To ask if you had a drink while pregnant

[secretdoubleagent]

So before anyone judges I'm not talking about going out and getting hammered I am meaning the occassional glass of wine with dinner.

I'm currently pregnant (13 weeks) and just really in the mood for 1 with dinner tonight. I had with my last pregnancy (maybe 3 glasses on different nights throughout the whole time) however it was not until I was much further down the line.

Just wanted to see others opinions really, I know the NHS is strickly zero, however it wasn't that long ago that it was 1 or 2 units once a week.

Yes, the occasional white wine spritzer or lager shandy, after the first trimester in my second pregnancy. Totally went off it altogether for the first trimester - had an active aversion to it in fact. Anyway, both babies born very happy and healthy - my eldest is now 7 and doing very well at school. 19mo dd developing normally.

Pre Frozen sushi is fine as long as you stick to the fish limits (for heavy metals.)

Soft cheese - depends on the type but anything pasteurised should be OK. Not blue cheeses.

The major listeria outbreaks of the last few years have almost all been linked to poorly prepared fruit and veg - frozen sweet corn and veg mix is the latest one. Hep B in frozen berries the other year.

It’s very important to wash fruit and veg and salads thoroughly - you’re more likely to pick up food poisoning from such things than from most meat.

Yes, 1 small bottle of beer at some barbecue event and then( different occasion) one glass of white wine with water, very diluted. Everything was fine and kids were born healthy.

Not in first trimester but thereafter probably 2 glasses of red wine every 10 days/once a week. I ate very, very healthily though and obvs. didn't smoke. I think it's fine. I did my research.

DD is bilingual and just won a national maths competition

Have a glass! It will be fine.

Not a drop since I found out at about 6 weeks (21 weeks now). I really like Heineken 0% and Becks Blue so I've had that for the football and beer garden trips. I would love a rhubarb gin and tonic though!

I may have had something approaching a bucket of gin one evening before I realised I was pregnant but as soon as I found out, I had absolutely none until he was born. That was my choice, I decided my baby's health trumped any desire I might have for a glass of wine. The advice does change all the time, which kind of leads me to believe no one really knows the real potential risks and for such a short bit of my life balanced against such a crucial time for my child's development it never occurred to me to take that risk.

Currently 27weeks. I haven't and I won't. I don't even know how likely it is to cause issues but the way I thought about it is, if something did happen, would I want the doubt in my mind that I caused it? Everyone should be allowed to make their own choice without judgement.

One small glass of champagne in 2 pregnancies. I did eat some very boozy Christmas cake and Christmas pudding if that counts though!

Why would you?

If you get tipsy or feel any effects of the alcohol, it’s at a high enough level to affect the baby.

If you don’t, well, what was the point?

Just have a non alcoholic drink. If you can’t give it up for 9 months isn’t he interest of a child, you should look at your relationship with alcohol and ask yourself why it’s so important to you

Nope. But then, I'm not a big drinker anyway.

Nope

I probably had 3 X 1 small glass of wine but the judgement I received from acquaintances made it totally not worth it.

(on separate occasions I should have clarified!)

Yes - probably a couple of glasses of wine a week after the first 12 weeks and enjoyed every one! Read Expecting Better as it's brilliant at diving into the myths surrounding the do's and dont's around food and drink during pregnancy.

Yeah, once or twice in the whole pregnancy I think

Yes, I had the odd Guinness which would last me for around an hour. I think I had about 5 pints over the whole 9 months.

I think a glass of wine is ok, just not vast amounts of alcohol.

Yes I used to have a small glass of red wine with my dinner. But probably only about 3 times during the whole pregnancy and definitely after 20 weeks cos I had horrendous sickness up till then.

I did with the first 3 pregnancies though not much. My last one nearly 3 years ago the guidelines had changed to no alcohol but I had 4 glasses through the whole pregnancy

I drank the same as I usually do which is barely anything.

Yes currently one glass a week, did my research and I’m happy with my choice.

I've had 3 drinks in this pregnancy and savoured every last one of them. I didn't have anything until past 20 weeks though but that was mainly just my paranoia rather than thinking it would actually affect anything.

Not once I knew I was pregnant.

I got drunk twice over a weekend before finding out I was pregnant. Abstained until 20 ish weeks then had about 4 glasses of champagne spaced out over the remaining 20 weeks. This was two years ago and I am happy with my approach. When I say four glasses i don't think I finished any of them due to heartburn!

Yes but in 1st trimester as I couldn't stomach it. I don't know why people get all stuck up and say well you must have an alcohol problem then. I couldn't stop coffee for 9 months x 3 either. Does that mean I have a coffee problem.?

I also ate pâté and soft cheese. When I asked my French doctor if I could she just looked at me funny then banned me from strawberries and lettuce!

Yes, I had a small glass of wine on maybe 8 occasions or so in my last pregnancy, I think technically I had 2 even on Christmas (spaced out with lots of water). This was by far my healthiest pregnancy and baby. I’m a medical researcher and I read all the research and didn’t find anything worrying about the occasional drink in pregnancy. Chronic alcohol misuse or smoking is one thing, but a drink here and there is likely perfectly safe. I think have it and enjoy it.