Motherhood Monday: Would You Ask for a Push Present?

Would you ever ask for a push present from your partner? I'm guessing you've heard of push presents, but in case you haven't, the basic concept is that you pushed a baby out of your body, so you deserve a reward.

On Mia's due date! We thought there would be a baby any minute, but she decided to hang out for 8 days longer!

I used to think it was a crazy concept, but then again, I also thought babymoons were a little silly too (note: babymoons are not silly, they are awesome and you should take one if you can!). Why would you need a present from your spouse just for having a baby, especially when you are about to spend a ton of money raising a child?

Right, well then I got pregnant and my tune changed. No, I didn't want something crazy and extravagant for carrying a child, but I was starting to think that after all of the craziness my body put me through (food aversions, motion sickness, prenatal carpal tunnel, a PUPPP rash, and more!) that getting something pretty at the end would be nice. In addition to it being a "reward," I started seeing a push present as something that would always remind me of the special time in our lives of being pregnant with our first child, and all of that anticipation that comes along with it.

Once I decided I wanted a push present, I wanted the gift to be specific to the baby and to be something I would keep and use forever. I ended up setting my sights on this initial necklace with an "M" for Mia. I've seen others with this necklace for years and always thought it was subtle and beautiful. It's a bit more than I would normally spend on a necklace, but perfect for a present.

I've found in the past that when I want something, especially something specific, I have to tell Jeff directly. He's never going to be the guy to just surprise me. (After dropping hints for years about how I like fresh flowers and candy, I ended up telling him directly that I would love if he would surprise them with me now and then. Now he knows exactly what my expectations are and a little way to make me happy, so we're both happy!) So, after I decided on the necklace I wanted, I told Jeff I would love for him to get it for me, and sent him a link with the exact size and color I wanted. Mia's due date was also right after Valentine's Day and my birthday, so I told Jeff not to get me anything for those and to combine them all with a push present instead.

Jeff ended up waiting to buy the necklace because we wanted to be 100% sure of Mia's name (we waited to meet her before settling on it!), so he ended up giving it to me a week or two after she was born. It was such a sweet surprise to see a pretty little present wrapped and sitting on my pillow. And you guys, the necklace is gorgeous in person. I love that it reminds me of Mia every time I see it, and have barely taken it off since I got it. It's the perfect little necklace to wear every day since it goes with anything, and pairs well with my other dainty everyday necklaces too. It also is durable, and has stood up so far to tiny baby fists that grab on to it and pull hard! Just a note, I have the 16" in yellow gold. I see now that they have an adjustable 16-18" chain now, and definitely would have gotten that one if I realized it was an option just so I could change the length depending on my top.

Necklace / Tee / Sweater

Now, did I really need a push present? Absolutely not. But, it was nice to have Jeff acknowledge everything I had done to have the baby and show his appreciation and love for me. And now, whenever I look in the mirror, I'm reminded of my beautiful little girl and how happy we are to have her! And for years to come, it will remind me of this special time in our lives.

So tell me, what are your thoughts on push presents? Would you ever ask for one or expect one?

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Maternity Staples for a Winter Pregnancy

When I found out I was pregnant, my goal in terms of maternity clothing was to buy enough that I would be comfortable, but to really try to limit my spending. Being pregnant in the winter is really different than the summer, as I was able to keep a lot of sweaters in rotation and layer up to change up what I'm wearing every day. I think I actually only managed to buy two actual maternity tops and at 38 weeks am still doing fine, so that's a win for me! So what have my staples been?

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Old Navy Maternity Tees - I love these tee shirts, as they are really inexpensive and are flattering. I ended up buying four staple tees in black and white with short sleeve and long sleeve options, as well as a striped tee to mix things up a little. I initially thought I wouldn't buy the ruched style of maternity tee since they aren't really something you can wear post-pregnancy. But, once I hit around month six I started wanting to show off the bump more (and make sure people really knew I was pregnant!) and the side ruching is really flattering and lets you still have a waist along with your baby bump.

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Non-Maternity Tunics - Even now, at 38 weeks, my tunic length non-maternity tops and sweaters are still pulling their weight! My favorite is definitely this convertible tunic sweater, which in theory you could wear off-the-shoulder but I never have. The length is still great on me, and it's so versatile it can work for a date, a night out, work, or the weekend. Oh, plus it's amazingly soft like pajamas so I want to wear it all the time.

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Non-Maternity Cardigans - In case you haven't been able to tell from my increasingly less varied style posts, I've been wearing cardigans almost every day for the past few months. Some of my favorites are from Old Navy, Madewell, Nordstrom, and this one I snagged from Target last month.

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Amazon Maternity Dress - I needed something dressy to wear for my baby showers and a couple of holiday events, and am so glad I found this maternity dress! It was really inexpensive, flattering, and thanks to the color and cut worked layered under so many things to give me a different look every time I wore it.

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Old Navy Premium Maternity Jeans - As someone who has always carried more weight in my midsection, I was ready to dive into the world of maternity jeans right away! I mean, really, I may never go back haha ;) These full-panel jeans didn't quite fit at the beginning of my pregnancy but all the sudden in month eight they started staying up on my bump and getting really comfortable. I love that they have the band start under the regular waistband of the jeans, which makes them look a lot more normal. I did forget about how big sizing runs at Old Navy, so if you're looking for maternity jeans for the beginning of your pregnancy definitely size down! I tried a ton of brands for maternity jeans, and these were the only that came in a long enough length for me but didn't have a crazy high inseam.

Everly Gray Maternity Jeans - I loved these at the beginning of my pregnancy, as they had a full stretchy waistband at the top that was really comfortable, but didn't have any issues staying up while my bump was still small (read: non-existent).

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Blanqi Leggings - I tried (and returned) a lot of maternity leggings, going from lower-end at Amazon and Target up to hundred dollar plus Spanx leggings, and these ended up being my favorites. They are opaque, they stay up no problem (when my bump was small too) and they are long enough for my very long legs. But, are they the perfect maternity legging? Definitely no, as they pill really easily. The instructions say to be careful about how you wash them to avoid pilling, but mine have pilled before they even make it to the wash. I've been through a few pairs, and currently have my nice, rarely worn still-look-like-new pair as well as a couple pairs that are really pilled that I wear around the house or only with longer tops and sweaters.

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Old Navy Maternity Coat - I initially wondered what other people did for coats in the winter - it seemed so wasteful to buy something new that I would only ever wear for a couple of months. It sounds like some people wear their husbands coats or try to get by with their regular coats, but in Chicago (with some serious winter weather this year!) that was not going to cut it. I ended up deciding to look for something inexpensive that would work well enough to get me through. I was pleasantly surprised by a puffer I snagged from Old Navy. It's lined in fleece so it's really warm, and it has an adjustable tab at the waist so you don't end up looking like a total marshmallow. Definitely size down in this also, the first one I ordered was gigantic.

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J.Crew Chateau Parka - This is my regular "nice" winter coat, and I'm amazed that at 38 weeks the swingy cut still fits over the bump! I know some people can manage through a whole winter in this weight of coat, but for me it isn't quite warm enough for commuting via public transit - I only reach for it if the temperature is going to be above freezing.

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10 Tips for Getting Better Sleep While Pregnant

It seems like a cruel joke to all of the pregnant ladies that in the months leading up to having a baby when all sleep will definitely go out the window, that it suddenly gets harder to sleep before the baby comes! For me, it started around 20 weeks in when I got hip pain that would cause me to wake up and roll over multiple times in the night, and now that I'm at 35 weeks (what?!??) I'm up all the time to go to the bathroom or try to get comfortable. Or, let's be honest, sometimes to get a snack ;)

I've always had a hard time falling asleep and actually have what I would call sleep anxiety, where if I start worrying that I won't be able to fall asleep then I definitely won't be sleeping. Now that I'm up all the time in the middle of the night, it gives me a ton of extra opportunities for that sleep anxiety to worm its way in. I've been looking for tips all over the place and have worked on a few methods for better sleep that I've found to work - some of them are definitely specific to being pregnant, while others will help you whether you're pregnant or not!

And no, none of these are counting, breathing, or meditation tricks. My worry-ridden sleep brain laughs in the face of techniques like that. You know that article that was going around about the military's tricks for getting people to fall asleep in combat situations? Ha yeah, pretending I was laying in a canoe in a lake definitely did nothing!

1. Never ever ever look at the time

The only benefit to ever looking at your phone or a clock in the middle of the night is that you might see you just fell asleep. Like that's ever going to happen. Seeing how much time is left until morning will just lead to a countdown of how much time there is left for you to sleep. Instead, just always assume it's early and that you have plenty of time left until morning.

I've banished digital alarm clocks from our room, and turn my phone upside down while I'm sleeping to remove the temptation. If you feel like you can't not look, try moving your phone further away from you or completely banish it from the bedroom! I promise you don't need to check your texts or notifications in the middle of the night.

Oh, and if you have a husband who weirdly really likes knowing what time it is, tell him not to ever ask you to check for him during a bathroom break. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.

2. Hit the sack earlier than you need to

I have always been an 8 hours of sleep a night kind of girl (which is probably why I still don't need caffeine in the morning!) but if I get into bed right at that eight hour mark, suddenly if I don't fall asleep right away I'll have half an hour less and then a full hour less of sleep in front of me and that anxiety will worm its way in and keep me awake. A few years ago I started getting into bed at least half an hour before I needed to, knowing that I could fall asleep early, or read or watch a show to help me relax, and it made such a huge difference. Sure, sometimes it leads to me getting 9 hours of sleep, but what's the harm in that?!

3. Stop any form of work at least an hour before bed

Sometimes I'll get really excited about a project and work on it straight up until my bedtime (or even a little past) thinking I just want to finish one more thing. Bad idea. It doesn't give your brain enough time to relax before you're asking it to fall asleep! Inevitably you'll start thinking about whatever you were working on or running through lists of other things you need to do and wreck yourself for the night. I worked too late last week and literally woke up at two am still thinking about what else I could do for the project!

Instead, close your laptop at least an hour before you want to fall asleep, and find something relaxing you want to do instead. I usually do a five minute clean up of our living room or kitchen (we call it a "quick tidy" in our house - it's amazing how much you can get done in five minutes!) and then will put on my pajamas, wash my face and maybe put on a face mask, and then read or watch a show until it's time for bed.

4. Keep a pen and a pad of paper on your nightstand

If your brain starts going into list mode or trying to think of things to remember, it's better to get them out of your head and onto paper. That way you won't keep worrying or try to make yourself remember, and when you wake up you basically have a to-do list ready to go! I suggest a physical list rather than keeping one on your phone, since using your phone violates tip number 1!

5. Front-load bathroom trips

This is weird, but I've found that my body seems to sense when it's getting close to morning, and if I have to get up to pee any time after four am I'll just be up for the day. Bad body. But, now I try to go to the bathroom often at the beginning of the night and then ride on through until morning. I typically go to bed before Jeff, so for me that means I'm definitely getting up when he goes to bed, and then the first time I wake up to roll over I'll make myself get up too (and sometimes the second time too). It usually works and my bladder is empty enough that I can make it until morning! Plus I'm still tired enough that falling back asleep is easy.

6. Avoid drinking anything before bedtime or in the middle of the night

Man, pregnancy makes you thirsty!! I've always been a crazy water drinker but being pregnant has sent it out of control. Sometimes I get to the end of the day and realize I'm dying of thirst and chug some water before bed - never a good idea! Instead, I try to drink a lot of water right around an hour before bed, and then I'm usually set for the night. This helps keep those bathroom breaks early! If I wake up in the middle of the night feeling super dehydrated I'll let myself have a sip or two of water but never more than that.

When I wake up in the morning I'm usually thirsty, but I'll just drink a glass of water right away and I'm usually set.

7. Buy that pregnancy pillow earlier than you think you need to

I was really excited to buy a giant pregnancy body pillow, I think mainly because my sister raved about how much she loved hers and how she wanted a new one even though she wasn't pregnant. So I ended up ordering mine around 14 weeks (before I even announced to you that a baby was on the way!) and started using it right away. It definitely wasn't totally necessary in the beginning, but for me, it helped get me to sleep on my side instead of my stomach.

What I wasn't expecting was to start experiencing terrible hip pain around 20 weeks from laying on my side. Basically your body starts loosening up your joints for eventual delivery, and your hips can actually start to be pushed out of their sockets when you lay on them - yikes! But realigning your hips, knees and ankles with something between them makes a huge difference. I was traveling a lot around the 20 week mark and let me tell you, putting pillows between your legs is definitely not the same thing - the pregnancy pillow is so much better! Mine actually isn't long enough for me to also have my ankles supported (I'm 5'9") which was actually causing more pain, so I have another regular pillow down at the end of the bed for my feet.

This is the pregnancy pillow I use, I mostly love it but I think I'll write a full review letting you know some of the plusses and minuses!

8. Keep anything you may need on your nightstand

For me right now, that means Tums and a glass of water. I've been having terrible heart burn lately and sometimes just rolling over can cause it! Heading out to the kitchen to find Tums in the middle of the night was really waking my body up and keeping me up longer. Now, since they're right next to me, I can grab a couple without fully waking up my body and fall right back asleep. I keep a big tumbler of water next to me for the same reason.

9. Try watching, reading, or listening to something familiar

As my college roommate will remember (sorry Clair!), this is a trick I discovered in college. Re-watching an old show (in college it was always Gilmore Girls but right now I'm on Parks and Rec) gets my brain to relax just enough to fall asleep. Basically, watching something I've seen before is enough to distract my brain from thinking about other things, but not too much to make me want to stay up to finish an episode. If I try to watch or read something new, I can get drawn in and want to keep following the story late into the night. It's actually kind of amazing, and depending on how tired or stressed I am I usually fall asleep during the cold open for a show - so within two minutes!

Some people are going to pooh pooh this because of the blue light and the affect it has on your brain, but I just turn the brightness down so it isn't too much and have the volume really low. I also have my Netflix settings set up so that only one episode will play at a time, so my iPad will turn itself off if I fall asleep mid-episode.

10. When all else fails, just get up

Sometimes, despite my bests efforts, I still find myself just laying awake in the middle of the night. When this happens, I just get up and leave the room. It helps you stop associating your bed and bedroom with negative sleep. I'll typically go in the living room and have a snack or read or watch a show until I feel ready to fall back asleep again. Way better than letting your mind race in bed! And usually whatever activity I pick helps me wind back down and easily fall back asleep.



So there you have it, ten tried and tested tips for better sleep when you're pregnant! Is there anything you've done that helps you fall and stay asleep? I'd love to hear!

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What to Pack for the Hospital for Mommy and Baby

Chair / Rug / Dresser / Mirror / Bag

We're getting down to the home stretch people - my due date is less than six weeks away!! I'm in full on nesting / get shit done mode over here, and a big thing to check off my list was packing for the hospital. I asked a bunch of mommies plus did a lot of online research before landing on what exactly I needed to bring in my hospital bag. 

I personally am skirting the middle of the road here when it comes to what I'm packing. I know I won't be wanting to blow dry my hair in the hospital or need a cute hospital gown or my own towels to feel comfortable. But I most likely will be putting on at least a little bit of makeup to look alive for photos and visitors (have I told you before that Jeff used to ask me if something was wrong or I was sick if I didn't have on undereye concealer??), and I did buy myself a cute new robe and pajamas, because, well, I wanted to ;) 

So here's what I'm packing in my hospital bag for myself and for the baby: 

Clothing

Cute Robe - Okay, so I already own three robes, but one is too small for my pregnant belly, one is gigantic and would need a whole suitcase for itself, and one is Christmas plaid. So yep, I bought a new robe! This one is super soft and folds down really small, and is big enough to cover all the important bits.

Pajamas - I don't anticipate actually wearing these in the hospital unless it's chilly (planning to stick with the  hospital gown and my robe), but they're button front which is handy for nursing, and a dark color which is good in case of stains. These pajamas are my all time favorites and so soft and cozy. Plus, it means I have a pair of pants that will fit no matter what to come from the hospital in. 

Wrap Cardigan - I actually bought one of these a couple years ago in anticipation of getting pregnant and nursing (we ended up waiting a while longer to start trying) and have just been wearing it around the house since then. I am very sensitive to small temperature changes so I'm basically always too hot or too cold, so an extra layer is a must.

Leggings - I plan to bring my favorite maternity leggings as well as postpartum leggings since I'm not sure what will fit or feel best. I hear some people like to have tight leggings after delivery to keep the mesh undies and everything else in place, while others prefer the comfort of the maternity belly panel. These will be what I plan to wear home, along with the cardigan.

Slippers - I'm bringing a favorite pair I've had for a while with non-slip soles for walking around the hospital room. I've heard that some hospitals require non-slip socks or slippers, so I just want to be prepared. Plus this pair (mine are super similar) are really comfortable and warm, and easy to slip on and off.

Nursing bra and nursing tank - I've heard this style of nursing bra is the most comfortable and easy for the hospital, plus it's made for larger chests which is a plus! I snagged a couple of these nursing tanks during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and convinced my sister to buy a couple too and she loves them. I'm also planning on wearing one of the tanks home.

Beauty / Body

Earth Mama Perineal Spray and Nipple Butter - My hospital will have numbing sprays and lanolin, but I've heard a lot of people rave about the Earth Mama products so I'm bringing them as a backup in case I prefer them.

Dove Dry Shampoo - I barely wash my hair now and I don't have a baby, so you had better bet I'm bringing a full can of dry shampoo to the hospital.

Chapstick - I am legit addicted to chapstick now, and word on the street is that breastfeeding is dehydrating and makes your lips really dry. In the prenatal class we went to, the doctor literally said the dad's job in the hospital is to make sure the mom is drinking water and putting on chapstick.

Hand Cream - I am also addicted to hand lotion and put it on constantly. I just know if I don't include this in my bag, I'll somehow manage to forget it in my purse and then have angry hands the whole time.

Toiletries - I'm packing all of my normal essentials, like contacts, glasses, face and eye cream, toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, Dove soap (I never travel without it these days!), a razor, deodorant, a comb, etc. I always wondered before how people pack this all up ahead of time since these are things you use on the daily, but since I started traveling a lot for work I now have doubles of all of my products so I don't have to unpack and repack my toiletries each trip. I even have an extra pair of glasses!

Makeup - I know I'll want to wear some makeup but not a ton, so I'm just bringing the bare minimum - concealer, powder, eyeliner, and mascara. Plus makeup remover! I also have doubles of all of these so I can pack them ahead of time.

Overnight Pads - I know the hospital will provide the super diapers, but in case I don't like them I'm packing a few of these overnight pads. I've heard good things about them - they're extra thin but still really absorbent.

Electronics 

Camcorder and Camera - I don't want to just have a bunch of videos of our baby stuck on my phone, so we ended up buying a camcorder to make some home movies. I'll also bring my nice camera to get some pictures of baby in the hospital.

iPad and iPhone - I'm going to load some movies and tv shows onto my iPad and calming music onto my iPhone in case labor takes a while. If I'm feeling particularly industrious, I may throw in some headphones or an external speaker too.

Extra Long Charging Cord - Word on the street is that outlets aren't always conveniently placed in hospital rooms, so I bought this extra long cord to make sure my phone has enough battery. Don't want to miss any photo ops!

For Baby

Two Onesies - Our hospital provides outfits for the baby, so I'm just bringing to white onesies to wear home, in newborn size and 0-3 month size since I don't know how big baby will be. I mean, I'm assuming pretty big considering how tall Jeff and I are, but you never know! Baby will be wearing one of these home from the hospital.

Gown, Hat, Gloves, Headband, and Swaddle - I'm not really sure how much we'll feel like taking photos of baby in the hospital, but then I remember that I'm me and take outfit photos on the daily, so I thought I should bring a couple of options. I've heard a couple recommendations for this brand, and everything is so soft!

Bear Suit - I have no idea how warm it will be when the baby is born, but considering it's Chicago we can guess it'll be pretty cold! I'm worried about baby being too cold coming home from the hospital, so baby will likely be wearing this over a onesie.

Baby Blanket - Again, I'm worried about the cold, so a blanket is a must!

Car Seat and Car Seat Cover - We got this car seat (and are installing it this weekend - wish us luck!!) and I'm bringing this warm cover, again for the cold.


And then heading out the door (or maybe I should just prep this ahead of time and not worry about it!) I plan to grab a pillow with a dark pillow case so it doesn't get mixed up with the hospital linens.

So tell me - is there anything I'm missing? I'll plan to come back and update this post after baby to share what came in handy and if there was anything I didn't need.

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Pregnancy Update: Welcome to the Third Trimester!

I haven't been sharing a lot of true pregnancy updates in this little space, just tidbits here and there, so I thought I'd share how things have been going! I'm 28 weeks right now, so officially in the third trimester and according to most people in month seven. (If you haven't been pregnant before, the months thing doesn't really make sense and there are different definitions of when you're in each month!)

Second Trimester

The second trimester really was a breeze. Everyone says it's the easy part of pregnancy, and they were not wrong, I felt great for most of it! I also have been feeling the baby move all over the place from around week 22. Usually you can feel the baby earlier, but I have an anterior placenta which blocked the early kicks. So far it doesn't hurt, it just feels really weird. I called it "disconcerting" at first because it felt like there was something wrong with my body! Now I'm used to it and like feeling it (except when she kicks me right in the butt!), and Jeff has finally managed to feel a couple kicks too!

Pregnancy Symptoms

I did have some hip pain show up around week 20, which seems to be basically clockwork for that particular symptom. I figured out that it was worse because I'm actually too tall for my pregnancy pillow so my ankles were out of alignment. I put another pillow at my feet and it's been pretty much smooth sailing since then. This is my pregnancy pillow, even though it's too short for me I really like it because I don't have to move it around if I turn over!

The other thing I've been dealing with since around week 10 is terrible acne on my chin - like by far the worst of my life! I recently realized that it actually improved every time I travelled, and on each trip I wouldn't bring my night cream to save space. Well I cut out the night cream at home too and it seems to have gotten a lot better - fingers crossed it's done.

Cravings

I've actually been a little disappointed that I haven't had any weird pregnancy cravings! I just want to send my husband out at night to buy me something crazy, is that so much to ask?! Really since I stopped with weird eating habits around week 16 (did I tell you I stopped eating meat for a while?! And eggs?!) I've mostly just been wanting all of the sugar! I normally wouldn't ever go out to buy a cookie or ice cream in the middle of a work day unless a coworker suggested it, but I've been going all the time lately! Beatrix is right by my office and their cookies are dangerous ;) I also am always in the mood for pancakes for breakfast, and normally I'm a savory breakfast kind of girl.

Naming our little girl

We still haven't decided on a name, but our short list has been narrowed down to three! I think I've mentioned it before, but we're having a tricky time with little girls names because we either dislike the nickname, or like the nickname but dislike the full name it goes with. We also are looking to avoid names or nicknames ending in a "y" since baby's last name will end in a "y." We're into classic names, so if you have any suggestions let us know!

The Third Trimester

Let me tell you, I am glad that we went to Hawaii when we did, because basically as soon as we got back I've been uncomfortable every day. I would die now if I had to go on a 9 hour plane ride! Either my back hurts or my hips hurt or my ribs hurt. Everything is just getting too squished in there! I honestly can't figure out a good way to sit and work besides changing my seat every hour. Whenever I'm home I have to take laying breaks, although that's a little weirder in the office ;)

While things have been getting harder, I weirdly love that my body is finally really starting to look pregnant! Since oversized tops are in fashion, a lot of my regular clothes still fit and I felt like I could still hide the bump up until a week or two ago. Now it's large and in charge though, there's no more hiding it!! I also swapped out my regular tees (they were starting to get too short!) to some with ruched sides which really show off the bump. I think it's because I've always carried more weight in my stomach, but I really like that I'm actually pregnant and can show off my stomach instead of trying to hide it!


Baby Girl is growing and is right on target according to the doc. We can't wait to meet her in February!!

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Would You Have A Drink When Pregnant?

Before I got pregnant, I always assumed the whole not drinking for nine (or more) months thing would be hard. I thought I would be that pregnant woman having the occasional glass of wine or sip of beer, just because I missed it or craved it. I know that the current recommendations are no alcohol ever when pregnant (actually, you technically aren't supposed to drink at all if you aren't on birth control!) but I always figured that if light drinking during pregnancy is a part of other cultures, it must be okay. If a pregnant friend wanted a glass of wine at a party or some champagne at a wedding, I would encourage it or even go to the bar to get it for her so she wouldn't feel awkward. I just always assumed that I would enjoy the occasional drink while pregnant as well.

Well imagine my surprise when, after finding out I was pregnant, I haven't wanted alcohol at all. I always assumed I would crave it, but that hasn't been the case. I don't miss drinking, and I don't look at a cocktail or a glass of wine and get jealous. That first weekend we found out (on our anniversary trip to Napa!) was hard, but since then it has been a total breeze. The only alcohol I've had was a few sips of champagne at a wedding when we hadn't told people we were expecting yet. It just is the weirdest thing to me, I always assumed it would be such a hard thing to give up.

Oh, and obviously the best thing about not drinking has been the lack of negative alcohol symptoms for the past few months! No hangovers, no wine headaches, no waking up feeling incredibly dehydrated or having a hard time getting out of bed on weekend mornings. It's so great I would consider cutting back on my alcohol consumption post-pregnancy, although I hear that mommies really like their wine ;)

I've heard that for some people that they wanted to drink but that wine tasted different to them during their pregnancy, or that they wanted alcohol but just the worry about how it would affect the baby was enough to hold them back. I'm curious though - if you've been pregnant before, did you drink a little or go cold turkey? What was your reasoning? And if you haven't been pregnant, would you ever have a drink?

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