Wine when pregnant

[patronsaintofglocks]

Hi everyone.
I'm nearly 15 weeks pregnant with my first. It's my 24th birthday today.

I'm going out with my DP for dinner this evening, would IBU to have a glass of wine with my meal?

Thank you.

[DryIce]

It saddens me that alcohol is worth so much more to some than their baby.

Oh FFS.

For what it's worth, I think it's fine. I haven't personally indulged but that's more because I love booze and I suspect one glass would just make me want the whole bottle! I have not been against sipping my husband's, or ordering a glass while out for dinner but making him drink most of it. I guarantee we all do far more risky things to our foetuses over the course of pregnancy than having a small glass of wine on your birthday.

I'm also quietly snickering at the amount of cake emojis you've been given. (I don't know how to do them). For the you wouldn't feed your baby wine crowd, i also wouldn't feed them cake! And there is demonstrable evidence as to the negative effects of too much sugar in pregnancy but no one gets up on their high horse about us eating cake!

[Batgirlspants]

it saddens me blah blah

Op your biggest risk is the drive or walk to your restaurant but you wouldn't think twice about that would you as you shouldn't.

All the evidence says it's fine to have the occasional glass. I didn't with dc1 but had maybe 2 a week with dc4.

She got 9 A star GCSEs and is on track for top A levels.

Cheers for your one and happy birthday.

[Pardonwhat]

I would and did.

[LaurieMarlow]

There's no evidence to suggest that drinking in small quantities (no more than a glass or two a week, preferably with food) causes any damage. Check out Emily Oster's book, very illuminating.

If your objective is to minimise all possible risk, then a more effective strategy would be to avoid travelling by car for the rest of your pregnancy, but nobody ever seems to get het up about cars for some reason.

[elkegel]

If your objective is to minimise all risk, then an effective strategy would be to avoid pregnancy altogether, which is quite a risky business.

[Tobolsk]

I don't think there's is too much of a issue. I think if you use your common sense you will be fine.

I drank an occasional glass of wine and didn't really change my diet at all whilst pregnant. I avoided cheese and shellfish if it didn't look appetizing.

[n0ne]

IMHO, it's fine. But many would disagree.

[MrsKoala]

I would and did with my 3 pregnancies. A small glass of white, half a Guinness or a pint of shandy occasionally.

[Limitededition7inch]

I had DS and drank and he is absolutely fine. I got to 14 weeks recently and hadn't drunk at all and had a MC. (Not implying there is any connection but wanted to support as PPs have said, that pregnancy is inherently risky and there is no telling what may or may not happen.)

If you would like a small glass of wine every now and then, I really wouldn't worry about it. But it is up to you. Advice changes so frequently that I can't keep up with whether you're meant to abstain totally or limit to a couple of units.

[Womanmanormodernmonkey]

Your body so your choice. My friend is a midwife and she drank the odd glass of wine! You could always give a bit to your oh and top the rest up with a lot of soda water if you're concerned.

[WankingMonkey]

If you fancy it, go for it.

Expect judgey looks off judgey cunts though. Middle finger should help.

[donquixotedelamancha]

My youngest daughter has Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, so I have a reasonable understanding of what I say. Please don't just 'go with your feelings' or random advice from strangers, instead please spend a few minutes to google the actual risks and make an informed choice.

The following is from DDs paediatric neurologist, you can check it easily:

1. The causes of FASD are complex. It is not well understood and can appear random in relation to amount of alcohol.
   
2. Children of alcoholics can sometimes be fine, but cases of FASD have been repeatedly recorded as caused by a single instance of a small amount of alcohol.
   
3. Because of this uncertainty, and the difficulty in accurately checking individual cases, it's impossible to say what the risks are with low amounts of consumption. At the moment, the best evidence is that all alcohol consumption while pregnant carries some risk.
   
4. Please look up the symptoms of FASD. It's not good.
   

My suggestion would be that a single small glass of wine would be very, very low risk- but it's easy to get carried away.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/alcohol-medicines-drugs-pregnant.aspx

[Trifleorbust]

2. Children of alcoholics can sometimes be fine, but cases of FASD have been repeatedly recorded as caused by a single instance of a small amount of alcohol.

I'd like evidence of this. Sounds like a pretty outrageous claim to me.

[Oblomov17]

Of course it's fine.
These silly people saying 'why risk it' really get on my nerves.
An occasional glass of wine 🍷 whilst pg? Hardly a crime! But you'd think it was, based on some posts!

[Crumbs1]

Sorry to disappoint the pro drinkers but there IS evidence that even low alcohol consumption can affect the baby.

www.livescience.com/17971-drinking-pregnancy-worst-trimester.html

I'm sure one glass on a birthday won't harm but would I take the risk? No because if I then had a prem/ low birthweight baby I'd feel guilty for ever.

[WatchHowISoar]

I had one tiny glass with my first before knowing I was pregnant. I miscarried that baby.

My second pregnancy I didn't find out for a while and was very pissed on two occasions at the start. Baby was absolutely fine.

I think it's up to you. Yanbu to have or not to have.

[NeedMoreSleepOrSugar]

I haven't with my pregnancies, but it's one glass, if you want one, have it. I noticed this pregnancy that the midwife actually went out of her way to say it's fine to have the odd glass (I appreciate this advice isn't the same everywhere, maybe she thought I liked like I needed one!)

[supermoon100]

If you think that many women don't even know they're pregnant for the first few weeks and carry on drinking as normal in the most vulnerable time of the foetuses life, then that might suggest it's ok to have the ocassional glass without any problems

[Crumbs1]

According to research the most dangerous period is latter part of first trimester - 10- 14 weeks.

[CantGetNoSleeeeeeep]

I would not it's only 9 months to wait!

[blueberryporridge]

I wouldn't and didn't it. Why take a risk, however small, by doing something you don't need to do? All these pps saying that they drank with no ill consequences do not constitute scientific evidence and no-one can possibly say with any certainty that drinking a small amount in pregnancy carries no risk. However, I can say with total certainty that if you avoid drinking totally, your baby will have absolutely no risk of having problems caused by its mother drinking....

[elkegel]

Why take a risk, however small, by doing something you don't need to do?

Because the benefit and enjoyment vastly outweighs the risk?

[Wando1986]

I think if you garner so much benefit and enjoyment from a single glass of wine then you have other issues, clearly. Why can't you just do without? It's just 9 months ffs. People who normalise any drinking during pregnancy need a verbal slapping. If it was a pint of lager twice a week people wouldn't act the same towards it at all.

[BathshebaDarkstone]

I say lucky you if you can drink it! It gave me morning sickness/ heartburn with each of my pregnancies.

[Bluntness100]

I also think it's fine although personally I didn't once I knew.

I'd also say that many people drink before they even know they are pregnant and at 15 weeks you probably aren't noticeably pregnant so will avoid any dirty looks, a lot of people can be very judgemental about an obviously pregnant women drinking or smoking.