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Motherhood is something I have longed for since I was a little girl. When Nathan and I discussed beginning the journey of starting a family I knew that there were sacrifices I would need to make along the way, but I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that dream. By the grace of God we had success and got pregnant as soon as we started trying, and essentially overnight my life changed! Aside from the obvious joy and excitement, pregnancy also brings with it a ton of new rules to follow. No eating sushi, deli meat, or soft cheeses, no sports, no getting in a hot tub - the list of "can't-dos" seems to never end - yet given my love of wine I assumed the toughest of the bunch would be abstaining from drinking alcohol. Of course giving up wine for the safety of my baby is an obvious choice that I was definitely planning on making, but it was never something I thought would be easy. I'm sure many of you young wine-loving ladies have had the same thought, and I'd like to help ease that anxiety!
One thing I never considered or understood before getting pregnant is the natural motherly instinct myself and all women are born with. Motherly instinct can be described as an innate bond that forms inherently between a mother and her child, and to my surprise I think this kicked in even before I saw the positive on my pregnancy test. One day I just had a feeling that my body was creating life and all of a sudden I no longer had that same craving or taste for wine. It is kind of hard to put into words, but somehow my taste buds began to change before I had any idea what was happening. Of course I knew pregnancy brings with it a lot of aversions to certain types of food, but I never expected that I would almost entirely lose my desire for a glass of my favorite alcoholic beverage; and yet there I was one day with almost no desire to drink wine. Since officially finding out I was pregnant I have tried taking the occasional sip of vino followed by a swish and a spit, and I was quickly amazed that my taste buds no longer enjoyed what they were experiencing. A woman's body knows that avoiding alcohol is best for her baby and her taste buds will react accordingly.
As her taste buds change so does a woman's sense of smell, and many of you have likely heard that your sense of smell will increase dramatically when you get pregnant. Personally it didn't take me very long to realize that this is 100% true. I can smell everything! Old scents; new scents; good scents; bad scents. It is almost like my sense of smell has taken over for my taste buds.
As you all know Nathan and I run Winery Reflections together and at first I was concerned that me not being able to drink would hinder our ability to write about and review wine. However, I am happy to report that my nose has become a powerful tool! When Nathan and I sit down to write tasting notes I have been able to smell dimensions in wine I never knew existed, which really helps to add depth and precision to our reviews. It has been fun exploring new scents and allowing my nose to do the talking! We are still able to taste through wine as a team - maybe even better than ever before.
So do I miss drinking wine? I get this question a lot, and my answer comes to a surprise to most of my friends: no, I do not. There are occasions where I think maybe a glass of crisp Chardonnay or Champagne would be nice, but that feeling and craving is not the same as it once was. It is actually funny to me that I can admit that! It has become clear that my maternal instincts have reached into my being and God has taken away that desire. Instead my focus is on being healthy, both physically and mentally, for the baby boy that I am carrying.
I set out to write this piece for my wine-loving women to give you insight and hope, as I know I would have been a lot less nervous if I knew all of this before starting my journey. Many of you women may worry that getting pregnant could interrupt your job, your studies, or your growth, and I'm here to confirm that none of that is true. Even though you might be drinking less wine you can still continue your work as a Sommelier, your WSET or CMS courses, and even your wine blog while pregnant. You might even find that the experience helps you refocus and discover things about wine you never knew existed! Challenge yourself to take more classes, read more books, and focus on the educational side of wine in place of drinking it!
Women: I want to assure you that having a strong love and passion for wine should not impact or delay your desire to become a mom. Change is always an opportunity to better yourself, and pregnancy should be no different. Don’t be afraid that the timing may not be ideal - in life it rarely is. Take it as a chance to learn, grow, refocus or restructure, and embrace positive change!
While some women might ask their husbands to get them jewelry or a tropical vacation as their “push present”, I have asked Nathan for nothing more than a lovely bottle of Champagne to be waiting for me to enjoy post baby. I honestly cannot wait to sit back with my baby boy in my arms and a cold glass of Champagne in my hand!