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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Pregnant and enjoying the odd alcoholic beverage??

40 replies

Leilababyno1 · 14/12/2010 23:37

I am 20 weeks preggers and have recently started enjoying the odd drink. By drink I mean, a small glass of wine/bubbly with the sunday lunch...How do other mums-to-be feel about occasional drinking during pregnancy?

I know that you are advised to abstain during the first trimester, but after this point does anyone feel that the occasional alcoholic beverage is ok?

OP posts:

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hastingsmum · 15/12/2010 00:09

The advise varies from country to country a great deal it seems....

I don't drink any alcohol when pregnant, not worth the risk for me, but then I have an adopted sister with braindamage because of (excessive) drinking.

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BluTac · 15/12/2010 00:32

I had a drink on a couple of occasions, eg. a pint of bitter shandy (so half a bitter) a glass of wine (small) and a jd and coke on one occasion
Not all on the same night, obviously, I personally don't think there could be any problem from that, but I suppose you never know. Ds is fine btw.

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batshit · 15/12/2010 00:56

The odd glass of alcohol, especially once past 20 weeks will do and the baby you NO HARM WHATSOEVER. As long as it's the one glass with Sunday lunch, or the half glass at a Christmas party.
I probably drank about 2 bottles of wine over my entire pregnancy (after first trimester)

btw - a glass of wine when you're in early labour is recommended as it helps you relax.

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smoggii · 15/12/2010 04:38

It all depends which research you read so i only read the research that suggested moderate drinking was ok!

I have had the odd glass of wine here and there since 20 weeks.

I am aware that some people consider that complete abstinance is the only way, that is their choice. This is my choice and i will be the one that faces any consequences.

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Sierra19 · 15/12/2010 05:11

I don't drink (28 weeks now) but then I don't drink when I am not pregnant.

I do not see anything wrong with the odd one though. I did actually (at about 14-15 wks ish) buy a small bottle of cider and neck half of it just because I fancied it

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redheadmummy · 15/12/2010 11:05

I am 24/40 and I dont think there is anything wrong with the odd glass of wine or beer. I love good red wine and before I was 20/40 if my DH was having a glass I would have a little bit. I have my work christmas party tonight and I will have a small glass of red with dinner :)

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ChoChoSan · 15/12/2010 11:11

I probably have 2 glasses of wine about twice a week on average, I have had a bit more on occasions such as birthday/works xmas do. I think we'll both live!

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StiffyByng · 15/12/2010 11:53

I got married and had my hen night in the first trimester, so ended up drinking a glass and a half of champagne in that period to stop people guessing too much! I'm 20 weeks now and have had 2 or 3 small glasses of wine since then, and intend to have the odd glass carrying on. Most of the time I have no interest at all in booze but then I really want some so have a small bit.

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AliBellandthe40jingles · 15/12/2010 12:15

I have a glass when I fancy it. Many weeks I have none, when we were on holiday I had a small glass 4 days in a row.

Small amounts do no harm whatsoever.

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ChildofIsis · 15/12/2010 12:18

When I was pregnant with DD, now 4; the midwife said that a small drink now and then in late stages was ok as long as I didn't get drunk.
Apparently if you get drunk the alchohol passes through the placenta and can affect the baby.

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FindingAManger · 15/12/2010 12:28

I do enjoy the odd glass of wine or bubbly with food. I did it with DD & with this pregnancy too - though I don't do it very often, certainly not every week.

Will no doubt have a few glasses over the festive season and I have no problem with it at all.

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Leilababyno1 · 15/12/2010 12:44

I am glad that there are a lot of other women out there that feel the same as I do- don't feel so guilty now! I will definitely be having one or two glasses of bubbly over the festive season.

Like many others though, I don't always fancy a drink.. but then occasionally I have desperately craved, half a cider or a Ginger beer- yum! :)

OP posts:

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expectingno3 · 15/12/2010 12:50

I didn't drink for the first 3 months but (I'm 23 weeks now) have a small glass or two of wine on a friday and saturday. Must say though, if you're abstaining, Becks Blue is a great non alcoholic beer.

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ecuse · 15/12/2010 12:56

I have occasionally had a small glass but never more than one and no more than twice a week (in fact, so few that I can remember the ones I have had - 7 small glasses in total over 22 weeks)

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theevildead2 · 15/12/2010 13:59

I don't drink at all during pregnancy.

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MoonUnitAlpha · 15/12/2010 14:01

I haven't seen any evidence at all that light drinking - say, 2-3 drinks a week (not in one sitting) - does any harm at all.

I had a glass of wine or a beer with food once or twice a week from about 14 weeks onwards.

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lilly13 · 15/12/2010 14:41

I used to love my wine pre-pregnancy. I thought I would not be able to go without it.... However, I completely went off any kind of alcohol the minute I found out I was pregnant. I plan to not drink at all. I feel that this is selfish and irresponsible. After all, I have the rest of my life to drink wine after pregnancy and breastfeeding, and giving it up for 1.5 years is not a big sacrifice plus it is tremendously healthy!

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AliBellandthe40jingles · 15/12/2010 15:01

Lilly I find your tone objectionable.

By all means make your own choices, but please don't label those of us who make different choices as 'selfish and irresponsible'. There is no evidence to suggest that very moderate drinking during pregnancy or breastfeeding does any harm whatsoever.

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midori1999 · 15/12/2010 15:03

It's threads like these that make me realise why they suggest no alcohol at all during pregnancy, because not everyone is very good at judging how much is acceptable.

I choose not to drink at all during pregnancy. They don't really know what risk is attached to it and some studies have suggested even light drinking can cause FASD. Alcohol crosses the placenta, it doesn't matter how much you drink. If there is alcohol in your blood, it is in your baby's blood.

I do think it is probably fine with having the odd drink and I wouldn't critiscise anyone for doing so, it's just that I pesonally prefer not to take the risk.

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Ilovekittyelise · 15/12/2010 15:20

Midori to quote you directly:

'It's threads like these that make me realise why they suggest no alcohol at all during pregnancy, because not everyone is very good at judging how much is acceptable. '

Which of the one small drink once or twice a week posts is it that you find leaping over the bounds of what you consider responsible? It's rather contradictory to then go on to say:

'I do think it is probably fine with having the odd drink and I wouldn't critiscise anyone for doing so, it's just that I pesonally prefer not to take the risk.'

All the ladies have described their own experiences of having 'the odd drink', I fail to see what your first comment relates to? or did someone post something about nights out having 5 pints and a scuff in the pub car park and then delete it?

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Cyclebump · 15/12/2010 15:29

My midwife said it's all about moderation. A small glass of wine a week is fine.

I'm 24 weeks and have had three small glasses of wine/champagne since I got pregnant. I've had at least four days between each one.

I work for a medical publisher and the general consensus among the clinical bods is to be sensible and not be quaffing every night or saving up all your glasses for the month and having them in one go (apparently some people do this).

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midori1999 · 15/12/2010 15:39

Ilovekittyelise, I haven't contradicted myself at all.

I said 'threads like these', which does not mean this thread exclusively. On another similar thread one person stated they had a glass of wine every night, that's hardly within any guidelines is it?

I maintain that I wouldn't critiscise anyone for having the odd drink and I personally class 'the odd' drink as one or two small glasses of wine or the equivalent occasionally or infrequently. That's where part of the problem lies, isn't it? Everyone has their own definition of 'the odd' drink?

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theDudesmummy · 15/12/2010 15:43

I had a glass of champagne once a week when I was pregnant. I am sure it did no harm.

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PipPipPip · 15/12/2010 15:52

Oh gawd, there's so much on Mumsnet about this!! Have a scroll back through the posts in the pregnancy section.

Anyway, I'm on the liberal end of things - I eat well, do yoga, read lots about pregnancy, blah blah blah, and feel TOTALLY comfortable having a couple of drinks now and again.

My Mum and MIL both say "oh, gosh, in the 70s it wasn't even an issue".

But of course, each to their own!! I would never do anything to harm my baby, I just TRULY believe a couple of drinks won't.

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JoEW · 15/12/2010 16:19

FAS is not considered to be caused by the kind of light drinking that is being discussed on this thread and to suggest so is really scaremongering. There isn't a lower limit established because people are not accurate about what they have consumed.

In most studies were FAS has been attributed to 'moderate' (not light) drinking it's suspected that the mother was actually drinking more heavily than they admitted. There is no evidence to suggest that one or two glasses of wine a week does any harm.

The reason that the advice is no alcohol is because people can't always judge what they have consumed. I've had a glass or two of wine a week during my pregnancy and will continue to do so. I quite understand why peple abstain, if you don't feel comfortable don't drink. I'm pretty relaxed about things and also eat quite a few 'banned' foods. I don't expect this will do any harm at all, though I know risks have been identified. IMO stressing about what you can or can't do it likely to be equally as harmful. I'm going for a chilled out pregnancy with the odd glass of wine, because it's bloody lovely to feel like a grown up now and again.