindergarten. I felt great pride when this book came out as anyone who has listened to Teresa instantly feels a connection and you really do feel as though you know her personally, as she holds back nothing. Do yourself a favor and read this book, you will not be disappointed whether male or female, parent or not. My Mom and I both laughed out loud And cried throughout this book.

[Michaela Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Post Read Update: She's a little "Jenny McCarthy" style for my own personal tastes, but the book was funny, so I have to give her that. I enjoyed hearing her idea of pregnancy problems and appreciated her honesty when it came to a lot of different topics that seemed a tad dramatic.

I'm writing a very similar book...I picked this up because I intrigued by the title, and read the intro - she touches on exactly what I've found -- there's not a lot of pregnancy books in between the highly technical (day to day your child just developed the middle ear) to the sappy Mommy-hood is amazing...

As a first-timer I too looked for the "nitty gritty" and found a whole lot of those books...FOR MEN. Which is great if I were looking to buy for my husband.

However, my husband happens to be a natural, foot massages, back rubs, "you've never looked more gorgeous," head on the belly singing to the baby... And I on the other hand am freaking out every time I sneeze and feel a pang in my side.

:)

Looking forward to the read and looking forward to finishing my own works.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Teresa Strasser ever since she joined the Adam Carolla radio show way back when and I recognized her from "While You Were Out." I've enjoyed her humor for a long time, and it was fun to read about her experiences with her first pregnancy.

Being a man, there was a lot in this book to which I could not relate first-hand, but could relate to second-hand with what I remember of my wife's first pregnancy. It made me really grateful that my wife is so mellow about things. I can't imagine how much patience Teresa's husband must possess, but I don't think I could deal with just how much she worries about everything.

There is a fair amount potty-mouthed language, but only some of it feel gratuitous. Overall, I was thoroughly entertained by T's memoir. It even comes to a touching conclusion with regards to her relationship with her mom. Not a resolution, but a conclusion that is sweet.

[Allison Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a mother, not pregnant, and do not particularly plan to have children. I didn't listen to the Adam Carolla Show while Teresa was his newsgirl. Still, I felt like she had to be funny to have been Carolla's sidekick, so I picked up this book when I saw it. Despite not identifying with Teresa's need to have a child, I was drawn into this book. It was funny and self-deprecating and honest. She talks about the issues she had with her own mother, and how much she worried about turning out like her. Hell, how much she worried about everything. She talks about the uncertainties of procreating, and then all the stress that comes along with it, things you don't think about until you're too far in to turn back. Some sentences had me chuckling, then the next could bring it back to the emotional brink, especially at the end, with her birth story and how it changed her relationship with her mother.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exploiting My Baby: woman's health

Teresa Strasser shares on her blog and in this book an uninhibited and edgy look into the life of a new mother. With Strasser’s honesty about her flaws and fears along with a candid look at the highs (having doors opened and seats offered) and lows (leaking breasts and uncontrollable gas) of pregnancy, EXPLOITING MY BABY takes on many of the things that annoy real moms.

This is the book I am sending on to my Turtle's momma. With this being her first pregnancy, I was sure she needed a 'how to' book that will share information and a good laugh. It is so hard having all the changes a pregnancy brings on. I am sure that seeing the funny side of life will help with those down moments.

[Katie Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read a couple somewhat negative reviews about this book and I truly do not understand them. This is a GREAT book! Anyone who liked Jenny McCarthy's book will be blown away by Teresa Strasser. She's witty and honest and I relate to her because we share similar beliefs and perspectives on life. This book also opened me up to a whole new genre of books. I knew all about the text-book style baby books that all basically just tell you to eat well. Then there was Jenny McCarthy's book that masqueraded as informative but really wasn't - but there's also a lot of funny books about pregnancy and babies and motherhood that I had no idea about. Thank you Teresa Strasser!

[Bobbie Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because I identified with Strasser's sense of humor and her constant anxiety and need for information. (Yes! I'm not alone in these feelings!) Her writing comes across with such an openness, that it really does feel like you are listening to a close friend talk about her pregnancy. I also appreciated the parts of certain chapters when she warns things like: If you've never had a c-section, you might want to skip this part. Trust her! Among the jokes are real tips for any mom, and I appreciated the casual way Strasser discussed them. This was a great read for the early stages of my pregnancy--before I delve into the more instructional books.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very fun read - Not at all the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" type book I was afraid of when I saw the cover. The author is very funny and self-deprecating. She comes across as the type of girl you'd want to go have a beer with, and she manages to write about the more sentimental aspects of her pregnancy without getting all "gag me" mushy.

I really hope to read more by Teresa Strasser and hope she doesn't get trapped in the "Mommy Books" genre. (Her strange realtionship with her own mother sounds like it could have the makings of a Sedaris/Burroughs type memoir)

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Thersa Strasser's humor, I like the writing style but I find the subject tedious, I am 80% through so I will probably power through to the inevitable conclusion. This is her first book so I look forward to maybe reading something less "breedery" by her in the future. If she follows up with a toddler memoir I'll pass but I feel she's too talented to get stuck in a rut with Mommy books.

[Misha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bathroom reading. My aunt gave me this book. Strasser is funny, neurotic and honest about her insecurities, which made me like this more than I thought I would (the title alone kinda turned me off). She also goes into how hard it was to learn, initially, that she was having a boy--and I love my boys hard-core, but I struggled with this, too, before I held them. There is a line I couldn't find again that made me laugh--something like: "My boy will like books and hate binge drinking." Yes.

[Kim Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of pregnancy memoirs, and this one really touched me. Strasser actually has some new things to say in an overstuffed genre, and it was exceedingly well-written. The only flaw was how she felt the need to undermine her own points with self-deprecation at every turn. Would love to read a follow-up on her first year of motherhood.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know she is trying to be funny by writing this book but I found all the whining very annoying. The only thing about her pregnancy I could relate with was her c-section and time in the hospital. The rest of it I couldn't relate to. I would have loved to hear more about how she handled it after the baby was born.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I good memoir of pregnancy and childbirth from someone who is both very funny and very neurotic. The book is almost all taken from T's blog of the same name, for which I deducted a star. It's nice having the book, but nearly all of it is online as well.
Still, it's not too expensive so people (especially Adam Carolla fans) should support T and her amusing/paranoid thoughts.

[Emily Rhoads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it more than Belly Laughs because it wasn't so snarky and judgmental. She was well-rounded. At the end of the story, she was more than just a woman bitching about gaining weight and being constipated. It was hilariously fun to watch her grow into someone who fully understood the meaning of motherhood.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the pregnancy book genre it deserves 4-5 stars but compared to all books it's only a 3. It's a light read, entertaining. Her writing is really good--especially compared to most pregnancy memoirs. There were some parts I skimmed but overall I would recommend it for someone in the mood for a prego memoir.

[🌒JFosbookboss🌒 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a pedicure for the mind...So I hope all who read it, sat back, relaxed & enjoyed it! It was hilarious, REAL w/pinch of educational! For soon to be Moms she really has experiences, most can relate too. It great to read a light hearted reality book on pregnancy, especially since we spend so much time reading our important books and planning for baby.

[Mrs C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love this book about pregnancy. There is probably one chapter that I didn't like, but everything else was a joy to read. Her stories are really funny. There are plenty of books about pregnancy, but Teresa is a really good writer. Highly enjoyable.