Hello… my name is Brandi and I’m a raging alcoholic. Not entirely. I like the occasional drink. Occasions tend to find me a few nights each week. That is when I’m not growing a human.

When we were doing our fertility drugs, our nurse (M) told me it was fine to drink a little, but that I likely wouldn’t feel like it. She was right. However, a few days before the egg retrieval I knew that my drinking days were over for quite some time. This was in August, when cold beers are as essential as stew in the winter. I was going to have to finish the summer sober. Oh the horror!

One Friday after work, Shelton escorted me to my favorite bar downtown, The Pumphouse. I ordered a Blue Moon and I drank about half… because M was right, with all the drugs and hormones in my system, it just didn’t sit right. But I let those first few sips linger on my tongue as I soaked under that hot August sun, and told myself that one day we’d meet again.

I’ve had several people remind me that “some doctors say it’s totally fine to have a glass of wine now and then while you’re pregnant.” Well, I would never go to that doctor. I might eat ham sandwiches while I’m pregnant, but I’m definitely not knocking back bottles of cab at dinner. I’ve already written a $20,000 check… a $10 bottle of cabernet just doesn’t really sound worth it. Can you imagine the guilt you’d feel if even one thing were wrong with the baby, all because that steak dinner paired so well with that one little glass of wine? ACK!

I have no problem giving up drinking for these ten months (or more…). In fact, if I can’t go this long without a drink, then clearly I have bigger issues!

But it doesn’t mean I don’t find myself in social situations or at the end of a long day when a little fun-having drink wouldn’t lift my spirits. I don’t drink coffee. I don’t drink soda. So eliminating alcohol leaves me with water. Yum! It’s the only thing I ever drink anyway, but when so many alternatives are eliminated, it gets a little old.

Enter, The Mama Cocktail.

Shelton and I were on the plane headed to Florida for our babymoon. This is a situation where I would normally take a beer from the flight attendant (because have you HAD airplane wine?! Ack!). Instead, I asked for a club soda and cranberry. Oh it was so good. SO GOOD I tell you! Sweet and fizzy, super low-cal, no caffeine and no alcohol! I thought, this is brilliant. I can drink these and give myself a break from the water. So it’s become my go-to drink when we’re out to dinner with friends or I’m winding down after work. I just do a 50-50 split of club soda and cranberry-pomegranate juice (100%!!!), and a teensy splash of lime. It’s amazing!

Then, before Christmas dinner, I realized that my wine-loving cousin and I would be dining together. She’s also pregnant. And for the first Christmas since I was probably 18 or 19 I wouldn’t have a glass of wine in front of me. Nor would she. Bummer. So I concocted Pregnancy Sangria. It was divine and the two of us drank it down like… wine. When I cook or create a recipe, I don’t measure things. So the recipe I’m providing you here is a rough outline and you can mix it to taste.

Pregnancy Sangria
about a cup/cup-and-half of OJ (I like Simply Orange with a little pulp)
32 oz cran-pomegranate or cran-raspberry juice
32 oz club soda
slice limes, oranges, apples thin (strawberries, blueberries, whatever)
stir it all up in a pitcher and pour over ice when serving

I hope my fellow preggos can seek alcoholic refuge in one of these little cocktails and that it helps them take the edge off, have a good time, or just enjoy something other than water!