Okay, it's time to come clean. Last week I wrote about some of the deadly pregnancy sins I committed when I was expecting my baby girl (who's 5 months old today!). I thought I was being all sly and funny and bad-ass. Not really, but I at least thought I was being funny. What I didn't anticipate was that I'd be called out by some of you REALLY bad-ass moms who treated pregnancy like it was New Year's Eve on crack. At least that's what you told me in the comments. In no uncertain terms, you said some of my deadly sins were lame.
I'm here to tell you that I wasn't entirely forthcoming before. I played it safe and chose to write about pregnancy faux pas I accidentally fell into. What I didn't tell you about were the ones I knowingly, willingly, joyfully embraced ... and let me warn you, they are seriously criminal. Let's just hope child services isn't reading THIS post.
I drank coffee. Not just once or twice. Every day. I dutifully abstained for most of my first trimester, but that decaf crap (even from Starbucks) wasn't cutting it. Ain't no way I'm giving up my sacred daily coffee just because I'm, you know, growing another human life inside me. And besides, these days doctors and even prudish pregnancy books say it's okay.
I drank wine. So yeah, I know I said I stayed away from alcohol in that other post, but I was drinking when I wrote it. No, actually, I fibbed a little. Go on, judge me. What I should have written was that I mostly stayed away from it, but I did have a glass of white or red here and there. I wasn't like some of you self-professed cocktail-guzzling pregnant women, but this kind of makes me cool, doesn't it? OH, OH, OH ... and I even went wine-tasting. TWICE. Now are you impressed? (Er, um, I spat out most of it. But still ... I'm bad, aren't I?)
I got my hair highlighted. The horror! But do I have to spell it out? Nine months is a hell of a long time to go with nasty, dark roots. I have my image. And need I remind you that I was (sort of) a shotgun bride? Wasn't about to walk down the aisle in the frothy white dress without my blond locks all nice and touched up, now, was I?
I ate deli meat. Tuna and turkey and ham ... oh my! Not that often. But enough to be scolded by judgy moms and brought into the fold by all you rebels.
I took cough medicine with codeine. Aha! Got your attention there, didn't I? Full disclosure: I did that before I found out I was pregnant. I'm not THAT devilish. Oh, and then I promptly threw up. Sorry. TMI.
Are these deadly sins really deadly this time? Are they?
Image via Varis4/Flickr
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Comments 93
Yeah I'm not sure how much of a badass you are for putting your unborn child in potential danger. Nobody knows how much alcohol it takes to put a babys health at risk because the amount is different for everyone and it is near impossible to tell....was alcohol that important to you that you couldn't go without it for 9 months? Maybe you should seek out some AA. They say that 200mg or less of caffeine is ok, so perhaps limiting yourself to that is ok...but saying you "have to have it" means you are addicted and need some help.
I have heard form my doctor the last time I was pregnant not to touch caffeine because studies have showed that even in small amounts it can cause miscarriage. So don't know where people get there information but I got mine from a doctor for high risk pregnancy. Did not do any of the above mentioned stuff and had a miscarriage anyway so I guess no one is the judge except God. I am glad you had a safe pregnancy.
I drank coffee, wine, dyed my hair, and took Vicodin when I had my wisdom teeth pulled seven months pregnant. Also was prescribed Ambien at the end of my pregnancy due to extremely restless legs. MY little bird turned out just fine. He is a happy, healthy, rambunctious seven year old now. I think women worry entirely too much about what COULD happen when they're pregnant. Women have been having healthy babies under much less sanitary and medically supervised circumstances since the dark ages. So relax, have that glass of wine, and try to chill out, because Goddess knows that there isn't going to be a lot of chill time once that baby gets here.
I dont think those are deadly. BUt with me, I smoked cigarettes through all 3 of my pregnancies. The odd part is the one I didnt smoke through I miscarried. I dont drink coffee, but I am always drinking soda. Pregnant or not, junk food is where its at, but my guilty pleasure when I am pregnant with all my kids was Taco Bell. I wanted it through the pregnancy just as bad as I wanted right after giving birth, Wine is not hard core like most other drinks, and doctors say a little bit of wine in moderation does not hurt the unborn fetus. as for hairlighting, its general wise to talk to your doctor and get his approval, I was told by a doctor that was okay only in the first and third trimester but not the second one. with my oldesyt I got my ears pierced, found out i was allergic to earings because it swelled up and they had to surgically remove it I guess you could say...Deli meat is for from being a pregnancy crime or sin. and you didnt know you were pregnant on the cough medicine, so that dont count =)
The deli meat thing... you may have been fine, and others may have been fine, but many people miscarry due to the listeria in deli meats. Not a risk worth taking, in my books.
you are so silly seriosly i hope your not getting yourself in shit just to be "badass"
Most of these are harmless, but I still cant fathom people wanting to drink or smoke while pregnant...Sorry.
The doctor actually gave me tylenol with Codeine with my second pregnancy because of some issue or another, I don't remember what it was anymore. I drank wine here and there. Coffee daily. Ate SUSHI. I didn't smoke, avoided those that did. I hate greasy foods because they were yummy. I ate BOXES of strawberries.I took Benadryl at night because I couldn't sleep.I dyed my hair. Multiple times. Pink, puple, blue. I have three very healthy children. Actually, my first born has Aspberger's, and I abstained from EVERYTHING with him. Moderation, people, you can do pretty much anything in moderation.
Ultimately, no matter how well you adhere to the "rules" or not, intentionally or not, every baby has the same odds of being born perfectly normal or not, and I think it is ridiculous to demonize a woman for having done or eaten something while pregnant whether she knew the risks or not.