Radiant

I'm convinced the "pregnancy glow" is legend, despite the fact people have indeed beamed to me, "you're glowing!!!" I mean, I'll take a compliment any day, and it's far nicer to hear than, "you're growing!" but still ... really? Glowing? What is it that's causing that glow? Is it the sleepless nights? Or maybe it's the bloating? Or perhaps it's the hormone-induced throwback to teen acne?

Regardless, if you want to tell me I look radiant, go for it. Compliments will score you brownie points, as the amount of encouragement needed is directly proportional to the size of my stomach (which has already inspired countless comments about how I "must be prego with twins," and how I'll "never make it to my due date.")

But recently, "radiant" has taken on a whole new meaning with the fear and frenzy surrounding the nuclear radiation meltdown in Japan, in the wake of its terrible earthquake. In no way do I intend to minimize the heartache and devastation Japan is going through. Through my job, I've played a relatively active role in monitoring the recovery there and Japan is always in my thoughts and prayers.

But this international tragedy is different in that it's leaped over the Pacific and is wrecking havoc (at least in the headlines) here in SoCal. I just now went to Google News and the very first link is a USA Today article, "Contaminated Water Heightens Concerns Over Nuclear Plant." The situation there is just awful, but we Californians apparently don't have enough to worry about, because the local news media is hyping up the fact that the radioactive water is now filling the Pacific. I'm not the type to panic or jump to conclusions ... it's just that - as a pregnant woman - you feel increasingly compelled to ward off evil toxins and take care of yourself. You know, things like:

• Making sure the right button is pushed on my car vents so I'm not inhaling the plumes of hundreds of tailpipes
• Buying organic for all the right fruits and veggies (you know, go organic on skins you eat like tomatoes, but not on stuff like bananas ... because you're also supposed to be frugal when you're preggers, too  - or at least know WHEN to splurge .. like my cool new green leather diaper bag)
• Drink bottled water (Swiss Alps if at all possible ... OK I made that up, but it probably can't hurt)
• Drinking decaf (which actually still has some caffeine in it ... so don't be so smug you sneaky, no caffeine sticklers!)

Given all the pressure, you can image why my ears would perk up at the idea of water radiation 10,000 times normal levels headed this way. But good pregnant women also do their homework, and of course five mins. on the web dispelled any fears - real or imagined. Plus, I listened to the chiding of my husband, who not so patiently pointed out that we DON'T DRINK OCEAN WATER!

One thing that didn't help? The news guy assuring all of us that we'll be OK, because after all, being in a plane will expose us to MUCH more radiation than this crisis ever will. That's GREAT because I'm flying to Orlando for work in a month. I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking about this my entire flight. And since I can't drink one of those cute in-flight bottles of red wine to calm the nerves, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to visit the hotel's spa at some point during my trip (particularly since the conference is at the "happiest place on earth" - which - despite its obvious charm - kind of gives me hives.)

At times I'm so jealous of pregnant women in cleaner, simpler towns and its clean, crisp, smog-free, fresh air, but looking at Japan, my heart goes out to everyone and I feel so lucky to be tucked away in our relatively safe pocked of L.A. It's hard enough to be pregnant as it is, so I can't imagine dealing with this tragedy in the midst.

Pray for the families of Japan and throughout the world that don't have our comforts and luxuries. And meantime, to all the jet-setting pregnant ladies out there, you just might want to cut back on the globetrotting.