Ask Emily: Encourage pregnant wife

Dear Emily: My wife is two months pregnant and refuses to eat food that is good for her and then baby. Instead of drinking water and eating fruits and vegetables, like her doctor told her to, she continues to eat fast food and junk food. I know it’s not easy to change eating habits overnight, but how do I convince her she has to?
— Encouraging Healthy Habits

Dear Encouraging Healthy Habits: As always, she should talk to her doctor, and perhaps you can talk to the doctor together. The two-month mark is tricky. Your wife is probably experiencing food aversions as well as cravings. As such, encourage her to take things slowly, by cutting back on the junk and increasing the nutritious items in small amounts. Try eating better yourself as a way to motivate her. Also think of alternatives to her favorite guilty pleasures. For example, if chocolate is what she craves, pick up some sugar-free chocolate pudding for her as a substitute.

Dear Emily: I really like my roommate, and we rarely fight, but a problem is beginning to develop. Her parents visit every other weekend and spend the night on our couch. It is really annoying having them around all the time; I feel like I can’t relax in my own place. I think she is homesick, which is why they visit, so would I be a horrible person to ask her to stop inviting her parents over all the time?
— Tired of Guests

Dear Tired of Guests: You shouldn’t have to feel like a guest in your own home. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for you to tell your roommate that her parents’ frequent visits are becoming a burden on you. Confront your roommate, but think of some solutions to give her instead of just asking her to change. For example, suggest that her parents get a hotel once in awhile. Or, propose that she visits her family at their place on occasion.

Dear Emily: I am getting married for the second time in a few months and want some advice about wedding gowns. What is appropriate to wear for a second wedding? I don’t want to get something too fancy, if that is a faux pas.
— Second Time Around

Dear Second Time Around: There are some old-fashioned “rules” about second wedding attire and how the length of a train and veil should not exceed a certain length. But I say wear whatever you’d like. This is your special day, whether you’ve been married before or not. You deserve to look good and feel good in the outfit of your choosing. Also, many people don’t get to have their dream wedding and/or dress the first time around, so why let anything stand in the way of what you want?