To ask if you drank alcohol during pregnancy

[Butterflyflower1234]

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).

@bingbangbing thanks for that link btw. It's really eye opening and definately wirth reading.

I think the issue is, that not everyone will be unfortunately to have adverse effects from drug use in pregnancy. But some people will be just that unlucky, and for some people one glass a week will be all it takes to cause preventable harm to a baby, whereas some others drink heavily with limited adverse impact. The same can be said for nicotine and smoking, the impact dosent impact everyone the same way, for some children there are no adverse effects and others have to live with recurpussions their entire lives. But that dosent mean its risk free nor that the potential risk should be ignored, as unfortunately someone is always going to be the unlucky one who through their actions has caused preventable harm to their child.

I had a small glass of prosecco with my Christmas dinner in both my pregnancies but that's all. I'm not a big drinker anyway and that was the only time I really fancied it.

@PurpleDaisies

The decision to knowingly drink during pregnancy isn't reasonable though.

We know that alcohol can cause serious birth defects. The risk of this actually happening is very small. But it's there never the less. Some studies in my link, even suggest that one drink a week may have an effect.

It's a small risk whether you're an alcoholic or just have the odd one.

You're still playing Russian roulette

The decision to knowingly drink during pregnancy isn't reasonable though.

In your opinion.

@updownleftrightstart the risks have been highlighted already on this thread, @bingbangbing article actually did a brilliant job. Any risk related to alcohol is a risk no matter how little you drink, only the risk is much smaller for those who drink maybe one glass a week then for those who for example have a glass every day. But the risks dont disappear.

The only time the risk may be so statistically small is negligible would be for those who may only drink 3 glasses or so over the entire pregnancy.

But again if there is no dependency on alcohol then why take any risk and just stop for 9 months, if drinking really isnt that important?

An opinion I share with this woman:

depts.washington.edu/fasdpn/pdfs/astley-oster2013.pdf

Susan Astley Ph.D. is a professor of Epidemiology and Pediatrics at the University of Washington and director of the Washington State FAS Diagnostic & Prevention Network of clinics (fasdpn.org).

I dont like alcohol so the issue didn't arise. If I did though, I'd have been happy enough to have the odd one because there's no evidence of that being harmful. And had I taken the line that I needed conclusive evidence that something couldn't be harmful in any quantity before feeling it was safe to have, I'd have starved to death.

for some people one glass a week will be all it takes to cause preventable harm to a baby...

According to no scientific evidence whatsoever.

It's not something I'd do but I don't care what other women do.

The baby's blood alcohol level will match yours and I'm just not comfortable with that being anything other than zero. I would give alcohol to a newborn, I'm certainly not going to give it to an unborn.

*wouldn't 🤣

I didn't drink during any of my pregnancies. It's not worth the risk.

You’ve posted that same link multiple times. It’s getting a bit repetitive now.

I abstained completely op.

@LittleDragonGirl but that is an opinion piece, not a peer reviewed study. I could write an opinion piece and stick it online it doesn't make it suddenly factually correct. It also claims that the lowest amount they've seen cause problems is a reported 1 drink a day. Which the cynical part of me doubts very much was actually 1 drink per day at all.

You could try reading it.

Crazy idea I know.

I post it regularly on these threads. It's the best summation of why you shouldn't drink in pregnancy. It also directly refutes Expecting Better which I read myself during pregnancy. I then did a bit of research to find out how the book was received by the medical profession.

The link I post sums it up nicely.

That Susan person in the link is doing what so many people with her views do, and using evidence based on alcohol consumption that is not moderate. She talks about children who were exposed to 'just' one drink a day: that is not moderate consumption when you're pregnant. Given that she's not defined the units and that most alcoholic drinks have more than one unit, it might even be more than moderate consumption for someone who isn't pregnant. Now either she's done that accidentally because she doesn't understand the distinction, or she's done it on purpose because she's trying to overstate the strength of the evidence. Both are worrying.

What makes you assume I haven’t read it?

And I have an ex with mild FAS. His mother was a moderate drinker back in the 60's.

He's independent and lives a relatively normal life but will never work or have a proper relationship. He can't make decisions properly or moderate his behaviour. It's sad.

I had about a third of a glass of champagne at a couple of weddings when pregnant first time round. Similar consumption at Christmas with my second. I was second or third trimester with both, though - I wouldn’t have knowingly drunk alcohol in the first trimester (we’ll ignore the vat of Prosecco I knocked back at Christmas before I knew DS1 was on the way ).

Here’s a link describing what alcohol dependence is...

www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/drinking-habits-and-behaviours/am-i-alcohol-dependent/

It is not choosing to occasionally have one drink because you want to.

The sarcastic, defensive come backs?

That 'Susan person' is a professor of epidemiology and I'm sure understands her subject quite well.

What is it with this topic? People take it so personally and will use any and every justification to drink.

I know what alcohol dependence is.

You don't have to be an alcoholic to produce a child with FAS.

Posters on this thread have said that women who choose to have one occasional drink during pregnancy must be alcohol dependent. That isn’t true

That 'Susan person' is a professor of epidemiology and I'm sure understands her subject quite well.

She’s just one person and as pp have commented seems to be extrapolating wildly from examples that are not ‘occasional’ drinking.

A common technique in this debate.

Nope. I tried a lot of alcohol free beers and stuff though.

I can recommend San Miguel Limon 0,0%, Bavaria alcohol free (there was a nice wheat beer too) and the Kopparberg alcohol free pear cider.