The 7 Things I Missed Most During Pregnancy
Sure, pregnancy means giving up some stuff you love—but for me, the hardest part wasn't saying no to the typical things that first come to mind. As a 21-year vegetarian, I didn't miss sushi one bit. And as a pretty moderate drinker, giving up booze didn't feel like a huge loss. (And yeah, I sneaked the occasional sip of wine, along with a few other barely scandalous transgressions.) Here's what I did miss most during pregnancy:
Green juices: You might be a Los Angeleno if green juice feels like the hardest thing to give up in pregnancy. But I didn't want to take risks with unpasteurized juices — even though they were among the things calling loudest to me, especially given that I was thirsty all. The. Time.
Hot baths: Our European babymoon in February was among the most romantic trips we have ever taken — and it was also bone-chillingly cold. (That's us bundled up in Italy, where the gloves only came off to snap pics on the iPhone.) When I was about 16 weeks pregnant, I would have done anything to soak my frigid bones in our Venice hotel, where for some reason the shower only got tepid but the bath got dreamily scorching.
Steam and sauna: I was lucky enough to receive several gifts of prenatal massages during my pregnancy — and enjoyed every last moment. But I would have loved to also hit the sauna and steam rooms at those luxurious spas for a full day of pampering. (Yes, this fits squarely under the category of #firstworldproblems!)
Unpasteurized cheese: I've written many times about the Sisyphean hunt for food in Europe when you are a vegetarian and unwilling to make assumptions about the pasteurization history of cheese on various menus. You end up eating a lot of bread.
Scuba: One of our favorite vacation pastimes was a definite no-go in pregnancy: Because there isn't research that demonstrates the safety of diving to fetuses, scuba was off the table for sure.
Unlimited coffee: Yes, I had a daily cup of coffee, as approved by my doctor. But you know what I missed? Sitting at brunch enjoying cup after cup of bottomless hot coffee as a comforting ritual that also energized my whole morning. Mmmm, yum.
Hiking and rigorous exercise: Likewise, I moderated my exercise regimen, which meant my go-to Runyon Canyon hike took twice as long before I eventually phased it out altogether. Because it wasn't long before my epic twin baby bump rendered even a walk to my own kitchen more of a workout than I could bear!
Now tell me — what did you miss most during your pregnancy?
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Photo courtesy of Alesandra Dubin
