This week, the NYT addresses something I’ve always been peculiarly interested in: how much drinkin’ is too much drinkin’ when you’re With Child? In the grand tradition of American Fear Mongering, we’ve been taught to think that if a pregnant lady has even a sip of wine she’s dooming her childto mental retardation, and maybe she should be locked up. We’re never good at drawing lines between moderation and abuse, and with that knowledge in mind, I’ve always thought that the French probably have the right idea–a few drinks (not hard liquor) a week is probably fine.
It seems some obstetricians (unofficially) agree. I appreciate Julia Moskin, the author, for being really upfront about the realities of being preggers, and still wanting to have a beer with your husband at the end of the day. And frankly, I think that if a lady is giving birth to anothing human being, she’s responsible enough to make her own decisions about her own body.