Kristen Bell’s ‘Momsplaining’ web series is the guide to motherhood we needed all along

I’ll always remember sitting in the basement of the hospital where I was to give birth for a class on labor and delivery with a dozen other anxious couples.

“What do contractions feel like?” (Here’s a good answer.)

“How long does labor last?” (It can vary widely.)

“Can I drive myself to the hospital when I’m in labor?” (NO.)

The instructor walked us through what to expect and answered our questions as tactfully as possible, careful not to scare any of us too much. As helpful as it was, I felt it didn’t fully acknowledge the wild, unpredictable experience that giving birth can be—a suspicion that was confirmed a few weeks later.

Now, I’m thinking a more blunt approach to labor (and everything that follows) may be the way to go. And that’s exactly what Kristen Bell offers in Momsplaining, her new web series created with Ellen DeGeneres.

As we could all expect from the Bad Moms actress, the short episodes are seriously hilarious.

Take the first one for example, which is all about #PregnancyRealness. In it, Bell meets with a real expectant mother to ease her concerns about labor—or something like that.

“It’s going to look like an autopsy,” Bell tells the mama-to-be. “That’s what my husband calls my C-section.” (Good luck forgetting Bell’s depiction of a baby crowning using a rubber band and watermelon.)

As humorous as it is, Bell also offers up some practical tips—like how you should just “steal everything” you can from the hospital, including “the mesh underwear, the pads, those big plastic cups for your ice chips, the swaddle blankets.”

After diving right into it with the first episode on labor, the following ones—on throwing a children’s birthday party and the secret thoughts of kids—are a bit more PG. Three more Momsplaining episodes will debut on DeGeneres’ app, EllenTube.com and YouTube on Feb. 2.

I, for one, can’t wait to watch more. Although I got past the labor and delivery part without Bell’s tutorial, I’m still in the thick of it with parties and playdates. And finding ways to laugh about the chaos of it all sure makes motherhood all the more enjoyable.