Recently Conceived: Drinks For A Pregnant Girl

recently consumed

wine: Ariel Sauvignon Blanc and other drinks for preggers

tasting notes

So, for those of you who might not know… Tom and I have “recently conceived”. We have a blog that we publish to together called Now Entering Parenthood. I started a new blog, because otherwise this blog would become consumed in baby stuff… and I still am convincing myself that while this is a incredibly huge part of my life now, it’s not my WHOLE life. But there is one area where these two topics meet, and that is tasty drinks and being pregnant…

There is a whole assortment of non-alcoholic recipes out there, but often what I’d find is that 90% would be little more than fruit smoothies, dessert shakes, and high calorie fruit juice concoctions. Are there no good drinks that can bring me the pleasure of a simple glass of wine or a fizzy vodka tonic with lime?

my top pregnancy drinks
1. cranberry juice + tonic + bitters
This is my standard order at the bar, and fix up at home drink. It’s great because cranberry juice is super good for you, it’s fizzy and tangy, and the magic ingredient (bitters) gives it a unique flavor that really reminds you of an alcoholic cocktail. Sprite Zero is also a nice substitute for tonic.

2. sparkling juice + anything or alone
Sometimes I just REALLY want to drink something out of a wine glass that might kinda even look like wine. Sparkling raspberry, apple, or grape juice are a great way for me to do just this. They make great mixers, but they are also great on their own. I love the St Julian’s stuff, but Trader Joe’s has some great sparkling juices as well.

3. ginger ale + lychee puree
I had this amazing concoction at a fancy wine bar in NYC. You aren’t likely to have either of these items in your house, and that’s the point I’m trying to make. Why avoid going out to fancy bars and restaurants? Why not indulge in some super exotic non-alcoholic drinks? Some bartenders have real fun with it… others don’t know how to do much beyond make you a high calorie virgin daquiri, so make sure to have a back-up plan.

4. Ariel Sauvignon Blanc
Now their website has a whole slew of flavors. I’d be interested to try the sparkling and rose wines, but the reds just scare me away. My Trader Joe’s only carried the Chardonnay (at $8!!) and the Sauvignon Blanc ($4). The Chardonnay tasted like a watery apple juice, very far away from wine and overpriced. The Sauvignon Blanc however was pretty refreshing and with it’s crisp fruit flavors reminded me a bit off a semi dry Riesling.

the good news
Many of the drinks I listed above are surprisingly low in calories. I was ecstatic to learn how little a glass of non-alcoholic Sauvignon Blanc or sparkling white grape spumante contained (less than a normal glass of white whine in many cases). Other good news is that almost all these drinks are cool and refreshing. In a time where we are encouraged to drink milk and juice, and we are discouraged from carbonated soda filled with caffeine and sugar… it’s really nice to know there is something delicious and fizzy we are allowed to drink, especially at all these upcoming summer events!!

the bad news
Nothing I have listed above will ever ever take away the personal satisfaction that comes from a glass of kick ass red wine. There is no substitute. Nothing quite will make you feel the same. Nothing will go as good with a juicy tender steak or a tangy tomato pasta. And certainly nothing will taste the same… if you think grape juice just as good, you obviously have been drinking some very cheap wine in your lifetime.

So here is the rub. As pregnant women we have to decide if “drinks for a pregnant girl” means 100% not a drop of alcohol during the next year (gotta remember breast feeding girls). This is about as heated a topic as they come in the mommy forums, next to breastfeeding and spanking your kids.

Here is all I want… don’t you judge me, and I won’t judge you. If you decide to go the “better safe than sorry” route, then I shouldn’t be able to come up to you and condescend about how you are a weak-minded soul who subscribes to whatever hype and pseudo-science fear-mongering BS comes your way. And if I decide to go the “everything in moderation” route, then you shouldn’t be able to come up to me and call me a selfish out-of-control lush who is putting my child at risk because of a stubborn addiction.

Because, honestly, neither of us would be right about each other. But this is what angry people in forums would have you believe the debate is about. Just like every other issue in this world… no amount of science and research will change the heated way moms argue over the right and wrong ways to raise children, even before they’ve left the womb. But… taking my Obama approach to this… can’t we just agree that at the very heart of this, we ALL just want the best life for our kids… a healthy positive caring life.

I think we can all raise a glass to that… wine, sparkling juice, whatever you prefer.