DEAR ABBY: I am pregnant. Because of this, my father-in-law has started to dote on me, especially with food. He says cooking is his passion, but he's a horrible cook. Every time he shows up, he brings something he spent hours making and I feel obligated to eat.
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My husband stepped in briefly when his father kept making me spinach quiche. After one slice I got sick. My FIL kept bringing more quiche over until my husband told him it was one of my trigger foods for nausea.
The thing is, all of his cooking triggers my nausea. How can I get my FIL to back off? It was bad enough eating his food before I was pregnant, but I can no longer stand it. It's a waste of his time and a waste of food. -- NAUSEATED IN THE EAST
DEAR NAUSEATED: It's time for you to speak up for yourself. Tell your father-in-law you appreciate his trying to nurture you, but that in your present condition you cannot eat any of it because of the violent nausea it brings on. Many women share your problem during pregnancy, by the way.
When the baby arrives, tell him you will remain on a restricted diet as long as you are nursing. Surely you are aware that women have been known to nurse their little ones for years. Once your child is ready to enter preschool, if your FIL is still trying to bring food over, tell him thank you but please stop cooking for you because your palate and his are just too different. It's the truth.