Big Girl Problems

I'm past the 19 weeks mark and have a small bulging belly. I'm 5'3" and currently at 180lbs, haven't gained a single lbs since April. Currently craving sweet drinks like soda and iced tea but I limit it to one glass per day. My doctor told me to avoid sweetened drinks because the baby might get too big and I might need a c-section but other moms told me they've been drinking soda etc 3 or more times during their pregnancy and had successful natural births. What should I do? I try to replace sweet drinks with fresh fruit juices from time to time but I just can't stand drinking plain water during meals. Other times when I'm thirsty I'm fine with cold water