Baltimore County Is Now Officially Dry

I don't know how many Sam Adams beer fans there are out there, but they make several really tasty beers. Not only is their original Boston Lager delicious, but they also brew a variety of seasonal beers. Right now their Octoberfest is on shelves. It's a hearty amber, malty flavored beer that's a great transition from the lighter beers of summer. My wife is a big fan of their Cranberry Lambic which is tart and sweet with complex fruit and vanilla notes (don't worry I pulled all that stuff off their site). It comes out around the holidays and is really good if you like the fruity beers.

So last week I strolled into the house with a 12 pack of the Octoberfest. When my pregnant wife saw them she sadly said, "I don't get to drink Cranberry Lambic for a whole year!"

According to the March of Dimes, drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause physical and mental birth defects. Each year, more than 40,000 babies are born with some degree of alcohol related damage. Although many women are aware that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects, many do not realize that moderate or even light drinking also may harm the fetus.

In fact, no level of alcohol use during pregnancy has been proven safe. The March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women do not drink any alcohol including beer, wine, wine coolers and hard liquor throughout their pregnancy and while nursing. In addition, because women often do not know they are pregnant for a few months, women who may be pregnant or those who are attempting to become pregnant should abstain from alcoholic beverages.

Here's something I didn't know...

Women who continue to drink alcohol, even in small amounts, while attempting to become pregnant, may reduce their chances of conceiving, according to recent studies.

So in a nutshell if you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant you should drop the booze.

So I had a bit of a revelation. When we first found out that E was pregnant, I immediately went online to look for one of those front loaded baby carrying papoose thingies. I figured that if E had the carry the baby for 10 months then I can carry it for the next 10 months. My revelation was that the sharing shouldn't stop there. So as of tomorrow the kid is on the wagon until the baby is born. Now I hear some of you out there saying that the hiatus doesn't stop at birth and that women can't drink while nursing either. I'm not drinking during the Redskins season and if you've seen how the Skins are playing these days you know how big a sacrifice I'm really making.