This puzzles me.....

[chrysa]

This puzzles me.....

Congratulations!!!!! Bella, how wonderful!!!! You should be very proud of yourself.

Are you planning to breastfeed? If so that will be the motivation -- the baby will actually get sick & drunk.

[BILLYJACK]

This puzzles me.....

Im not a female but I can tell you with all certaintly that if I were a women who was pregnant, the health of my child would instinctively be the most important thing in my life.

I ''think'' a mothers nerturing of her child has something to do with this. Now once you have your child,things could easily go right back to where they were before your pregnancy, and you must be aware of this if you want to stay sober and give your child the best life he/she can have.

Best of luck and God bless you and your family.
Bill

[Suzanna]

This puzzles me.....

it's amazing

When I was pregnant, the thought of wine or beer made me feel ill, so was smelling cigs, so I drastically cut down on those too. I really believe it is a survival mechanism through the wonder of mother nature that made it seem so repulsive. My baby is 21 and he is so smart (much smarter than me!). If you are breastfeeding you will need to abstain for a bit longer, Bella, and it does make you burn loads of calories, bonus. Many best wishes for you and your growing family. :h Suz

[KateH1]

This puzzles me.....

I too quit both smoking and drinking after I left the Dr's office after finding out that I was pregnant with my first child. I did not smoke again because I did not want my children growing up around smoke, as I had. I was also a "super mod" until my youngest turned 13 as I always wanted to be aware and clear headed for them. Then......business travel, stress, too hot..too cold etc etc I brought alcohol into my life.....................This makes me know for sure that it is a "Thinking", issue for me. I am happy to be 7 days AF and counting!

Belle, I am sooooo happy you found MWO, at this point in time because you have two months to get a handle on this thing, so that you never need to go back to the old drinking ways. What great timing! Best Wishes for a happy healthy baby and mommy!

[Cashregister]

This puzzles me.....

Hey Bella,

I gave up smoking and drinking when (and 3 months before - it was planned pregnancy) I got pregnant. So the decision was definitly made before those hormones kicked in. I did it for my baby's health. Took up smoking soon after but was manic at the time. Drinking took longer to get back into, and now don't want to cause am on the right meds (misdiagnosed b4). I did it for my child, and I have no idea if hormones played a part, but it's amazing what you can do when you don't want to effect someone else's life.

Giving up or moderating drinking is another way to look after your "baby" - he/she is just not in your tummy anymore!

Cheers

Cashy

[hippie37]

This puzzles me.....

I have to agree with Marbella 100% (excellent post by the way M!)

We do tend to label ourselves too much in respect to our drinking though don't you think? I'm not an 'alcoholic' I'm just a 'heavy' drinker or I'm an 'addict' or whatever other terminology others wish to choose to pigeon hole themselves. I don't agree with AA on a lot of things but I do believe that if your life is unmanageable due to drink then it certainly needs addressing. Don't get boggled down though with trying to put labels on this Bella and deal solely with the issue of managing your drinking problems and your life through whatever means you feel comfortable with. Like you say you may want to 'wet the babies head' afterwards but don't you think you have done so well this far with the pregnancy as your deterrent. I will be totally honest with you Bella I have the same 'deterrent' only through prescription drugs and once I decide to stop taking those I will have to replace that 'fear' of being violently ill, (in my case) or harming your unborn child in yours. I do hope you stick with the AF way of life. It's definitely not going to help you either if you may be prone to Post Natal Depression; which from reading your posts and your history with depression I fear you may be!!

Not trying to scare you in anyway. You can tell me to go **** myself if you want! I'll gladly oblige! These are just my own observations at the end of the day and I only wish you well.

Love and Happiness
Hippie
xxx

p.s. got any names for the baby yet? or don't you know the sex yet?!!!!

[rosita]

This puzzles me.....

pregnancy and craving and nursing

argh. just wrote out a thorough reply that didn't go through becuase i did it wrong... argh.

abbreviated version: first post here. just had to chime in. i was 17 days into being pregnant a year ago february when i lost my appetite for drinking. completely. over night. while in full-drinky mode. it just went. i have no doubt that the biological changes that came about during pregnancy fostered this change in appetite. cause it sure wasn't from any intellectual process about not wanting to harm a foetus. nope. all the intellectual processes i'd gone through over the previous 12 years did nothing to get me to stop. it FELT physical. no craving. gone. the body is magic, indeed.

alcoholism is biological; otherwise, why would they be calling it a genetic predisposition? our minds are powerful indeed, but our bodies do seem to be in charge most of the time, huh? ... at least for me, with this alcohol thing.

unfortunately, it's true what some of you have said: the alcoholism is latent during those (happy) pregnant months, but it is likely to rear its ugly head again, once the elation has settled, the pregnancy is over. (once the hormones have gone back to their previous state, or who knows why!) yep, i'm in it again, this addictive mode. usually avoiding the post-beer nursing, but not always. and feeling terrible about it constantly. i sure would like to find that peace again, that one in which i didn't crave alcohol, like during pregnancy (but without getting pregnant again!).

in europe, in some cultural pockets if not most, my behavior would be perfectly normal and fine. no big deal. so i had a few beers and then nursed the babe. but i am of this american culture. i cannot get comfy with that line of thinking. i wonder constantly what those times of nursing while buzzed (to say nothing of the cigarettes) have done to my almost-one-yr-old. (problem drinking started at about 8 mos.) maybe they have done no harm, sure. or maybe his brain is prematurely being programmed to love alcohol and nicotine... maybe those substances are pre-ordaining his future.... argh. lord help me. (fyi: he is healthy and strong with fine motor skills; no problems notable so far!)

maybe i should find me some kudzu. (can i take that while still breastfeeding?)

please reply. (should this post go somewhere else? i am new at this...) thanks in advance for not judging. this is tough stuff.
r

[Mags]

This puzzles me.....

I have so many mixed feelings about this whole topic so I have so little to say. That's really rare for a big mouth like me!!!

But i wouldn't worry too much. And I don't think there has ever been any danger warnings about taking kudzu while breastfeeding, but you can check with RJ just to be sure.

Oh, how I miss the babies. My kids are grown now. Enjoy them while they are so cute and cuddly. Good luck.