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.

[elkegel]

I think if you garner so much benefit and enjoyment from a single glass of wine then you have other issues, clearly

If you judge pregnant women for having a single glass of wine, then you clearly have other issues. How about you give up being overly judgemental for a few months?

[Charlie97]

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.


Wow....judgemental or what!

I don't understand your last but about the lager though, could you (or anyone else) explain?

OP, glass of wine = fine!

[Trifleorbust]

People who normalise any drinking during pregnancy need a verbal slapping.

Oh do we? How charming.

Why exactly should we be subjected to such violent verbiage for doing something we believe to be fine, that no-one has ever shown us to be dangerous, and that is none of your business anyway?

You might want to reflect on having such controlling impulses.

[larrygrylls]

www.cog.brown.edu/courses/cg63/ModerateDrinkingDuringPregnancy.html

The above (and common sense) would tend to imply that MODERATE drinking is not teratogenic. It strikes me that we are a well evolved species who have been exposed to alcohol long enough for women to not desire it were it harmful to their genetic propagation.

In addition all these prohibitions are highly stressful to women (and widely differ between countries). Prolonged exposure to cortisol (the 'stress' hormone) has been shown to be detrimental to the foetus,

In sum, have one (hell, maybe even two) glasses of wine, relax and enjoy your birthday!

[Dozer]

A friend whose (adopted) DC has fetal alcohol syndrome often posts stuff on Facebook arguing for no drinking at all when pregnant.

I hadn't been aware of the number of DC with FAS or what it could mean for DC, but I don't think it's helpful to (virtually) lecture friends and family on FB.

[Dozer]

On the pregnancy stuff I mean.

[larrygrylls]

Foetal alcohol syndrome is a set of neurological defects which, taken together, and with the mother's confirmed risk of alcohol use during pregnancy, leads to the diagnosis.

Clearly when you get a small baby with certain facial features and neurological defects and that baby is the child of an alcoholic, the alcohol (being a toxin) is the most likely culprit.

However, in the very rare cases of FAS in women who have drunk very moderately, I suspect this could be caused by anything and it is confirmation bias on behalf of the diagnoser.

There is a lot of people who want to control pregnant women and cause them stress. Of course it is sensible to avoid large risks but,equally, for most women it is not 'just 9 months' but 18 or 27 months of the some of their best years. There is no reason to avoid all alcohol on the flimsiest of evidence.

[CircleofWillis]

My DC spent almost 5 months in NICU and SCUBU at birth and needed an operation. I found among mums with DCs in hospital that it is common to examine every aspect of what might have contributed to a pregnancy not going to plan. I was just glad that drinking while pregnant wasn't one of them. There were plenty of other things to beat myself up with. I am really happy for all the babies who were fine and 'perfect' but just wanted to point out that not all babies are for whatever reason. Not saying that pregnancies going wrong or a baby getting sick or dying is anyone's 'fault'. Just pointing out that it is human nature to blame yourself and worry about how you might have prevented or changed the situation.

[Trifleorbust]

There were plenty of other things to beat myself up with

That's sad.

Isn't it all the more reason for people not to beat each other up, when rationally they know the risks of having one drink are negligible, and if something goes wrong it could be due to any one of a thousand causes?

[booloobalooloo]

Ynbu. Though, when I was pregnant alcohol made me really really sick. But if it wasn't for that I would have had the occasional small drink.

[welshweasel]

So I assume that all those who say, it's only 9 months, can't you do without, also avoid car travel, flying, exercise, crossing the road, getting at all stressed, other people (wouldn't want to be exposed to something like flu). Thought not.

[SomewhatIdiosyncratic]

I had a sporadic drink here and there in my pregnancies. I was too queasy to want to in the first (higher risk) trimester, and lost any desire for it in the last month or so. I found the adult soft drinks too syrupy, I don't drink tea or coffee anyway, and I'm not toasting in the new year etc with a glass of water or very weak squash which I drink day in, day out. I just like an occasional taste of an alcoholic drink now and then for the pleasure of a taste. That's not a problem in the same way that liking a piece of cake to celebrate a birthday is not a problem, or a sign of eating disorder.

I stopped driving in the last 3 weeks because my bump was rubbing against the steering wheel and the roads were iced up. To me, it wasn't worth the risk of being stranded or risking the driver's airbag activating directly into my bump in the increased risk of a small shunt. It was a personal decision. I'd imagine most people would take a dim view of advocating banning driving in late pregnancy or in adverse weather because of an increased risk of accidents and say that it's an over zealous reaction to a small risk.

The advice on drinking in.pregnancy is not absolute and flips around every few years. Heavy, regular drinking has been deterred for some time. The difference between abstinence and an occasional glass is so small that research hasn't been able to ethically draw firm conclusions.

[lorelairoryemily]

I wouldn't and didn't. As pp said its only one birthday

[dilapidated]

Im having the occasional glass of red wine during my current pregnancy.

I'm at a wedding this weekend and would love to toast with a sip of champagne but won't be going so as I've had plenty of comments from people going assuming I wouldn't be touching a drop and don't fancy causing any disapproving looks.

Il just sit there and scoff my face with Pate instead

[Lweji]

The highly judgemental post was funny.
I hardly ever drink and yet during pregnancy there was one time that I really fancied sangria and had half of a small glass. Just because I fancied it. I feel no guilt at all.

We should be careful, though. These days wine glasses tend to be large and one a week becomes too regular.
I wouldn't drink so regularly except for a sip or too.

[Flowersinyourhair]

"I assume that all those who say, it's only 9 months, can't you do without, also avoid car travel, flying, exercise, crossing the road, getting at all stressed, other people (wouldn't want to be exposed to something like flu). Thought not"

Indeed, but those who drink during pregnancy can't avoid those things either can they. They are adding additional risks, not swapping them for different ones.

[IJustLostTheGame]

Yanbu.
I had the odd glass of wine to begin with.
I had to stop around 6 months though, after half a small glass made me feel dizzy and sick.

[Trifleorbust]

Flowersinyourhair:

You could indeed avoid driving, flying, exercise, crossing the road, stress, yoga etc. Each time you choose to do any one of those things you are 'adding additional risks'.

[goose1964]

It strikes me that the risk is a theoretical risk rather than an actual risk, the chanced of one glad of wine an entire pregnancy must be minimal, when I had my 3 we were told we could drink but not too much, in fact my obgyn suggested Guinness for the iron

[supermoon100]

Given that they give pregnant women pethidine in labour, which is way way more toxic than one glass of wine, then I think it's ok to indulge every now and then!

[Mrsglitterfairy]

Happy birthday op
One glass of wine won't harm baby at all, have one and enjoy it
I had the odd drink when pregnant with both of mine, think a small glass of champagne with Xmas lunch, one on nye that sort of thing.

[Crunchyside]

supermoon100 And diamorphine which is literally heroin!

I am reading a birth preparation book and highlighted this passage the other day

[Lweji]

Drugs during birth and during fetal development are not exactly the same.

[Summerisdone]

As many others have said here, it's a personal choice OP. Some will see there being no problem with just an occasional small drink whilst others would prefer to be completely tee total whilst pregnant.

I was 7 months pregnant when it was my 25th birthday, also DSis arranged for me to have a surprise baby shower on the same day, so allowed myself 2 1/2 pints for the occasion. One 1/2 around midday and the other 1/2 I had later in the evening.
I didn't feel wrong for doing so as they were the only alcoholics drinks I had all pregnancy and it's not like I drank enough to get drunk or bring harm to my baby.

[supermoon100]

Lweji - no indeed they are not but that does suggest that somewhere in pregnancy it must be ok to have a glass of wine if they are willing to pump you with heroin whilst baby still inside you. This is not a black and white subject hence people should put away their judgey pants.