smoking and drinking

When we first started this journey to mommyland, I quit artificial sweetener and caffeine, started buying organic foods and threw out all skincare products that contained any ingredients I couldn't pronounce -- because -- I was going to be pregnant the first time we had sex off the pill, and those pesticides and preservatives and parabens would penetrate my skin and travel through my blood stream right to the baby, and that innocent little creature inside my uterus would be harmed by those evil chemicals!!!

After month 1, I started drinking diet soda again. After month 3, I stopped worrying about my skincare products. After month 5, I stopped worrying about eating all organic. When I finally get pregnant, I'll be smoking and drinking. And speaking of drinking, I remember feeling guilty for dipping my communion bread in the wine at church (this was month one, of course). Seems quite silly now.

Actually, one of my good friends had an "oops" baby and proceeded to party hard two weekends in a row after conception, before realizing she was pregnant. The doctor assured her that the baby would not have three eyeballs, and that a glass of wine probably wouldn't hurt her, although she'd never recommend drinking alcohol. Of course, my friend had more than a glass of wine before she knew she was pregnant, but that's not really the point. The point is that a small glass of wine may be harmless. Still, I probably will avoid alcohol, but what about a cherry coke zero every once in a while?

My sister-in-law gave up diet coke, caffeine, soft cheeses and most seafoods when pregnant. Now she's breastfeeding, so she still avoids artificial sweetener and caffeine. Another pregnant friend (again, all friends are pregnant) still drinks diet soda and I've seen her eat feta without batting an eyelash. She's on healthy baby #3.

All of that to say, when I'm pregnant, I should probably live in a bubble, drinking water and eating bread (bread's okay, right?) or carry on as usual. I just wonder, what's the point of using that smelly all-natural face wash if I'm going to have a diet soda every once in a while? I'm not sure how I'll feel about all of this when I really am pregnant (I'll let you know) -- it's just something I think about.