Tuesday, October 7, 2008

All Bad Things

I thought I would post about all of the things I do while pregnant that would horrify other expectant moms. It's nothing crazy, people, I promise. But it is amazing to me how many things are considered bad for me just because I am pregnant. Have we not birthed hundreds of generations without all the rules outlined by "What To Expect When You Are Expecting"? I saw Mommy, Esq succumb to the pressures of perfect parenting once her twins were born. And A. was even worse with Finn. Sorry ladies, but it's true. I heard that Mommy, Esq would love to make her own organic baby food! Considering we grew up on processed food and turned out OK, if we throw in more veggies our kids will have a leg up on us.

I have remained strong and adhered to my convictions that having a baby (while life changing in many ways) is not that big of a deal. Of course I am helped by the fact that I have had zero symptoms aside from some weight gain. And of course I am still a ways away from labor. I'm sure I'll post more on that as it approaches...

So what do I do that is so bad? Read on...and feel free to be judgemental.
  1. Deli meat. I bring my lunch almost every day and I do make sandwiches with deli meat. Apparently I am supposed to microwave the meat to ensure that I don't get listeria. Steaming deli meat seems wrong to me. And odds are 7 in 1,000,000 that I will get it. So this "rule" is one that I don't worry about. Yes, I did hear about the outbreak in Canada. Still not concerned.
  2. Caffeine. I love my Early Grey tea and Chai Tea Lattes (with skim milk). I drink decaffeinated tea at home on the weekends but that's because I can sleep late. A pick me up in the morning at work is just what I need to get my day started. One cup of tea/caffeine a day is a must for me.
  3. Exercise. It is no surprise to anyone who knows me that I hate to exercise. Give me a task with meaning and I'm all over it. Ask me to walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes and I laugh and settle on the couch with remote in hand. Yes, I know that exercise is totally safe and beneficial while pregnant and frankly Charlie would benefit from more frequent walks but repetitive actions are so boring! I do hope to shape up in this area when the baby is born. It would be great to walk the baby and Charlie at the same time. Charlie might need some additional training before that happens though.
  4. Alcohol. I am not adverse to an occasional glass of wine. The "no amount of alcohol" stance undertaken by Americans is very American. Few other countries have the same stance. I avoided all alcohol during my first trimester but I'm not as stressed about it now. I am firmly against the following: regular drinking (i.e. every day), binge drinking (more than 1 drink), and hard liquor (beer or wine only).

While I am on my soapbox I would like to pat myself on the back for quitting smoking many months before getting pregnant. I'm a pretty relaxed person but I saw a 7 months pregnant woman smoking a couple of years ago and I was horrified. DH has also quit (go Chantix!) and it has been surprisingly easy. Of course, for me, it helps that I'm pregnant. Talk about a motivating factor not to slip!

I also avoid raw fish, raw eggs (for no other reason than both are gross - screw the bacteria issue!) and unpasteurized milk products. I will also avoid hot tubs and hot baths (although that makes me sad) because of body temperature issues.

What about the rest of you? What things did you make sure to stay away from? What did you indulge in?

5 comments:

Natalie said...

oh my god, you crack me up. there's nothing I don't like in your blog, nothing. i snarfed my water while i read it.

Mommy, Esq. said...

For deli meat - you should microwave. If you bring your lunch then it won't be warm - it will be cold when you get there. I didn't worry about cheeses - not usually unpasturized and too hard to police. Careful about booze - how big is that glass? After all, don't you want Baby Sweeney to have the best chance to start out in life? I did drink some booze but only 6 ounces in third trimester and I made sure Aaron drank the rest. Jeremy doesn't drink wine so you might find yourself pouring too big a glass. All experts cannot be wrong on this stuff. Ask yourself - how much smarter would Mom and her siblings have been if Mimi hadn't been drinking martinis? Think on that...

A. said...

Ahem, I don't think you can count exercise as one of your pregnancy rebellions, since you never did it before you were PG. I think you are fine with the deli meats and caffeine. I would be drinking caffeine myself right now if coffee didn't make me feel like poop.

Why would you be self righteous about limiting yourself to beer and wine only? A G&T (made with the normal amount of alcohol, of course) has the same amount of bad stuff as a 5 oz glass of wine. If one is bad, they both are...

And just you wait until you have an actual crying, pooping, gassy, oh-my-god-I-can't-get-it-to-shut-up bundle of joy in the house, and tell me how anal you are about the care of your child then. The lengths you will go to in order to keep your baby happy and healthy are amazing.

Also, don't knock the homemade baby food. It's cheaper and it tastes better. And just because Mom stocked the pantry with Twix bars and Twinkies doesn't mean you shouldn't strive for better for your family. One can definitely take "laid back" to a negative extreme.

Mommy, Esq. said...

P.S. You kick ass for quitting smoking.

P.P.S. I want my kids to grow up with better nutritional habits than we did...

H said...

Ha ha...I love TWIX. In fact, I had one today- JEALOUS! We got a stupid snack machine at school, and I keep not packing enough for lunch so this machine and I are becoming fast friends.