This post could really be summed up in two words: ramen noodles.

But what’s the point of a two-word post? Why use two when 500 will also do…

I grew up loving ramen noodles, and though it’s been easily 5 years since I’ve eaten them, something about this pregnancy has me eating them night after night after sodium-drenched night.

(It’s true about the sodium in ramen noodles: one serving contains 90% of the daily suggested sodium intake.)

My ramen situation has become so serious that I’ve started keeping an emergency stash on hand in my drawer at work, in case whatever else I brought for work suddenly sounds disgusting to me (as is the case with 98% of all my lunches these days).

People at work go crazy over a pregnant woman eating ramen noodles. The majority of adults haven’t had ramen for years, probably since their own college days, and the sight of a mature, professional woman in a power suit slurping down the salty soup is a visual inconsistency they just can’t handle.

They lose it:

IS THAT RAMEN? ARE YOU EATING ICHIBAN? OH MY GOSH I USED TO LOVE THAT STUFF! THAT SMELLS DELICIOUS! I NEVER EAT THAT ANYMORE!

The first day I brought it to work I got all kinds of tips on different, fancier ways to cook it. One guy told me he cracks an egg into his before cooking it and it turns into more of an egg-drop soup. Somebody else adds canned corn. (I myself used to feel very grown up as a kid when I’d add a handful of frozen peas to my ramen noodles, but I haven’t done that yet in my adulthood because why destroy perfectly good junk food with any sort of nutritional value.)

I’m pretty sure my ramen consumption has me retaining water like a mofo. I’ve only officially gained 5 pounds since I found out I was pregnant but my belly is definitely squishier and floppier than it was just a month ago. (It probably didn’t hurt that I weighed 20 pounds more than my ideal weight when I became pregnant, but I’m trying to forgive myself for that. [It’s not easy.])

And try as I might, I can’t stop eating it. I thought that not having any in the house might put an end to my bad habit, but lo and behold! I am an adult with a grocery budget and a vehicle with fuel in it! I can—and will—buy ramen if I’m hungry for ramen! So there went that theory.

My new theory is that if I can’t stop eating ramen then at least I should try to drown it out with lots of water. I’ve been drinking a solid 4 litres every day for the past few weeks. I don’t know if it’s helping (see above woes about water retention), but it lessens the sodium guilt ever so slightly.

And my pee is so dang clear I could practically aim for a glass and drink it again like water. So I’m hydrated at least.

My final consolation is that the baby’s heartbeat was pounding away at 160 beats per minute last time we checked, so it must be at least a little healthy despite my many nutritional failings.

What do you (or your significant other) eat when you’re pregnant?

Share this post: on Twitter on Facebook on Google+