This past weekend, I had the pleasure of getting together with a few of my best friends from college for a mini-reunion, and it was just wonderful. And you know what was really a huge plus? One of them is about 23 weeks pregnant, so the rest of us had a built-in designated driver and didn't have to pull straws over who was going to lay off the booze on our night out.
And I have to admit — I felt kinda bad about it. I mean, it had to be a real drag for her to watch all of us partake in the drinking when she couldn't even have one little sip. But then she told us that her husband is still on the sauce and has been dragging her to bars with him, baby bump and all — which sort of made me feel less guilty.
But then I thought about it for a minute and felt even worse for her, because it really sucks that her hubby hasn't given up drinking for her sake. Truth be told, she seemed pretty annoyed by it — because it really isn't fair for him to keep sucking back beers when she has to sacrifice alcohol for nine months straight.
Yes, you heard me right. I think it's totally unfair for dudes to drink regularly when their pregnant wives can't. Heck, we're already giving up our own bodies for nearly a year to house and grow their kid — so kicking their drinking habit to the curb for that period of time is the least they can do. (Is that really too much to ask?)
Ok, so maybe it's a little bit extreme to ask your man to give up alcohol completely during your pregnancy, but if he's going to drink, he can at least do it around someone other than you. Look at it this way — if the roles were reversed and he was the one who couldn't drink, would you continue to do so and rub it in his face? (I didn't think so.)
And now that I think about it, I really don't remember my own husband having much booze at all while we were expecting our son. Or at least I don't recall him getting liquored up when he was around me. Sure, he grabbed a cocktail after work a time or two with a friend, but for the most part, he was just as sober as I was. And even though I wouldn't have minded him having a glass of wine or two with dinner — I truly appreciated his willingness to give up the booze as a courtesy to me. (Such a gent.)
I can only hope that if I ever were to have another baby, he'd be just as selfless the second time around and stick to ice tea and water.
Of course, after the baby arrives, it's another story entirely. No one should be expected to survive life with a newborn without a little help from the bottle.
Has your husband given up booze during your pregnancy?
Image via Tim Pearce, Los Gatos/Flickr
