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Original poster

To ask if you drank alcohol during pregnancy

479 replies

Butterflyflower1234 · 14/02/2020 08:52

I'm curious as to people thoughts on alcohol during pregnancy?

I was always of the opinion that I wouldn't touch a single drop of alcohol during pregnancy but now I'm wondering would it be significantly harmful to have say one small glass of wine with dinner every so often (less than once a fortnight).

OP posts:
Ticklemeelmo · 15/02/2020 15:55

I had a beer and several cocktails around weeks 4-5 before I knew I was pregnant as I was on holiday, stopped completely for the remainder of the pregnancy as soon as I found out.

Purplequalitystreet · 15/02/2020 15:56

I had the odd sip of DP's drinks. And when I say a sip, I genuinely mean a tiny sip.

I did miss it, not gonna lie. I think it was worse being pregnant in summer when everyone is drinking at BBQ's.

flower1994 · 15/02/2020 15:59

SlowMoFuckingToes completely agree

LaurieMarlow · 15/02/2020 16:05

What part of ‘every time you get in a car, there’s a very small chance you will be in an accident which could harm your baby’ do people not understand?

SlowMoFuckingToes · 15/02/2020 16:12

@LaurieMarlow people do understand it. What's your point? Most people put their babies in cars too but not many give their babies sips of alcohol.

flower1994 · 15/02/2020 16:18

laurie you cannot honestly believe that is the same as choosing to drink when pregnant. by that logic what is your thoughts on drug consumption during pregnancy?

flower1994 · 15/02/2020 16:19

might start a thread 'doing drugs whilst pregnant, AIBU' and see how many of the alcohol advocates on here loose their minds

LaurieMarlow · 15/02/2020 16:25

What's your point?

Why do people refuse to register the risk associated with driving?

Why do they declare themselves to be taking ‘no risks’ because they’ve stopped a behaviour like drinking, which can’t be demonstrated to increase risk at all when done very occasionally?

I find that contradiction very telling.

you cannot honestly believe that is the same as choosing to drink when pregnant

There is no demonstrable risk to very occasional drinking. The risk to the baby every time you get into the car is very small, but it clearly exists.

As for drugs, I don’t know much about it. I imagine the data is much clearer in terms of harm done.

bengalcat · 15/02/2020 16:25

Yes probably had a couple of glasses of wine most weeks - kids look normal one at Cambridge and one at Durham . However guidelines are and ever were there’s no known safe limit . Like all things in life do what seems right for you at the time and be prepared to deal with the consequences . I remember dreadful hyperemesis but oddly never threw up wine or coffee ??!

Bluebutterfly90 · 15/02/2020 16:27

No, after 2 miscarriages I didn't even drink Coke the entire way through my pregnancy, but that's just me being paranoid.

And I'm not much of a drinker anyway, so I didn't miss it.

I did miss Coke though. Grin

bingbangbing · 15/02/2020 16:28

Because it's crackers, that's why.

Every time you drink, the baby is exposed to alcohol. That may cause damage. We don't know.

Every time you drive, the baby is not directly exposed to a crash.

It's not the driving that's the problem- it's the risk of being harmed in a crash.

flower1994 · 15/02/2020 16:29

laurie getting in a car there is potential to have an accident. there is also a strong possibility you wont have an accident. if you drink alcohol that is crossing the placenta. not it could it is.

sucha · 15/02/2020 16:32

Of course not

LaurieMarlow · 15/02/2020 16:32

if you drink alcohol that is crossing the placenta. not it could it is.

That’s not really an answer though, lots of questions need to be answered - in what amounts, how is it processed, what affect does it have?

There is no evidence it does any harm when done very occasionally.

Show me if you have any.

LaurieMarlow · 15/02/2020 16:34

It's not the driving that's the problem- it's the risk of being harmed in a crash

Well quite.

We cannot guarantee not being involved in a crash though.

The risk is tiny, but the damage is potentially catastrophic.

HJWT · 15/02/2020 16:35

@Thymelord Its not bollocks, I had to interview these women, and in being truthful its actually luck more than anything ! 2 women could drink the exact same amount and 1 baby could be born with FAS and the other born without.

SlowMoFuckingToes · 15/02/2020 16:37

@LaurieMarlow there is no evidence because you can't ethically do the study....we do not know the dose response. We do know it's teragen. It absolutely without refute is a drug which harms a developing fetus. You would need to do a prospective randomized dose response study with long term follow-up to get a definitive answer. Would you give a baby a sip of alcohol? If not why?

soleilviolet · 15/02/2020 16:38

I didn't drink, but had a few tokes of weed (good stuff) to help ease morning sickness.

flower1994 · 15/02/2020 16:40

LaurieMarlow there is also no evidence that it doesnt do damage. each to their own but I just personally wouldn't take the risk. stupid comparing it to driving when there are times you need to - cant think of a time in pregnancy youd need to drink.

LaurieMarlow · 15/02/2020 16:40

there is no evidence because you can't ethically do the study

We can compare FAS rates for when the guidelines were 1-2 units a week and now. Have FAS rates decreased? I certainly haven’t heard that. But point me to this info if you have it,

Would you give a baby a sip of alcohol? If not why?

I wouldn’t give a baby anything other than BM or formula. But I wouldn’t expect to subsist on this during pregnancy. What a bizarre point.

flower1994 · 15/02/2020 16:41

soleilviolet wow

LaurieMarlow · 15/02/2020 16:42

stupid comparing it to driving when there are times you need to

I’m not comparing it to times you need to drive.

I’m comparing it to times you don’t need to but want to and do it anyway, despite knowing that there’s a small risk.

Exactly like drinking (except that it’s not as clear that a risk exists with very occasional drinking).

kingkuta · 15/02/2020 16:43

I did a study on it for 6 weeks when I was in college, most women who have baby's with FAS are not alcoholics and just liked a regular glass of wine with their evening meal

This is such absolute bollocks that its laughable

LaurieMarlow · 15/02/2020 16:45

A six week college study Grin

Forgive me if I’m not taking that too seriously.

MarchDaffs · 15/02/2020 16:45

I'm not aiming that specifically at you, just at the argument in general

But I'm a person who makes the argument, so even if you think it's made by people who drink during pregnancy, you now also have to acknowledge that it's also made by people who not only didn't drink but did take the risk of getting in cars when they didn't have to. This, incidentally, is another example of playing the woman/women not the ball. If the argument is wrong, which it's not, it would be wrong regardless of who makes it.

What part of ‘every time you get in a car, there’s a very small chance you will be in an accident which could harm your baby’ do people not understand?

The part that would require them to realise they've got massive great double standards.

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