Eating While Pregnant (fellas, you need to read this and learn a little compassion for the opposite sex)

Yeah, I'm knocked up for the second (probably last) time. And as always, food is a big part of my life. It can be fun to eat when you're pregnant. You don't have to count calories--pretty much anything goes.

I do try to eat a balanced diet. But I have to laugh at the most popular pregnancy book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting." They make eating during pregnancy some kind of rocket science of portion control and food lists. I laughed out loud when the authors said, "Ask for salad dressing on the side, and just get a forkful of someone else's dessert." Oh, my word. I will eat the whole pie if I darn well feel like it.

Well, I could regret it. In the first trimester, I have to fight my constant nausea by snacking and eating small portions. A couple bites too many can really make me green. And I do limit caffeine and deep-sea fish. No peanuts either--I ate them last time and my son now has a peanut allergy. No satay or pad thai. Sucks. And no alcohol--I've known a couple of people whose mommies drank during pregnancy, and their personalities scared me sober.

My ever-so-humble opinion on the Pregnancy Diet--whatever tastes good to the mommy. Whatever she can keep down!

Here's a picture of me at Ft. Myers Beach during my first pregnancy.