Did you find it hard giving up alcohol for the duration of your pregnancy, mums?
I have to admit that part of pregnancy didn't bother me in the slightest, probably in large part due to the fact that I very (very) rarely drink to begin with. Which meant that once pregnant, it was not really a problem at all to stick to sparkling water or 'mocktails' when I was expecting, and it certainly did not bother me to have others enjoy alcohol around me either.
But we are all different, and I can certainly see why some pregnant mamas find it harder to have to be the only one doing without any alcohol – certainly at special occasions or when everyone around her is enjoying a drink.
Recently, Australian social media star and fitness trainer, Sam Wood, whose wife
Snezana Markoski is pregnant with the couple's baby #2, took to his Instagram stories to share how he is also going to give up alcohol for the duration of his partner's pregnancy.
But while Wood was trying to get his followers onboard with the challenge as part of Dry July – a a campaign which aims to raise funds for those affected by cancer, this Australian mum-of-four took to website
Kidspot to argue that really, is it too much to ask that men give up drink too while their wives/partners are pregnant?
"Giving up alcohol for that period of time is something pregnant women do every single day," writes Jessica Offer.
"Why is a man giving up alcohol for nine months even
considered noble in the first place? If you ask me, given what we women have to go through with our bodies as they morph and change during pregnancy and we battle morning sickness, indigestion, bloating, swelling and joint and ligament pain - it’s really the least men could do."
She goes on to explains how she has been pregnant no less than four times, and think it really sounds like a great idea Wood is doing – supporting her partner through pregnancy by also giving up alcohol in solidarity.
"Speaking as a woman who has been through four (rather long) pregnancies of my own, I can vouch for a whole handful of reasons why I think it is such great idea that Sam is encouraging men to go without booze while their partners are pregnant. After all, no one ever congratulates a woman for going without alcohol during her pregnancy - it is a given, a sacrifice that is automatic for a women. Why should it be any different for men?"
And sure look – there is no denying that giving up booze – even just for a few months, have massive health benefits, such as a healthier brain, a stronger immune system, a healthier liver and heart, improved digestion and cognitive function and also a decreased risk of developing cancer down the line.
And I suppose the money thing can come in too – surely there is money to be saved by having NO people in that household drink any alcohol.
"At the end of the day it might seem like a big deal to go without, but really it is such a little sacrifice that can make a huge difference." writes Offer. " Consider it a fun little experiment, if you will. Mothers go without alcohol all the time for the benefit of their unborn belly dwellers and manage just fine, so surely our men can too ... can’t they? Or maybe they aren’t man enough?"
What do YOU make of this, mums? Would you expect [or want) your partner to give up alcohol while you were pregnant? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at @herfamilydotie
