Baby? Bring on the Mocktails!

Don't resign yourself to the couch and your remote control just yet! Your social life isn't over now that you have that bun in the oven, momma, it is just beginning. In fact, your happy hours will now be even happier if you change your perspective.

I've been there. Trust me. So excited about having baby, but not so excited about the drastic change in lifestyle. After breaking the news to all of my dearest friends it wasn't long before I felt like something had gone awry. My fear of exile was realized when I wasn't getting those fun, spontaneous emails on Thursday afternoons for impromptu happy hours anymore. The first week I just assumed that my girlfriends were still recuperating from the debauchery the week before. The second week I thought for sure my spam folder was on overdrive. But alas, I had been marked with the modern day scarlet letter, "P" for Pregnant. But to me, it felt like "N", as in Not Fun Anymore.

When confronted, my friends assured me they weren't excluding me. Rather, they were concerned for my welfare and wanted to make sure I was resting. One of them pointed out they felt they were doing me a favor by not tempting me to imbibe and therefore harming the baby. This added insult to injury because while I love a great Merlot, I've got enough willpower to turn it down for the sake of my child. Through a strained smile and gritted teeth, I thanked them for their thoughtfulness and consideration. However, I let them know that if they did not put me back on the Happy Hour distribution list, they'd have to face the wrath of my hormones.

Apparently, that threat worked. I received three invitations to Happy Hour the next week. And a duplicate for good measure.

Sure, I'll admit it was a little awkward at first. My friends would order a round of shots and I'd smile and sip my non-caffeinated soda. Or they'd get louder with every drink and I'd have to politely ask them to stop yelling in my ear. And, as I started to show, I had to endure a few looks of disdain from those who assumed I was engaging in unsavory behavior. Heaven forbid!

But then, I realized there were advantages to being pregnant and maintaining my social life. First, there was the discovery of mocktails. Not just Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers but virgin Margaritas and Mojitos. The bonus? My bar tab was half what it used to be! Second, it was fun to be the one to fill everybody in on how they had mortified themselves the night before. In fact, while the word "blackmail" is a little strong, I definitely took up my friends on their bribes to not disclose certain events to the rest of our social circle. This came in extremely handy when my cravings for gelatos and guacamole kicked in. And best of all? I never had to worry about not having a place to sit or waiting in a long line for the restrooms because, hey, I was going to milk this pregnancy gig for all it was worth.

Now this endeavor doesn't go without a few warnings. It is nice to be the designated driver by default, just make sure you're not pigeon-holed into chauffeur duty every time. Also, if not for the health of your child and yourself, avoid smoky bars because the smell of smoke is known to trigger morning sickness no matter what time of day it is. Finally, don't feel like you have to "close the bar" just because your friends are doing it.

And remember, take advantage of the free time you have now because once you have that little bundle of joy, it is all about THEIR Happy Hour. Believe you me.