So, if you're like me you start reading these books too. The father-to-be books are interesting, and they give you a good sense of what's going on with the baby, your partner and yourself. The problem is, I walked away from reading them and decided I was the food police. I was hounding her "You need to eat up to 75g of protein every day! You have to make sure the baby develops its brain!"
What a hypocrite. I still live on one meal per day, and snack on generally crappy foods in the interim. I know that if I want Emily and the Baby to eat properly, I've got to get on board too. It means a more concerted effort to come home from work and cook a balanced, healthy dinner for all of us. A small price to pay for (a) scoring points with your beloved and (b) showing that you recognize that the change in lifestyle has to include you too.
All this is not to mention the extremely long list of foods to avoid - cheeses, certain fish, undercooked meats, some vegetables, etc. You can drive yourself (and your partner) crazy if you don't "keep it simple and realistic" for them. Let's face it - our parents gave up drinking and smoking but ate whatever they wanted and we (generally) turned out well. Our kids will have a fighting chance, whether we all go organic or just make sensible decisions.
But at the end of the day - lay off - your partner is going through a lot. Her body is changing, she feels pain and discomfort in a way that you can't imagine. It's easy to say "just suck it up and eat some meat for the baby" but we're not burdened by the nausea, hearth burn, indigestion and other symptoms that making eating a very difficult change.
All in all - be supportive without being overbearing. Show solidarity by also changing your diet, and help with cooking balanced meals. For now, there isn't much else you can do.
Remember, you're either helping, or you're in the way. Don't be in the way.
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