whats the latest info r.e. drinking whilst pregnant

[bishboschone]

I am not a bg drinker but I just wondered if the guidelines had changed since I had dd 7 years ago.

[FindingMyMojo]

I think at the moment it's don't have anything. I'm happy to have to have the odd glass or wine though.

[FindingMyMojo]

OF

[rubyslippers]

no more than one to two units of alcohol, once or twice per week

i think they recently changed the guidance t the above

i did have the odd drink, with food in the second and third trimesters

[Cyclebump]

My mw said I could have a glass of wine a week, I'm 22 weeks and have had three separate small glasses since I've known (week 6). Most recent one was on Saturday, a glass of Bollinger to celebrate my sister's engagement

[youngblowfish]

Cyclebump, congratulations to your sister!

I think the official advice not to drink anything at all has not changed, even though the most recent study on alcohol consumption in pregnancy (widely reported - BBC link) found no evidence that drinking one or two units a week does any harm to the baby.

I enjoy an occasional glass of wine, I might have had two or three since my morning sickness subsided a few months ago.

[trixie123]

they're unlikely to ever officially say its ok to drink any amount of alcohol but realistically most MWs do not suggest you can't have a little, as Ruby Slippers says. Stick to wine or beer rather than spirits perhaps (though not really sure why other than it will last longer).

[tlise]

I heard 2 units per week maximum, but more occasionally would be best. I don't really drink but do like baileys in hot choc in winter. So I just have odd one now and again, and don;t have so much in :)

[japhrimel]

NHS & government guidance is that you shouldn't have any alcohol, but this is based more on the fact that the previous evidence-based guidance of no more than 1-2 units once or twice a week didn't work, than on any real evidence. Too many women either don't know what 1-2 units actually is - or don't care - and so drink too much. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is a problem is this country so the guidance was changed some time back to drink nothing at all.

A lot of people still seem to think that a glass of wine is 1 unit. But a glass of many modern wines would be nearer 3 units.

[TransatlanticCityGirl]

A leading obstetrician visited my workplace recently to give a talk on pregnancy. His view that a few units per week was absolutely fine.

He also mentioned his own wife drank a glass of champagne pretty much every day for all 3 of her pregnancies. He doesn't recommend going that far but his kids turned out absolutely fine :)
(Just thought that was a funny story...! )

I do think japhrimel is right, many people don't know what a unit is.... and as we often do, we've amended the advice to cater for the lowest common demominator.

[bishboschone]

Thank you, I guess it's basically my choice, lol @ champagne every day( how the other half live!) . I think I'll just give it a miss altogether, at least I'll be a cheap date afterwards!

[PipPipPip]

No difference between spirits, beer or wine - it is the number of alcohol UNITS that matters.

So having a G&T with a single measure is no better/worse for you than drinking a small glass of wine.

[japhrimel]

Unit calculator: www.drinkaware.co.uk/tips-and-tools/drink-diary/

[GlitteryBalls]

I was wondering about this. For at least the first probably 16 weeks of my pg I just didn't feel like alcohol, I had a complete aversion to it. However in my 2nd and 3rd trimesters I've allowed myself the odd medium glass of wine, with a meal or on special occasions. I have followed the rule 1-2 units once or twice a week and never exceeded that. I have never felt remotely "drunk" and have never had enough that I would even consider myself not able to drive - most weeks I don't have any. However I was at work and I guy said to me "Bet you aren't looking forward to xmas with NO alcohol?" and I replied that I had the odd one and that I had in fact had a glass of wine the previous day with my sunday roast. He looked at me in HORROR and said that when his wife was pregnant she never touched a DROP!

He made me feel dead guilty. Should I?

Oh and top tip: for wine, as most around nowadays are fairly strong 12%+ jobbies, go on the premise that 100ml is 1 unit. Therefore large 250 ml glass is 2.5 units, medium 175 ml glass (what most bars call small) is 1.75 units etc.

[Bue]

GlitterBallys, no you shouldn't feel guilty. You've done nothing wrong! A lot of people just aren't educated on this issue, I'm afraid.

Not to mention the fact that people love to judge and police pregnant womens' behaviour...

[JoEW]

www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-and-you/pregnancy

This is quite a useful link. As far as I can gather there's no evidence to suggest that one or two units, once or twice a week does any damage. FAS is generally associated with serious problem drinking, not having the odd glass now and again, although a level under which it is safe to drink hasn't been established.

[Roxy33]

Glitteryballs - I like the name by the way. I had the same thing happen to me, a male colleague carried on about how his wife didn't drink any alcohol, didn't touch cured meats and brought up several things I didn't even know I wasn't supposed to eat. He was very smug about it all and made me feel very guilty. I got over it though as i've had one or two glasses every few weeks since - I think I took the view that, for me, a happy relaxed me which means an occasional lapse in food / drink is better for the baby than a miserable stressed me without an occasional thing to make me happy....and yes, food and wine make me happy.

[GlitteryBalls]

I like your name too Rox! Guess what? My name in RL is Roxie! Keep it quiet though, i want to stay anon so I can flame people post embarassing stuff without anyone knowing who I am . You must have sensed that we shared the same cool namesake!

[GlitteryBalls]

The name Roxanne must also predispose to alcoholism - tee hee!

[iTigress]

Me and DH drink a bottle of wine between us most evenings and often go a bit mad with friends at weekends. I obviously won't do this when pg, and we're not trying at the moment but we're not being hugely careful either

If I'm pg this month, is it a huge risk?

[iTigress]

I would stop the minute I get a BFP of course.

[StuffingGoldBrass]

Moderate drinking is very very unlikely to harm your foetus. The squawking hysteria about it is to do with controlling women's behaviour not public health.
FWIW I drank quite a lot while PG, mainly because in the first trimester I didn't know I was PG and then afterwards I reckoned that moderate drinking was OK.
My DS has just been put on the Gifted and Talented list.

[GlitteryBalls]

I got completely pissed the night I conceived (figures) and then a week later. I had the last weekend before my BFP as a sober one as I ran a half marathon instead! I got my BFP a day later. I am 34 weeks today and my pg has been completely problem free so far.

[iTigress]

Thanks SGB! I'm going to attempt to be a paragon of virtue when I do get pg, but we've been using the rhythm method or somesuch for the last 9 months, and no sign, so bedamned if I'm having a dry festive season!

[GlitteryBalls]

Rhythm method worked fine with exP for four years, but failed miserably within 3 months of meeting current dp! So, depending on whether you do want to get pg or not, if you don't I shouldn't rely on it forever - if you DO, it will proabaly only be a matter of time!

[StuffingGoldBrass]

Rhythm method is only advisable contraception when you don't really mind if you get PG or not. GB, your four years on it suggest more than anything that your XP was firing blanks.
SOmething to bear in mind is that you can be utterly 'good' and self-martyring from the minute you start TTC, obey every half-witted unscientific superstitious instruction given to PG women - and still have an unfortunate outcome, either MC or baby with serious problems. It's OK to make a risk assessment and decide for yourself what you are comfortable doing and not doing, but there are no guarantees. None at all.