To be disappointed in hearing that many UK woman drink during pregnancy [shock]

It's what some children are taught in schools though- I had a youth worker come in to covwer alcohol with some of t eh kids i teach and she said in moderation it was ok. I said it wasn't and went on to say about FAS but she argued that it is alcoholics that get that and moderater drinking is ok.

Bearing in mind that I am on my 2nd preganncy and she has had no kids so is only going on what she was told by some literature whereas I am fairly up to date- being pg at the minute

Here here fishie!!!

It exists for women who drink to excess. Not those who have the odd glass or two.

Sensible risk assessment is what is missing.

Without full facts, and only media hype, the personal POV's of Health professionals who may not have up to date information, it's hard for pg women to get a 'real' notion of the facts.

IMO, I wouldnt touch alcohol at all in pg, but then I rarely drink alcohol, and dont see what is enjoyable about most alcoholic drinks. I drink to quench a thirst you see.

But not on a couple of small glasses of wine a week surely??

leati

"The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says there is no evidence that a couple of units once or twice a week will do any harm to the baby"

i am sure you mean well and don't want to be rude, but i'd take their word over yours any day.

Leati fine you have your view. Thats your choice and the choice of many other women while pregnant. And I have no problem wih that at all.

But you are well out of order to come on and lecture pregnant women in this way. Who do you think you are? We have the right to make our own choices too. If there was any evidence to support what you are saying I would happily stop but there isn't. Until then I will continue to have the occasional drink.

Advice given to pregnant women in the 60s & 70s (at least) was to drink a bottle of stout every day to keep up iron levels.

How come there's not a whole generation of us walking around with FAS?

Not acceptable? Do you mean not safe? It is safe.

I drink during pg. One or two units a week. Obviously I do not believe this amount of alcohol will damage a baby and there is no research that says it will.

The thought of it all would have you reaching for the bottle!

pmsl at fishie

Well we are lesser mortals after all

indeed ladylush, their tiny pregnant brains have shrivelled so that they are unable to tell the difference between a glass of merlot and a bottle of vodka.

Yes good post fishie

Hear, Hear, Alicet. Well said.

My DP works with mentally disabled adults who live in full time residential care, a few of these had FAS and believe me, if you seen the effect it had on them you wouldn't touch a drop .

I think that to be fair, people did not know (years ago) the effect that alcohol would have and even until recently as TheBlonde points out, it was deemed ok to have a small amount.

Furthermore, there is no new research suggesting the previous advice is unsafe. Many health profs still say one to two units once or twice a week is ok. The reason why the gvmt changed the guidelines to zero alcohol is because they believed that some women can not accurately gauge what a unit is, hence were drinking too much.

leati of course it is not ok to drink heavily or regularly during pregnancy. but to suggest that a bartender is to be encouraged to deny an adult a glass of wine because they are 'visibly pregnant' makes me absolutely furious. this is the thin end of the wedge eroding women's rights over their unborn child and it is yet another stick to beat pregnant women with.

This sort of scaremongering makes me really really angry. there is enough guilt when you're pregnant without adding this.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a very real problem don't get me wrong. But its a problem for women who drink to EXCESS not who enjoy the occasional glass of wine.

The current DOH guidelines are also scaremongering and not based on any evidence. Indeed shortly after publication they admitted that they had only made them to encourage women to drink less, not none.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends no more than 8 units a week and no more than 2 at once. This is a group of doctors who specialise in women's health and childbirth.

If you personally believe that you wouldn't drink in pregnancy I would 100% respect that but what I can't and won't respect is trying to ram your views down other women's throats based on no evidence.

I am 6 months pregnant and I enjoy an occasional glass of wine. My baby will be fine. And if heaven forbid he's not it won't be because of this and I won't feel guilty.

morning Leati. i think the trouble in the uk is the conflicting information that is given to pg women. whilst i think everyone agrees that excessive drinking is not good, some reports over time have suggested that one or two units of red wine are actually beneficial for them. personally i dont drink at all when pg but i think the advice is sketchy if not a little confusing.