But being a sister means solidarity and understanding, so when my 12-weeks pregnant sister complains about the repetitive nausea, and has as her Facebook status line the moniker “Rollmops Girl”, I just need to know what’s going on inside her body.

What’s going on? SexHealthGuru tells me that my plum-sized unborn niece or nephew is now a fetus, and that he or she is already producing hormones, white cells and urine.

Reasons enough to have my  sister feeling like she just ran a marathon, and craving not only herring, but also long, extended naps.