WIBU to have one small beer at 5 weeks pregnant?

[BlackberryQ]

It's a lovely wedding celebration outside on a hot day. How much harm could it do?

I'm on the fence and you can talk me out of it if it's really a bad idea!

I'm not advising anyone? I'm not a bloody doctor!

Well, I have passed on the expert opinion of one of my regions top consultants and 2, that's 2, separate midwives, wouldn't call that advising though.

But, with respect, I doubt they made a video to deal with the shocking level of women having one drink at 5 weeks.

I drunk throughout my pregnancy and my baby was fine.
Though others will say I was very very wrong.
I also smoked before I found out (didn't find out until I was nearly a month gone). My mum also smoked and drank through all 3 of her pregnancies and we were all fine.

I wouldn't - the risk of miscarriage is still very high at five weeks and while I absolutely don't think it'll cause one, I do think it'll give you something to obsess over if it does happen. But - and I'm telling you this so you can take my advice with the gigantic grain of salt it deserves - I'm saying that because I've had three miscarriages between five and seven weeks and for two of the three I'd had some alcohol before I knew I was pregnant and tortured myself over it. That, of course, gives me a particular perspective that you might well want to ignore.

No 'safe' level of acohol in pregnancy has been identified. No alcohol means no risk. It's not rocket science. Look at the effects low level alcohol consumption had on that fetus in utero @sparechange. That's good enough for me.

Everyone else can decide what is good for them. Women do have choice. Women can go home and choose to drink or not drink. Babies unfortunately depend on their mothers to make the right choice. So make it. But be confident in your choices.

I'm out of this. It's one of those topics that pop up periodically where people's opinions will not be swayed. So why even try. Sigh.

I drank occasionally during my only two pregnancies, which both resulted in babies of good weight and bright children who have done well educationally.

Enjoy!

reborn
You seem to be struggling with the concept of risk analysis

There is also no established zero-risk amount of orange juice. Or paracetamol. Or sex. Or leaving the house

Probably best that you've decided to bow out. You seem a bit out of your depth with the argument you're trying to make

At five weeks, there is no placenta. How exactly is the alcohol supposedly reaching the fetus to cause fetal alcohol syndrome?

I didn't have a drink at all until after around 15 weeks but I am sure the odd one can't hurt ! I am now 29 weeks and around once a week I'll have a couple of white wine spritzers at home. I'd never drink alcohol in public for fear of comments/ being judged. I've already had the in laws look a bit 'off' when I tried a drop of cider at a family BBQ! Hate all the judgement that comes with being pregnant.

No 'safe' level of acohol in pregnancy has been identified

No safe level of chocolate in pregnancy has been identified either. Or air, for that matter.

But we do know that one beer at 5 weeks can't do any harm. There is no mechanism for harm.

Of course it's fine to have one or two drinks - I didn't even know I was pregnant for 10 weeks - was happily drinking my usual 2/3 glasses of wine a night.

Does anyone really think that ONE drink is going to harm the baby? .

I had the odd beer whilst pregnant, there is a difference between having a drink with dinner and getting drunk.

I was screamed at by the pharmacist practically when I went to buy co codamol and stupidly said "yes" to "are you pregnant". "They are NOT safe for use when pregnant" "even if advised by a gp?" "No absolutely not, a gp wouldn't advise that"

Took a call to my doctor before they believed that he was the one who told me to buy them for my spd.

@RebornSlippy struggles with quite a lot of things tbf

Professional GF, mark my words

@sparechange, I'd just like to say that you are a very dangerous poster to have on a board like this. Why you feel you are placed to advise anyone that alcohol is safe in pregnancy is absolutley mind boggling to me. Are you a midwife? An obstetrician? A researcher?

What is your agenda? Did you yourself drink during pregnancy? The odd 'glass of wine' here and there and a 'champagne' on special occassions? And let me guess, your kids are perfect? Does it make you feel justified in your own decisions to advise others to do as you did?

You assume I'm out of my depth in this argument? Perhaps I am. You can't argue with stupid after all. Let me say this though, I have seen more of the effects of alcohol in pregnancy than you have. Up close and personal. Yes, lets face it, the chances of one small glass of beer doing damage is minimal. I've already said that. However, we don't know. We just don't know for sure. Don't you see? No alcohol = no risk. That is my advise to anyone who asks this question.

Do you think if a poster took your advice and had that small glass went on to have miscarriage, they would perhaps blame themselves? And realistically, their loss would most likely have had no relation to the alcohol. Unfortuntately, the mind doesn't work that way. Self blame is the first port of call. That glass of wine will be the first thing they think of. So why? Why bother?

Anyway, yeah, I really need to quit this. It's pointless. Carry on wheeling out your excellent advice.

I knew she'd throw in 'agenda' next. That's what people always do when they're making the argument she is. And no I didn't, since you ask.

@Jiggly just caught your comment before I flounced off. Excuse me? Do I know you? I have NO recollection of you whatsoever, but I've obviously pissed on your chips somewhere along the way!

No idea what a GF is, but I'll happily mark your words. Thanks for the heads up.

Ciao.

Just saying as a non drinker that Erdinger alcohol free beer has my OH jumping for joy it's so good. When he's out with friends and driving he says it tastes so good it doesn't feel any different.

There has also been no safe level of cheese established. Not one study has definitively stated how much cheddar you can eat. There is no evidence whatsoever. We do know that a diet with 20kilos of cheese a week would cause issues and be detrimental, so it's probably best to ban all cheese while you're pregnant.

Ditto bread.

Ditto water.

See what I mean? You can't just avoid everything that could potentially be bad in large amounts. Obviously, avoid anything that has proven risks, but I bet all the posters above commenting sanctimoniously about how they would never ever have one drink in pregnancy were on a train, or a car, or ate ham, or salad, or had a barbecue, or didn't do prenatal yoga or whatever.

There is a lot of evidence that 2-4 units of alcohol 2-3 times a week has no effect on pregnancy so I would be comfortable with that personally. The reason that the official guidelines changed from this evidence-based amount is because the powers that be thought women were too stupid to be able to know what a unit of alcohol was anyway 🙄🙄🙄

I hate beer, so couldn't understand why anyone would want one at all, let alone when pregnant - but I probably wouldn't. Note the 'probably'. I went on a weekend away at 11 weeks in my last pregnancy with a friend I very rarely see (different countries) for my birthday and had a small glass of wine both evenings with/after dinner. Then after 20 weeks I had the odd tiny (really tiny) glass, perhaps averaging about once every fortnight. But early in the first trimester I would have been uncomfortable about it, tbh.

Realistically, as a one-off one small beer is very unlikely to do any harm.

One small one is fine - enjoy it!

More than that, no.

(I am old enough to have older friends who were prescribed Guinness when pregnant! I mean, it's a terrible idea for every day, but one is fine.)

If you plan ahead, OP, waitrose do a lovely 1% low alcohol cider. Becks Blue is also nice - nothing like the revolting low-alc lager they used to make.

The thing that always pops into my mind in discussions like these is the fact that some of the chemicals in cleaning products probably aren't great (understatement) for the foetus either. But nobody ever advises women to stop cleaning.

Reborn, a beer really, really, REALLY won't cause a miscarriage. I know a bit about causes of miscarriage. I've had six of the bloody things. Posting that sort of 'what if' isn't helpful.

And FYI, no, I didn't blame myself for mine

You've got to get used to not having a drink for the next year or so, sorry!

Pregnancy only lasts 40 weeks, or it did the last time I checked.

reborn

I'm not advising anyone. I'm posting pics of lists of peer reviewed studies from some of the world's leading academic institutions which have concluded there is no risk.

You are posting hysteria, and one video which doesn't say what you think it says AND was made by an organisation with an agenda.

And when you've been challenged to show some sources for your hysteria, you've flounced off