The Secret Of Motherhood No One Told You

Thanks to countless books, movies, friends and general hearsay, there is a bounty of knowledge us non-mothers have about parenthood. We know what to expect if we're ever expecting, even though we haven't had a child of our own. But Sonja Bennett, the writer and star of Preggoland, says there's one thing parents don't tell you about being a mom. "I would say the biggest, maybe not misconception, but secret about motherhood is that it can be really boring," she says. "I love my children more than anything in the world but playing with Hot Wheels on the floor for hours makes me want to kill myself."

Preggoland is the story of 35-year-old Ruth, who's kicked out of her mom-centric friend group after inappropriate behavior at a baby shower. Co-starring James Caan, Danny Trejo, and Paul Campbell, the film is a hilarious and honest look at the clique called motherhood. By accident, one friend in the group thinks Ruth is pregnant, and because her mom-to-be status lets her back into the group, she rolls with it.

So what's the secret to faking pregnancy? For Bennett's Ruth, it's the perfect stomach. She uses neck pillows and an assortment of other round objects to construct a belly. But her most convincing tummy was made of desert — Jell-O, to be exact. In a tremendously memorable scene, (spoilers ahead), Ruth's faux-Jell-O-filled-stomach breaks open, unveiling what looks to be a whole lot of blood and bodily fluid. "Props to the props department here!" says Bennett.

"It was a sack, not unlike a baby carrier, that had a plastic bag of jello inside with a fish hook type thing attached to a near-invisible piece of fishing line," she explains. "When the time came, someone from the props department tugged on the line off camera, which caused the hook to tear the bag and release Jell-O. So simple and yet so genius."

See Preggoland in theaters and On Demand May 8. Watch the trailer below:

Images: Optic Nerve Films