To be disappointed in hearing that many UK woman drink during pregnancy [shock]

[Leati]

Yesterday, I was on a thread when some of the women started questioning about US policy on drinking alcohol during pregnancies. One of the women had heard that if you have a glass of wine, you could be arrested. I assured her that wasn't true but there was chance that if you were visibly pregnant that the restaurant or bar might exercise their right to refuse service. And if a pediatrician became suspicious of drug or alcohol abuse, they could have the baby?s blood tested at birth. If the baby is found to have these in their blood, the child will be taken away. Another woman pitched that she found it disturbing that restaurants had signs warning pregnant women.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These women seemed to believe it was actually okay to drink during their pregnancies. Hadn't they heard of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. So today, I did a little research and was shocked to learn that it is a big problem in the UK and that there is little education about it there.

Women who are angry over mothers choosing the bottle over nursing are damaging their children by drinking alcohol. This is not minor damage, in some case it is equivalent to severe mental retardation and in others it less obvious cognitive problems. Overall nearly 10% of babies born in the UK are suffering from some sort of cognitive problems directly related to alcohol exposure in the womb.

What broke my heart the most is that I have been on this site and I know that the mothers on this site care so much for their children. That while I may not always agree with everything said and our perspectives are not always the same, that we share a common love for our children. So I felt compelled to start this thread and share the information. I hope that you will share it, with your loved ones and it may spread.

I have attached some sites so you can research this yourself. These sites are both from the UK and the US.

www.fasaware.co.uk/

www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/west/series2/fetal_alcohol_syndro mfaspregnancydrinkinglearning_difficulties.shtml

www.healthychildrenproject.org/glossa ry/

She's asleep Katy

Well how dare she
OK I'll let her off since this is her night time

Katy. I want to slip her a drink. Does she know what she's missing?

Thanks Katy. Still not loading that post at all! Different patterns and mixed up text each time. I thought it might have needed censoring. It was just an intelligent comment - pah - so much for controversy

I supsect Leati has finally gone to bed, but she did say she would post this thread around the world and even on myspace so she might be doing that first.

I hope she will consider removing the worrying photos of young children playing with bonfires and power tools from her mypsace site.

You do know drinking leads to pedantry don't you? Just making you aware of the risks as I'm sure you haven't ever researched or read anything yourself.
I'm going to have a coffee, full caffeine, anyone care to join me?

Hi Mum [waves]

(well I'm going to be famous )

PMSL

I can see the Hollywood types snapping up the film rights now:

"When Leati met Mozhe"

I'd pay to see that

or the x-rated Laeti v haychee

There's a few mnet duos I wouldn't mind seeing on film but couldn't possibly name them as would get my arse whipped

g'wan ladyL, g'wan g'wan. Who you going to pitt me agaisnt? I'm hard I am.

ooops
didn't mean x-rated porno weirdy job. Just meant not for the tired or those easily browbeaten .Or anyone with googlephobia

No you are as cool as a cucumber.

Off to shops. Bye

careful on the roads

me too, I think the off-licence is open.. whoops, I mean, um, the health food shop...

Just checked the BBC news site, it's not headline news yet - suppose it's just a matter of time

Leati, you have been brainwashed.
Not worth even discussing.
If your ideas were as absolute as you claim then pretty much everyone I know would have FAS. They don't by the way. Nor do any of the babies of anyone I know and I don't know anyone who stopped drinking completely during pregnancy.

I hope Leati comes back- I still want to know what she thinks about peanut butter...

Very rude to start an argument, not listen to anyone else's point of view and then go to bed!

Oh, I love peanut butter. You aren't going to bash my beloved PB and J are you?

Oh my word. This thread is unbelievable. It has kept me entertained for a good 40 mins. Am glad was not on mumsnet this am but was painting the kitchen instead....

Leati - if you do come back to this thread, please understand this. The posters here do not have a casual attitude to FAS..or a casual attitude towards the health of their unborn baby. The fact that that is the conclusion you have drawn from this thread is an insult; both to the posters and to yourself, surely you are more intelligent than that.

From what I can see, the only fact to emerge from this discussion is that you cannot in all reasonable intelligence link the discussion on this thread to the 'casual attitude towards FAS' you have tarred us all with. That is not what any of the posters on here have stated by any means.

There is conflicting advice on everything right now from the medical profession (both including and excluding guidelines on pregnancy). One week caffiene is going to kill you...the next it helps prevent cancer . Of course based on conflicting publications and 'advice' intelligent people are going to assess the facts and make educated decisions (and can i also point out how many health professionals are on here saying that 'occasional' drinking is fine). I personally have chosen not to drink alcohol whilst pregnant, but drink 1 to 2 cups of a tea and have done throughout pregnancy. There are many on MN who would say they have abstained from caffiene completely as did you. Well done. You made your choice. I made mine.

But please do not come on here to insult people simply because you are conclusively and intelligently unable to support your argument. It is incredibly rude.

{p.s. cutting and pasting from search engines on google does not create an intelligent argument...)

Yup - no peanut butter during pregnancy if there is any history of any allergy including hayfever. I managed it with ds, but had many a Snickers with dd for medicinal purposes

Well said Dal21.

Hah! OTT in my book. peanuts and penut butter are eaten in hords in my house by me and the children, from about age 1. yummy yummy yummy....

thanks BM, wasnt going to bother getting sucked in, so to speak, but really had to put my two pence worth in with the mix