Who has a glass of wine? No bashing please

[Mamabear12]

I have a glass of wine once a week. A small glass and I feel guilty about this. Although, the midwife said this is fine. With my first I had a glass prob once a month. I was more strict. Also, this time around I have coffee (one cup made at home) every other day. I feel guilty about that as well.

Please list how often you drink either wine or coffee. If you don't drink either at all, no need to post please.

[lovelylentils]

I don't drink any alcohol but I do have a small cup of coffee each morning (only about 2 mouthfuls really as I gag after that but it helps wake me up)

[ExpatAl]

I have an expresso now and then. I don't know if it's just the placebo effect but it really helps with my afternoon headaches.

[RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief]

I have 2 DC. I didn't really drink either alcohol or coffee in the first trimester with either as the thought made me feel sick (I did chain drink tea though- I love a cuppa).

In the second and third trimesters I had at least one latte a day and a glass of wine 1/2 a week.

[ExpatAl]

Oh yes tea - 2 or 3 cups a day. So I guess I'm getting caffeine one way or another!

[Vakant]

I have a morning coffee every day, and a glass of wine a week.

[AuntieStella]

In 1st two PGs, I had the odd alcoholic drink (I'd like to say single unit, but home poured, so probably 2), but went off caffeine. In 3rd PG I dodn't drink alcohol because I went off it, but did drink coffee frequently.

[Kelly1814]

i have one coffee first thing in the morning before leaving the house for work. tried de caf but hated it. i enjoy this one coffee immensely.

i also have one or two glasses of wine each week, usually at the weekend when out for dinner with hubby or friends. I had one last night. sipped it over a 90 minute period and again, enjoyed it immensely.

I'm 17+5, waited to have a glass of wine until i was about 15 weeks, from memory.

[Mamabear12]

Oh wow u gag after? Some women go off coffee when pregnant. I never did. I love the taste and how it wakes me up in morning. I need something when I wake at 5:30am, thanks to a little 15 month old princess and I work full time 5 days a week, plus pregnant 15 weeks. I need a little pick up in morning. Although I try not to have caffeine every day. Sometimes I have decaf. Or I make my husband have half caffeine and half decaf,mso I can share w him lol.

[roofio87]

I have coffee every day,just the one cup.would have the occasional wine but the heartburn puts me right off!!

[yousankmybattleship]

If you feel guilty why do you do it? Genuine question.

[ellajayne]

I'm not pregnant but with my first I had two glasses on my birthday (red wine) at 12 weeks and on my second a glass of red at my belated engagement party when I was 10 weeks. I didn't drink regularly through either but I was always told there was no harm.

[Lydia161290]

I must have drank like 2 glasses of wine in this whole pregnancy, both times I ended up with my head in a toilet! Haven't touched alcohol for months.

But I feel super guilty for drinking coffee. I went off tea in first trimester and haven't touched it since (used to be a chain tea drinker). So my substitute has been a cup of coffee in the morning and i've tried to be strict with myself, however... currently sipping on an iced coffee at the moment.

But I try and make up for it by drinking water/milkshake for the rest of the day.

[OneFingerSjupesUpTheYoni]

I had a smirnoff ice or two when pregnant with dd every 2-3 weeks until 11 weeks when i felt queezy, didn't drink at all with ds as before i knew i was pregnant everytime i drank it came back up so there was no point even trying once i did know.

I've had half a small glass of wine this time which made my head spin so not again, once in a very blue moon (maybe 3 times) i'll open a tin of carlsberg and have a few sips then give it to dp to finish as i don't want it - more just 'a wee tasty' that makes sense..

[CajaDeLaMemoria]

YouSankMyBattleship I'm wondering that too.

Completely genuinely, and not judgementally at all.

I don't have children, so perhaps that's why I don't understand. I don't drink much, either, because of serious health problems.

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

Didn't drink til about 16wks with DS (although got BFP on almighty sambucca hangover at 8weeks...) then had half a glass of red on the occasional Sunday night

Didn't drink til 12weeks with DD (BFP at 4weeks) and had 1-2 units 1-2 x a week. No guilt.

No caffeine first time, copious amounts of tea the second time. I also ate sushi and runny eggs.

[Repeatedlydoingthetwist]

I soooo want to have both but my CHRONIC heartburn is preventing me fro having either
I'd love a good cup of coffee and see no issue with this.

[OneFingerSjupesUpTheYoni]

I craved coffee with dd - about 5-6 cups of hot sweet black coffee every morning for 10 weeks - i didn't hear about the no coffee malarky until pregnant with ds. With ds i had milky coffee maybe twice a week and this time round i went off coffee until a few days ago and drank a cup of tea or two most days.

[mrsmalcolmreynolds]

Caffeine most days, never more than one large latte and usually just a mug of tea. Alcohol max 2 units (I measure out using a cocktail set I got as a present and check the ABV on the bottle) not more than twice a week and usually more like once every ten days. Didn't have any alcohol from positive test (5 wks) until about 14 wks.

[badguider]

I don't like coffee - I have one to two cups of caffeinated tea a day. One in the morning and one if I'm out somewhere that decaff options aren't good. I try not to drink coke if I have had two cups of tea but sometimes I guess I've had as much as two teas and two cokes (at a work do where there was no decaff tea and the evening non-alcohol choice was coke or oj).

I have about a third of a glass of red wine when out for dinner if the others are ordering a bottle.. I guess it's been about one a fortnight. I generally don't want more than to sip it with my food/main course. I had one glass of bubbly at a wedding.

Just discovered alcohol-free erdinger weiss beer which was delicious but made me burp sooooo much

[Dexidoo]

I'm not a fan of instant coffee but have switched to decaf in the home machine and when out for coffee. As long as it's good stuff I don't mind the change. Drink 2 cups a tea on average, regular as the decaf I can't stand.

I think I only had about 2 units in the whole time up to 20 weeks but I went off it completely with nausea. I'm 25 weeks now and say I probably have 2 units a week. Still not keen on wine (which is my usual tipple) but discovered Becks premium light which is 0.8 units for a big bottle and can't bring myself to go back to the Becks blue!

My midwife did catbumface when I told her one or two units a week but it's my decision and I'm happy with it!

[FrickingFedUp]

I did, but only after 20 weeks. Not by any conscious decision, I attempted a small glass of wine on holiday in the first trimester but it tasted like vinegar, even though I was assured by rest of table it didn't, so just didn't fancy it til later on. Then I had the odd glass on special occasions, mum's 50th, Xmas day, NYE etc, but never more than 1-2 units once or twice a week.

I also breast fed and drank occasionally doing mixed feeding where appropriate. And probably as dd got older got a bit less cautious as time went on and she was finding less - fed her til 12 months and by that point was probably up to my usual intake of a bottle a week. But by then she was only feeding morning and night, so I'd give her feed at bedtime and would occasionally have a glass or two after that feed, and then not feed her til morning.

I think common sense should prevail, a small glass especially late in pg is unlikely to do any harm.

[dizzy77]

Went off tea in first trimester but now maybe 3 or 4 cups each day. Perhaps 3 or 4 (coffee shop) lattes a week. Think the caffeine limiting guidance is mostly to do with it limiting iron absorption, my iron levels have been fine through both pgs so I've decided not to go mad here.

Booze? A weekly half of beer or a glass of white wine, split into two & spritzed with sparkling water. Used to drink like a fish before first pg but never really got the taste back so that's been much easier this pg: if I've fancied it, I've had it, I just haven't fancied it much. Unless its champagne, of course, which I crave every day .

[Bodicea]

I have been having little snuffles of my fellas glass of wine. Once I get to 20 weeks I think I will allow myself the odd small glass at home-although not if dh has anything to do with it. He is dead against it!
It is easier to just have a few sips of partners beverage when out as I feel like I will be judged if I order my own in a bar/restaurant.
I remember my friend tutting at another friend who was drinking a small beer at Christmas when she was way past 30 weeks!

[ChangeNameToday]

I hate the way women are made to feel like schoolchildren over the choices they make in pregnancy. You would have to drink steadily and regularly for it to have any effect on your unborn child. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is only seen in babies born to alcoholics. A glass here and there will do no harm whatsoever. Ditto when you are breastfeeding. I breastfed for nearly 2 years - you think I remained tee-total for that long? Of course not.

So many sticks to beat us with.

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

I agree with yousankmybattleship - why do it if you feel guilty?

FWIW your caffeine consumption is well within the very precautionary NHS guidelines and there has never been any evidence to show very light drinking in pregnancy is harmful (1 to 2 units, once or twice a week) so I really am not getting the guilt

High caffeine consumption is considered a strong risk factor in first trimester miscarriage - that is the main reason for the guidelines and why women trying to conceive are also advises to cut it down. Drinking a lot of tea interferes with iron absorption though IIRC that is not caffeine related. After 3 months I would be more concerned about tea intake rather than coffee.