pregnancy tonic

I have a confession to make.  I didn't give up coffee this time.  With a baby that wakes me up between five and six each morning (update:  she has been sleeping until 7:30!  Don't know what happened, but it's awesome), I just couldn't bear to give away my caffeine.  I'm aware that coffee consumption has been linked to early miscarriage.  I'm aware that when I get that jolt, my baby does too.  So rather than my usual two or three cups, I'm down to one.  Sometimes it's a big one.

Before my coffee, though, I have my special drink.  I wake up unbearably thirsty, regardless of how much liquid I drank before going to bed.  I also still haven't caved to getting up in the night to pee - and when I wake up, I have to go.  So, I guess I'm in fluids overdrive in the night.  I crave something hydrating and fresh when I awaken.

Last pregnancy, when I did give up coffee entirely, I switched to hot water with honey and lemon each morning.  It was delicious and really got my digestion moving.  It became my ritual.  I also drank a lot of ginger tea throughout the day.  I find ginger really tasty, and it has stomach soothing properties.  The thing about that ginger tea, though, was the cost!  Six or seven dollars for a box of ground ginger in bags, basically.

So this time, I'm making my own ginger and lemon tonic.  Lemon is something our bodies just love, especially in the morning.  Its acidity helps your liver pump out bile, which we need for healthy digestion, especially of fats.  

It's not much of a recipe.  Take some ginger, peel it and grate it up, put it in a glass.  Slice some lemon wedges, and squeeze one or two into the glass.  Add either hot water, if you want a warm drink, or cold water if you want a cold one.  I think you could probably make a big batch in a mason jar or pitcher and just keep it in the fridge.


This will hydrate you and help keep morning sickness at bay.  Try it!