To ask if you drunk alcohol during your pregnancy?

[ilovecheese1]

& if you did how much/often? Or what your opinions are on moderate drinking during pregnancy?

Those who say 'it's not worth the risk', can you specify exactly what the risk is? The only thing I can think of is foetal alcohol syndrome and that is not caused by the odd glass here and there, it's caused by excessive, sustained consumption throughout pregnancy.

Yes I had 1 or 2 glasses of wine/pimms/pints a week.

I'm 37 weeks and I'm currently having a coffee with Bailey's in it. It's lovely.

I will say though - 4 glasses of wine a week - a bottle of wine - 9-10 units a week which is reaching the max recommended for non pregnant women x

Both preganancies (currently 37 weeks with #2):
Nothing from start of TTC till startof second trimester. (Although would not judge anyone who does as so many people get shitfaced in early pregnancy before they know they are pg and the babies turn out fine).
Thereafter- perhaps half a glass of wine with dinner every couple of weeks if it's a nice wine I want to try or a centimetre of gin with ice and tonic if everyone else is having one; occasionally a couple of mouthfuls of lager or cider from DH's glass. In the pub-Erdinger alcohol free beer.
Breastfeeding- breastfed for 2 years; drinking amount limited by wanting to be safe around the baby and not dropping her etc. Apparently your breastmilk only ends up as alcoholic as orange juice even if you are hammered, so I never pumped and dumped.
#1 was a strapping vigorous baby and now she's 3 and could buy and sell you.
#2 growing well and vigorous so far.

I did. A lot less than usual and weaker drinks (a small wine topped right up with lemonade, or a small measure of spirit topped right up with a mixer). But I don't feel bad at all.

Nothing at all.

ilovecheese1 I was going through a tough time with my mental health ( anxiety/panic) which in no way excuses my behavior but I was drinking 2-3 glasses of dry white wine most nights

@ilovecheese1 once I got over 20 weeks I would have 1 large glass once every couple of weeks. There have been 3 weeks (spread out) where I had 2 small glasses twice a week but to be honest if I’m going to have a couple of small/1 large I do it once a week & not every week. I’m nearly 32 weeks.

There is some evidence that up to one drink a day MAY be safe. That said, we do not know exactly how much is safe, for whom, or at what point in the pregnancy.

Our provincial liquor licensing body has T-shirts for mums to be that say "I'm having a dry 9!" They're designed to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking in pregnancy to help prevent foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). We know that FASD leads to increased special education needs, increased mental health needs, and increased involvement with the justice system. It's not a risk I'd be willing to take.

I personally wouldn't. The baby's blood alcohol level will obviously match yours and their liver just isn't used to dealing with it. I'd never give a newborn a weak alcoholic drink so certainly wouldn't give it to an unborn.

Out of four full term pregnancies, I had half a Guinness for one st Patrick's day in my last trimester with my last baby. That is it.

Posters who think that drinking 3 bottles of wine in one session make them a moderate drinking is the reason why the NHS has a blanket ban on women drinking during pregnancy. Even drinking 3 modern size glasses doesn't make you a moderate drinker due to the fact wines are now stronger than they were in the 1990s and glass sizes are bigger.

Yes I did drink in pregnancy but the glasses I drank from where those from the 1970s and I had 3 of them in 3 separate sessions.

I got absolutely wankered at new year before I found out I was pg with dc1. Then nausea put the mockers on anything for months, then I just couldn't justify it knowing the risks. We had a close family funeral at 37 weeks and I had a single, very watered-down pimms at the wake.

By the time I was pg with dc2 i couldn't drink without falling asleep in a chair after 1 glass of wine so it really wasn't a conscious decision to stop.

Excess alcohol consumption is all too easily overlooked without the added risks of pregnancy. If you can't quit - and see nothing wrong in drinking whilst pg despite all the advice - I think you have a problem with your drinking.

I'm not suggesting for one moment that one odd unit here or there will result in FASD, but just pointing out that low birth weight is just one of many outcomes of FASD and probably one of the least impactful ones.

I did a few times... mainly glasses of champagne but only ever one at a time... and mainly the last month as it was my birthday and I was miserable 😂. I agree with PP a small amount infrequently is probably fine but I would try to break the habit of having it multiple times a week

First pregnancy - accidental pregnancy didn't know I was pregnant and had one night out before I knew but I've never been a big drinker so was only a few half lagers.

Second pregnancy - planned. Stopped drinking before ttc.

3rd pregnancy - planned. Stopped drinking for a full month before ttc.

It's not just FAS there's other risks too, it's not a necessary thing to have so I don't understand why people don't just give it a miss.

Sorry op but to be honest it does sound as if you have an issue. Drinking regularly while pregnant and your reasons why (stress, not being happy the pregnancy happened as soon as it did, unhappy with body...) suggest to me you'd benefit from an honest discussion with your midwife and possibly dr about why you're struggling to not drink now and your relationship with alcohol generally. Not feeling drunk actually suggests you have a high tolerance for alcohol which suggests you may already be used to drinking a significant amount regularly.

Glass sizes and the strength of what people drink can vary greatly so people are often unaware of just how much they're drinking. I've got wine glasses that can easily fit half a bottle of wine so a vague 'I drink a couple of glasses' doesn't specify how much someone is drinking. And how many is a couple? I would mean 2 by that but recently "couple" seems to be used to mean "a few" by some people - that's a language change issue but relevant here I think.

It sounds like you need support to quit.

Half a pint of lager or a small glass of wine/fizz that I always felt too bad to finish!

Must be the hormones or me something but I always felt so much guilt that it wasn’t worth it.

I had a glass of wine once a week with my first, but have up at about 6 months as it made me feel nauseous. I didn't have anything with my 2nd but that's because i was exhausted all the time and would have fallen asleep instantly. I think 1 glass (150mls) once a week is fine.

Not a drop, in either pregnancy.

I perhaps think that a very small amount wouldn't do the baby any harm, but for me the potential loss WAY WAY outweighed the gain of getting to have a drink. Just wasn't worth the risk IYSWIM

I had a stillborn baby so find it hard to comprehend why anyone would drink/smoke during pregnancy.

I really love drinking! But i did not even have a sip when preg. Wouldnt have even crossed my mind to drink alcohol.

I had half a glass of champagne one christmas when I was 8 months pregnant, but apart from that was tee total throughout my pregnancy.

None. It’s only 9 months and it’s not worth the risk. The advice is no amount is safe.

Op I don’t meant to sound harsh or Judgmental but you might have 1 or 2 glasses a couple of times a week? That is an awful lot imo.