There are a wide range of things which guys will naturally feel guilty about during the course of a 9 month pregancy. We don't gain weight (or at least don't have an excuse to), we don't have to eliminate the foods we love, we don't get hair in places where there shouldn't be hair, etc etc. One thing I feel most guilty about in our house is my continued love affair with glasses of wine, pints of beer, and the occasional snippet of vodka, as my beautiful, pregnant wife sits by my side drinking water and orange juice.
Let me preface this entry by first admitting that our entire relationship was founded on alcohol. We met at a bar where we were both working at the time. The first night we ever worked together, Amanda got off around 9pm and proceeded to get absolutely hammered which led to 3am phone calls from her asking if I wanted to "make out with her". Throughout the years that we've been together, beers, wine, and vodka have been staples for us on any given night of the week. Nothing compares to a nice glass of wine while watching a bunch of fatties try to lose weight.
Needless to say, these inebreiated times have changed. One of the first big adjustments we had to make was cutting alcohol out of her life. Obviously something that is easy for her to do given the circumstance but still a big change. Especially since I am not joining her sobriety. Now don't get me wrong, I sympathize with my wife and I feel for her as she is forced to give up the things she loves. But, as I am so often reminded, I'm not the one who is pregnant. My desire to have a glass of wine (or 3) at night has not subsided even with the loss of my drinking buddy. She has made it very easy for me to continue things like that, though. There's never any guilt or pressure to resist some wine or a beer and she's mentioned that it actually makes her feel more comfortable for me to stay in routines like that.
I have tried to adapt a little bit. For instance, when she and I go out to eat, I rarely ever order any alcohol with dinner. While I like to think that she appreciates this, one of the big reasons for doing so is to cut down on the needless money spent on alcohol at a restaurant. By not ordering 2 beers at $5 a pop we can save a little bit here and a little bit there. It's actually quite amazing what a bill looks like with no alcohol. It's kinda nice.
At home I try to have one or two nights a week where the wine stays corked. It helps me to refresh the system and remind me that I don't have a problem and I think it also does make Amanda feel better, too. At 18 weeks she has not had any alcohol, and doesn't really ever want any either. She's been told that a glass of wine now and then is totally fine and I think that glass will be against her lips sooner than later.
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