Pregnant? Eat (sushi), Drink (wine), And Be Merry!

Glamour Magazine

"Expectant mothers are treated like criminals if they're caught with a glass of wine or a plate of sushi--but it's time to change that."

So begins a very sensible essay on how being pregnant in our culture corresponds with the denial of everything from caffeine to brie, but according to this piece, much of what we deny ourselves is perfectly harmless, in moderation. In this article (the first in a new column, The Kid's Menu, at Gourmet), writer Lesley Porcelli stirs a bit of common sense into what is all too often a zealously puritanical affair in America: pregnant women and what we put (or rather, don't put) into our bodies.

Because it's her job to eat fancy foods and write about them--plus she just digs a good glass of vino and a spot of sashimi--preggie Porcelli investigates the culprits we demonize as potential hazards to our babies' health, and uncovers that few of them pose any real threat. She also mentions a very promising-sounding book, The Panic-Free Pregnancy, that I certainly wish I'd had when I was knocked up. (Related: What to do while pregnant to reduce the likelihood of allergies developing in children.)

How well do I remember quaking in my clogs over some food-related warning phrase in What to Expect...! Who could ever forget that sinister-sounding word "listeria" after having noshed in pure ignorance a couple of goat cheese-topped crackers early in the first trimester? And even if you decide to live on the edge and have a slug of red wine, or down a morning mug of Colombian roast, there will always be those who frown upon you for being so cavalier. Like the lady in the pharmacy who, when pregnant Crabmommy went to fill a prescription for bronchitis, offered a cautionary "Don't do it!" as I paid for my alcohol-based medicine.

With caffeine, camembert, and even cough medicine frowned upon in our otherwise blithely self-medicating society, it's a small miracle so many of us prego ladies make it through gestation without caving under the pressure and having a meltdown with a martini and a Marlboro. Or maybe we do. Just not in front of others. (For my part whenever I toked on my pre-partum crack pipe, I kept it well out of sight.)

Seriously, I drank a lot of coffee when preg. A lot. Big deal.

Anyone else got something to confess? Go on! I totally saw you eat Caesar salad with raw egg in the dressing. Shame on you!

p.s. If you want more controversial Crabmommy, please join me at my personal blog for a discussion of the Gender Blender. What's that? Not exactly sure myself...

Related: Eight expert tips for raising good eaters after they are out of the womb.

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