Stuff People Google 20

I smell a stage mom who's concerned about her fetus' potential for beauty pageant stardom.

beautiful babies ugly ultrasounds

A Parent's Halloween Costume Duty

With Halloween around the corner (32 days away!), it's definitely time to start considering this year's costume.  I participated in a serious brainstorming session of my own this past weekend and I'm quite pleased with the front runner.  The pressure is on this year in light of the poor showing I've made in recent times.  My 2009 get-up as bottle of ketchup was followed by my 2010 failure to have any costume at all.  If you're thinking that the bottle of ketchup bit was cute and unusual, think again.  I found it on the floor of a Walmart at around 3 p.m. on Halloween day.  The red, pointy hat was missing and it had a foot print across the torso.  

I firmly believe that every man and woman should choose his or her own Halloween costume.  Forcing a child or significant other to wear something that he or she is simply not comfortable in works against the spirit of Halloween.  Ever seen a pink bunny costume on painfully sad little boy?  I have.  It's painful and sad.  The only exception to this rule goes to non-verbal family members.  Until language kicks in, it's the distinct responsibility of the parent to decide the child's costume and aptly execute such decision.  In comes Etsy.  Below are three Etsy inspired Halloween costumes for mini family members.  Each costs $30 or less for the entire costume.

HARRY OR HARRIETTA POTTER JR. ($22.95)

Gryffindor onesie by Mud in my Blood ($10.95)

Harry Potter costume eye glasses by Amazon.com ($12)

KITTEN IN THE HAT ($25-$30)

Cat in the Hat onesie by Crazy Crafts by Rebasheba ($15) 

The Cat in the Hat's hat from Amazon.com ($10-15)

HUMAN FOOTBALL ($19)

Crocheted football hat by Craft World ($10)

Plain brown onesie by Frenchy Baby Organics ($9)

I Must Know (Almost) Everything

I've made it no secret that I'm not interested in knowing too many details about pregnancy and childbirth before I'm actually pregnant (read more here).  I don't feel like preemptively mourning over the long list of "do nots" or preemptively gagging myself to sleep over the long list of supremely gross details.  The day will come, I will buy the books and consult with doctors.  But, for now I'm all set.  I'm not rude when such topics arise in conversation, but I tend to exist stage left as soon as politely possible.

Turns out my somewhat stuffy attitude about pregnancy doesn't quite work.  Well, it works in the sense that I can certainly avoid the information.  It doesn't work in the sense that I actually need to know some of the information even being a non-pregnant lady.  With so many of my friends being pregnant and trying to be pregnant, avoiding the details sort of means avoiding my friends.  The subjects of ovulation tests, good soft cheeses versus bad soft cheeses and breastfeeding come up fairly regularly.  If I faked a bathroom break every time I heard the word nipple and mucus in the same sentence my hands would be raw from all that scrubbing.  What's more is that in order to actually participate in the conversation and not just smile and nod, I have to know a bit.  Asking relevant questions not only prevents me from looking like a jackhole, but it also moves the conversation along more quickly.

Then there's the other, newly discovered and major reason that I need to know some stuff - emergencies.  A good friend of mine developed preeclampsia or had preeclampsia or almost had preeclampsia (I still don't know for sure) at the tail end of her pregnancy.  When I was first given the news I almost burst into tears, assuming it was some sort of worst case scenario.  The word "preclampsia" didn't scream light and fluffy to me.  With a little more information I was relieved to find out it's a common enough condition, it was manageable in my friend's case and both mom and baby were just fine.  But, initially not knowing anything about it was a huge handicap.

This is a clamp.  It has nothing to do
with preeclampsia, but I didn't know
that at the time.  No, I didn't assume that
this tool was directly related to the
medical condition but this is vaguely the image
the popped into my head upon
hearing the news - not light and fluffy.

So, a little over five months after writing my lovely post entitled The Things I Don't (Want to) Know, I'm changing my mind.  I refuse to make a full 180 degree swing toward I Must Know Everything, but I've found that absorbing a few details here and there is necessary to be a good friend both in conversation and in emergencies.  And, I can now admit, some of the stuff is interesting and even fun.

Shower Like the Duggars

Traditionally, a mother got one baby shower for her first born.  By one I mean one.  Not two or three baby showers for one baby and no baby showers for younger siblings.  The third, forth and nineteenth baby (if you're the Duggars) didn't get a baby shower.

Josie, the youngest Duggar baby,
was born on December 10, 2009
weighing on 2 pounds and 9 ounces
because she was fifteen weeks premature.

Nowadays that's just not true.  Multiple baby showers are allowed.  Baby showers for a second, third or nineteenth child are allowed.  Of course some people remain traditionalists - in life and in baby showers - but you can't please everyone.  And, when it comes to throwing a baby shower, isn't the goal to please the mom-to-be?  That's certainly a good reason to break tradition.

If you're feeling a little uneasy about coloring outside the lines, here are some modern rules that you can preach if someone gives you lip:

The Firsts Rule - Is their something original about this baby-to-be?  It's the first boy/girl of the family?  Is this the first baby with this partner?  Is this baby the first...in a long, long time (aka a significant number of year's after his or her other siblings)?

Victoria Beckham had a baby shower for 

Harper Seven Beckham, her first girl 

after having three boys.  

Who knew Posh could be so silly?  

She's the third mummy (get it?) from the left.

The Multiples Rule - Is the mom expecting twins or triplets...or something more?  Even if a sibling exists, having multiple babies at once is a major and unexpected (usually) financial undertaking.  A few small gifts could make a big difference.

The Disaster Relief Rule - Has the expecting mother just gone through some disaster that makes her in need of a little extra emotional and material support?  For example, she or her partner lost a job or have a life threatening illness.  Or, an actual natural disaster took out the family home.  Helping friends in need is about as traditional as it gets.

Happy baby showering.

Doula Who...la?

The word doula is pretty new to me.  I heard it for the first time several months ago and now it seems to be everywhere.  Doula, doula, doula.  Everywhere.  You can follow doulas on twitter.  There are eharmony-esque websites that connect families to doulas like doulamatch.net and doulas.com.  A recent episode of The Rachel Zoe Project featured Ms. Zoe meeting with a doula to discuss her birth plan, a true sign that doulas are in fashion.  Rodger calls the doula a scam.  Seriously.  Click here to see a clip of the highly awkward meeting.

Rodger Berman (aka Mr. Rachel Zoe). What a goofy picture.  
A bit of trivia: Rodger had the Bieber coif before Bieber.

I'll back up.  What is a doula?  A doula is someone who provides emotional and physical support to a pregnant woman during labor, delivery and sometimes postpartum.  The emotional support is anything from encouraging words to visualization guidance to unity screaming.  Okay, I made that last one up, but you can imagine a doula and a pregnant lady screaming in unison as the pregnant lady pushes.  Ahhhhh!  Ahhhhh!  The physical support is anything from massage to aromatherapy.  A doula also provides educational information.  Postpartum support includes breastfeeding and general newborn assistance.

What is not a doula?  Someone who provides medial support to a pregnant woman.  A doula does not do sonograms or physical examinations.  That clinical stuff is left to the licensed and trained professionals.  Doulas, on the other hand, don't necessarily have any license or training.  Many countries have no regulations or standards for doulas (aka anyone can call herself a doula).  Though, nowadays most doulas are in fact trained.

George Clooney is neither a doctor nor doula.  

Most importantly, why are doulas so hot right now?  From my outsider perspective, I sort of envision doulas to be like pregnancy therapists.  People seek guidance from therapists for all sorts of stressful issues and stressful patches of life.  Pregnancy and childbirth are not just about the clinical stuff.  There is an overwhelming amount of emotional and physical change that has nothing to do with the clinical stuff. That is a doula's wheelhouse.  Doulas empower pregnant women to have a positive and awesome experience by helping with the stressful stuff.  

Have you ever used a doula?  Do you plan to?  Are you a doula and feel like dropping some knowledge?

Stuff People Google 19

Every time I read this phrase I crack up.  Were the only lyrics that this person remembered "beep" and "boop" ...or were those the only lyrics in the song?  Does anyone know what song he/she was trying to find?  Maybe Rihanna's Disturbia?  That's more bum bum beedum bum bum beedum bum. 

what is the name of the new song .... boop boop boop beep boop boop beep

Saving Things for Baby

Today's post was inspired by a comment on Top 10 Signs That You Are Baby Crazy (thanks Lia).  She wrote about two dresses that she has saved for her future daughter.  It got me thinking about whether I've saved anything for my future children.  Nothing came to mind, so the thinking quickly ended.  Kind of a bummer given that I consider myself a pretty sentimental person.

Fast forward two days - I'm having an unrelated conversation with a friend about handmade baby gifts.  We are both DIY freaks and she had come across a personalized baby quilt that she thought our crafty skills could replicate.  A bunch of friends and family members each designed a piece of square fabric.  Some of the squares had embroidered images and messages.  Photos had been printed on some of the squares.  One square had sequins and sparkle (yes, the quilt was for a girl and yes, sequins pose a bit of a choking hazard...ooops).  All the squares were then sewn together.  The end result was a one-of-a-kind love letter to the baby.  Not only did I agree that it was an incredible gift but I also explained that I had been given this kind of personalized baby quilt (back when I was a baby).  And, I still have it.  It's perfectly intact and in the back of my closet.

Why did I save my baby quilt all these years?  I've never thought about it, I just did.  Who throws away something so special?  It wasn't quite yard sale material.  But, I've grown a little over the past few decades and it no longer fits on my bigger-than-a-crib-sized-bed.   Though it's a truly beautiful and awesome keepsake, I have no practical use for it.  It just takes up space that a new pair of shoes would happily occupy.

Thanks to Lia's comment and the well-timed conversation with my crafty friend, I think I'll give my baby quilt to my future baby.  Maybe it will be used as an actual quilt or maybe I'll hang it on the nursery wall as art.  Turns out, I'm sentimental after all.

Here's the masterpiece.

These four squares are a good example of the ranging designs that friends and family chose - embroidering, classic quilting, crocheting and knitting.  They are also a good example of the ranging color.  Woah.  The shift from army green to hot pink is slightly jarring, in a classic handmade way.  If you attempt this amazing handmade gift, perhaps give the square makers a bit of guidance in terms of the color scheme.

I can't adequately explain how beautifully the maker of the above square crafted the clown.  From the real buttons on his shirt to the real feather in his cap, I am amazed each time I see it.

Many of the individual square crafters included their names or initials within the square (like Maxine and KM, above)

I can't believe how well this held up.  The intricately crocheted square (above) is without a single tear or hole.

Motivated by all the excitement of discovering my baby blanket...rather, rediscovering my baby blanket...I started looking around my tiny apartment for more unintentionally saved keepsakes for my future children.  Check out what else I found.

I have the entire three book series of World Treasury of Children's Literature.  Though, they're a little dusty.

Yes, those dark squiggles on the edge of the books are clumps of dust.  But, the cover itself is in great condition.  I'll just have to pull out buy a duster and put it to use before the next generation arrives.  While I'm on the kick of finding old, cool memorabilia, check THIS out.

That's right, it's Marky Mark written by Marky Mark.  Remember when Mark Walberg went by Marky Mark?  I certainly do.  I think I still know all the lyrics to Wild Side:  "Little Tiffany, only thirteen, went to the city..."

'

Yes, it's autographed.

Dear Google, Pregnancy + Alcohol....

It seems a week doesn't go by that I'm not addressing the drinking while pregnant issue.  It's a hot topic.  Scorching hot.  And scorching sensitive.  It makes people nervous and it stresses people out.  By "people" I mean those trying to get pregnant, those pregnant, friends and family of the former two categories, and everyone else.

To lighten this hot, sensitive mood, I am going to share a few phrases that people have searched online (aka Stuff People Google) in an attempt to answer their drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant questions.  Or, in some cases, phrases that just have to do with alcohol (minus the pregnancy part).  I'm privy to these search phrases because they led the searcher to Next Stop Baby.  Here they are with some commentary from the peanut gallery me.

drunken noodles during pregnancy

I've written about drunken noodles before, so I'm not entirely surprised that this search result included NSB.  What I am surprised by is that someone wondered about eating drunken noodles while pregnant.  The only reasonable explanation for this is that the typist must have believed drunken noodles to include alcohol in its ingredients.  Let me clear this up - No.  There is no alcohol in drunken noodles.  The name drunken noodles refers to its extremely spicy taste, which requires a lot of drinking to quench the flames.  Click here for a drunken noodles recipe, see for yourself. 

what does a vodka soda taste like

I also know why this searcher found NSB.  I wrote a post back in June (here) about how a pregnant woman can hide her pregnancy at an event where everyone is drinking alcohol.  In this post I mention vodka sodas several times.  I didn't describe the taste of a vodka soda, but if I had it would have gone like this: it tastes a little like vodka and a little like soda water.  I imagine that's how most would describe the taste of a vodka soda.  So, I doubt this typist found a valuable answer to his or her question on NSB or elsewhere.

can my husband drink while trying to conceive

I laughed when I read this.  I'm guessing that this searcher wanted to know whether a man's alcohol intake during conception can harm the soon-to-be-conceived fetus or whether a man's alcohol intake can affect his ability to conceive.  The short answer to the former question is No.  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (per my lovely and brief internet research) isn't related to the father's alcohol consumption during conception.  The answer to the latter is what made me laugh.  Can a drunk man make it happen in the bedroom?  Well, that's for you to know about your man and this typist to figure out about hers.

Delightful Discounts

Don't forget to take advantage of these discounts.  The holidays aren't that far out...it's never too early to do a little gift shopping.

This wooden teether ($12) by Little Sapling Toys is eco-friendly (naturally anti-bacterial, non-allergenic, and non-toxic) .  When it's not drool covered and in use, it would be a perfect bit of art for the bookshelf.  Enjoy a 10% discount on your purchase with the coupon code "NEXTSTOP10" (valid between 9/19/11 and 10/10/11).  

Clothing is a necessity for growing babies who outgrow their fabulous wardrobes on a weekly basis.  This wool coat is only one of the many handmade treats available at The Nutmeg Tree Etsy shop.  Receive 15% off our purchase with the coupon code "TATORTOT"

The personalized growth chart below is made by Petite Lemon and comes in poster paper or canvas.  There is a game of "Can You Find?" hidden throughout the vibrant design.  Receive a 15% discount off any item on the Petite Lemon website with the coupon code "NEXTSTOP15"

Tons more discounts and vendor promotions can be found HERE.  Enjoy.

Stuff People Google 18

The searcher behind this phrase truly defines "baby craze".  I wonder if she eventually found a cure.

how to stop wanting babies

Most Unique Name Ever

Last week I came upon a great article on nameberry.com (originally posted in 2009).  It was so great that I'm going to do something I've never done before - quote directly from the article:

Unusual baby names are becoming more and more, well, common these days. A mere one percent of babies are named Emma or Jacob, the most popular names, and only about ten percent are given one of the Top Ten names.  Compare that to a hundred years ago, when FIVE percent of babies were given the most popular names John or Mary, and 30 percent of boys and 20 percent of girls received one of the Top Ten Names.  For the first time, less than half of all babies get one of the Top 50 names.  

Interesting, right?  (To read the rest of the article click here)  Turns out that even popular names aren't all that popular.  I found the article comforting.  Even relieving.  I hate strongly dislike the thought of choosing a name that will require my child to go by first name and last name initial.  The image of my kindergarten-aged child putting his coat on a hook in a cubby labeled "Joe S." instead of just "Joe" is simply unacceptable.  I want to be able to yell, "Gittem' Joe! GET HIM!!!" at peewee football games and for my son to know that it's his crazy mom getting reprimanded by the ref because he's the only Joe on the field.  The name I choose can't be common.

And yet, I don't have any interest in naming my child something wildly unique, like Katniss or Seven.  Katniss is the female heroine from The Hunger Games.  Seven is a number.  Both make me scrunch my nose and say, "really?" because I think they're a bit too far off the grid.  I want my future children to have established names, as opposed to science fiction character names or numeric digits, yet I don't want their names to be duplicated within their (and my) inner circle.  I always thought that I was asking for the impossible.  Perhaps not.  This article makes me feel like my dream is attainable, my order is not too tall.

The Hunger Games (first of the series).
Who's read it?  Thumbs up or down?

Of course I had to confirm this good news with my own eyes.  I'm Type A like that.  Next stop baby was the Social Security website.  Nameberry was spot on, not that I had a genuine doubt.  In 2010, Jacob was the most popular boy's name with 1.0756% of the population choosing it.  In 1910, John was the most popular boy's name with 5.4920% of the population choosing it.  The statistics are almost identical for girl's names.  This means that likelihood of last initial cubby identification seems unlikely in a class size of 30, even for the most popular boy's name in the country.  I just let out a sigh of relief.  And another.  For the 2010 statistics, by the time you reach the 184th most popular boy's name (Josue) and the 156th most popular girl's name (Ashlyn), the percentage of total births drops to less than 0.1% (aka less than 1/1,000).

Your chances of meeting two babies boys named Hugh who were born in 2010 is the same as your chance of being struck by lightning in your lifetime - 1 in 10,000 (according to the National Weather Service)

I couldn't (out of principal) choose the statistically most popular name.  Truthfully, I will probably steer clear of the entire Top 10.  Everything beyond that is fair game.  Thanks to Nameberry, I'm not going to worry that if I name my daughter Natalie (#14 in 2010) that she'll be one of three Natalies in her ballet class.  And I'm not going to worry that if I name my son James (#19 in 2010) that he'll be "the other James" on the science team.  When it comes to names, being popular doesn't mean it's actually popular.

Something's Fishy With This Nursery

Enough with all the owls.  Yes, everyone loves them.  Everyone wants to have owl themed baby showers and owl themed nurseries and owl themed lives.  They're great, but let's not leave out the rest of the animal kingdom.  Today, it's all about the fishies.  I recognize that fish aren't the cutest or cuddliest of creatures.  Perhaps lions or sheep would have been a more logical choice to follow the trendy owl?  Oh well.  I went with fish and I am so smitten with each of these lovely products.

1. Fresh fish pillow by Mimi Kirchner ($75)

2. Red carp screen printed mini pillow by minimonos ($33)

3. Goldfish pillow by Little Korboose ($25)

This fantastic light switch ($12) cover is made by Turn Me On Art (ha!).  These are trout, yes?  Mixing realistic fish decor with whimsical and cartoonish fish decor is great for creating a cohesive feel without the matchy matchy effect.

This wooden teether ($12) by Little Sapling Toys is eco-friendly (naturally anti-bacterial, non-allergenic, and non-toxic) .  When it's not drool covered and in use, it would be a perfect bit of art for the bookshelf.  Enjoy a 10% discount on your purchase with the coupon code "NEXTSTOP10" (valid between 9/19/11 and 10/10/11).  

Three Eggs makes this Under the Sea hanging mobile ($98).  Each mobile is made to order and the colors can be customized, check out the Etsy shop for all the options.

This fish shaped key/coat/thing hook is made by TR Woodworks.  There are fifteen color choices to paint the piece of reclaimed wood - again, eco-friendly, love it.

Below are two beautiful and different fish prints.  The first is by Gallerie Anais ($14) and the second is by Nella Designs ($15).  

by Gallerie Anais

by Nella Designs

My First First Birthday Party

In a few weeks I will be attending a birthday party for a little lady who is turning one-year-old.  It's her first birthday and it will be my first time as a guest at a first birthday party.  Lots of firsts.

This is how I imagine a
1st birthday party.
Why bother with the bib? 

I have many questions about attending a first birthday party.  What should I wear?  I'm assuming something casual, but would jeans be rude?  You've just started taunting me in your head or perhaps out loud to your computer.  I agree, silly opening questions...I'll move on.  Should I get a card?  Clearly the birthday girl can't read it, but her parents could read it to her.  Or I could get a card for her parents, like "Congratulations on your child turning one".  It's a house party.  I would typically bring a bottle of wine, so should I bring juice instead?  Animal crackers?  And, the most important question, what do I get my favorite mini person?  The gift!

Focusing strictly on the gift dilemma, I turned to my beloved internet.  First up, I found article on BabyCenter.com.  That was a fail.  It featured a photo of a 4-year-old (not a 1-year-old) and a long list of toys categories (not specific toys).  Next up was an online discussion forum.  Strangers advised me to buy a harmonica or mixing bowls.  The mixing bowl idea suggested that the bowls would start out as makeshift drums and ultimately parlay into teaching tools so the youngster could get started on his or her culinary education as early as possible.  Wha?!!  At last I discovered the "first birthday" section on giggle.com, which recommends specific, age-appropriate gifts.  After all that, I'm still at a loss.  Help.  Please.  Below are my leading ideas.

A U.S. Savings Bond.  It's money in the bank (in 30 years).  I already went this route for her baptism, but it's a fiscally responsible choice.  She will thank me decades from now when she can buy a bunch of little black dresses, assuming those are still hot in 2041 (holy shit...2041).

Clothing is a necessity for growing babies.  While she already has a hot little wardrobe, she also outgrows said hot little wardrobe on a weekly basis.  This wool coat by The Nutmeg Tree is too cute.  I figure her existing fall/winter wardrobes are null and void given that she's about three times as big.  BONUS about this coat - you and I both can receive 15% off our purchase with the coupon code "TATORTOT"!

It's a great time for a new educational toy.  She's on the cusp of speaking and already starting to walk.  And, according to that long and vague list from BabyCenter.com, nesting toys are great for a 1-year-old.  With all this in mind, I found these top contenders.

Plan Toy Baby Blocks Walker

Whoozit "What's Red?" Soft Book

Manhattan Toy Mod Baby Zimble Stacker

I could also scrap the practical and logical and just go with these.  Because they're awesome.  They're dragon slippers by jdbaby.

Have you ever attended a first birthday party?  What did you wear bring?  What's your 1-year-old's favorite toy?

The Scariest Part of Etsy

I'm constantly on Etsy.com.  Daily at least, usually several times a day.  Sometimes for personal reasons, but more often for Next Stop Baby.  When I'm perusing for NSB, of course I'm looking a baby products.  There are so many beautifully handcrafted products.  And once in a while, those baby products are modeled on dolls.  Yes, dolls.  No, not babies.  I have nothing profound or controversial to say about this, just that it freaks me out.

by Diran Designs

by Crafts by Manuella

by TL Crochet Knitting

by Chick Sale Junior

And my favorite doll modeled baby product, featured in Caption Contest III

by Franken Toys

Stuff People Google 17

I've written about my experiences on the NYC subway system and I've written about whipping out a boob on said subway system, so I'm not entirely surprised that when someone googled this phrase it brought them to Next Stop Baby.

whipping it out on the subway

A Pregnant Woman Walks Into a Bar...

A pregnant woman walks into a bar and is soon approached by a guy who says, "Can I sit here with you?"  

She says, "No, I'm expecting someone." 

Ba dum bum, CHING.  Get it?  She's "expecting" someone!?  Credit for this knee slapper goes to a George Voiland.

I seem to be writing about pregnancy and alcohol a lot lately (recent posts include here, here and here).  I'm not sure if it's an important issue or just important to me and the seemingly boozy company that I keep.  Like many issues relating to pregnancy, alcohol use can stir up heated and differing opinions - when to drink, how much to drink, to drink at all.  Pregnant and childless, men and women, old and young, all have something to say.  The mere presence of a pregnant woman in a bar turns heads. 

How do you feel about pregnant ladies in bars?  While you're thinking about this highly philosophical question, watch this somewhat related movie clip.  By now you realize that I love movies, especially critically unacclaimed ones.

I've had multiple experiences with pregnant women in bars.  Before delving into such experiences, let's nail down the nomenclature.  By "pregnant women" I'm talking about the gonna-pop-any-moment kind and not the I-never-would-have-guessed kind.  Both kinds are pregnant, but only one kind is pregnant to the unacquainted stranger.  Another point of clarification, by "bar" I mean a place that makes its primary business by serving alcoholic beverages. 

I was a cocktail waitress in college at a sketchy, local pub.  Once in a while a pregnant woman would come in to shoot pool and drink Bud Heavy (read: Budweiser, not the light kind).  I remember feeling incredibly uncomfortable when this would happen and I would avoid serving her.  In more recent times, I've observed pregnant women in bars that I patron and I've actually been to bars with pregnant friends.  It's a rare occasion, but when it does happen I'm not nearly as stressed by it.  My understanding of pregnancy health has increased and my judgmental nature has decreased. 

My personal comfort/discomfort aside, I think people in general are disturbed by pregnant women in bars.  Maybe "disturbed" is too strong a characterization.  Weirded out?  Concerned?  When pregnant Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted drinking a pint of Guinness during her 3rd trimester with Moses (her son, not the biblical prodigy) it made national tabloid news.     

The stylist for this photo shoot has
successfully confused the hell out of me.
Between the 1989 Barbie-esque hair and makeup,
the faux fur jacket, the hippie brown skirt...
image HERE

Being aware of the negative effects that alcohol can have on an unborn baby is just smart.  Pointing out such knowledge to the unknown pregnant lady sitting next to you at the bar borders on self-righteous.  As judgy as we may all feel about the topic, and I'm not judging you for being judgy...yeah...you read that correctly, consider leaving the pregnant ladies alone.  Let's judge in our heads, not with our eyes or our words.  Whether you see a pregnant bar goer sipping Guinness or sipping cranberry juice, let her be.  If anyone is going to have a serious discussion with her about pregnancy health it's gonna be her doctor.  And, probably, she's already had that conversation.  Who knows?  What we do know is that I'm no expert.  And neither are you.  Unless, of course, you're her doctor.