Author of "How Men Have Babies"

June 11, 1999

Borders.com presents "NetCafeLive" with Alan Thicke, author of the book, "How Men Have Babies", who discusses health issues concerning pregnancy, fatherhood, babies, and parenthood.

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NetCafeLive: Welcome to NetCafeLive! Where the stars of stage, screen and literature come to chat! NetCafeLive! is a joint production of Borders.com (tm) and Talk City (tm) Thanks for joining us today. NetCafeLive and Talk City are pleased to welcome you today to chat LIVE with Alan Thicke, actor and now author here to talk about his new book "How Men Have Babies" Withour further ado Please join us in a BIG Welcome to Talk City for our celebrated guest Alan Thicke

OrCCCa: Welcome to Talk City Alan! We're glad you could join us tonight! Would you please tell us a little about what prompted you to write this book "How Men Have Babies"?

Alan Thicke: There are a lot of sentimental and serious books about pregnanthood, but I noticed there were very few for men, and not many funny ones. So my effort was to write a funny book from a man's point of view about pregnancy, and it is proudly politically incorrect! So far we are finding that it's women who are buying the book and highlighting parts for their husbands to read, so husbands understand what they are going through and how to treat them. The main goal is to lighten the load and share a laugh, so if my book is the only one you read on the subject of pregnancy, I'm flattered and you're in trouble.

Abracadabraaa: How can humor help a couple through the pregnancy process in your opinion?

Alan Thicke: There are so many important decisions to be made and so many inherent fears to be overcome. It's good to pace yourself and break the ice with whatever fun is available during what should be a fabulous period in your life, but nevertheless an intimidating one.

Rubyrouge: What advice would you give men to become more supportive and understanding through pregnancy?

Alan Thicke: I would say try to keep up with her reading material, because by the third month, she can usually write a doctoral thesis on childbirth, and husbands are wandering around saying, "What's the address of the hospital again and where are the car keys?" Once you fall behind, it's tough to catch up, and there is a lot to know, a lot to decide, and there are many surprises. My book speaks the language of ESPN. The first chapter is called "Kickoff" -- the last chapter is called "Touchdown" and in between it's all about money, in-laws, birth classes, breasts, sex, nausea and other things guys need to know.

Pappawannab: What can men REALLY expect when they're expecting?

Alan Thicke: They can expect the unexpected! More specifically, they can expect surprises. Other books and experts tend to soft pedal and sugarcoat the possibilities. My book seeks to tell the truth in a humorous way. For instance, others may tell you "She might experience mood swings." My book will tell you the mood swings go from Mother Teresa to Charles Manson. <g>

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