To have had one small glass of champagne last night (26w pregnant)

[bluemoon2468]

Basically, what I'm trying to establish is how many mums can actually say they didn't have a sip of alcohol during their entire pregnancy?

Last night I celebrated a friend's birthday with a very small glass of champagne, just less than half of a standard size champagne flute. This was my first drink since a couple of weeks before I conceived, aside from a few very occasional sips of other people's drinks here and there (e.g. tasting a cocktail DH made a few weeks ago with a small sip). I have no particular plans to drink again whilst pregnant, but I won't rule out another small drink at some point before I give birth if I fancy it.

I'm pretty comfortable with my decision, but am just wondering whether in reality most mothers engage in the occasional drink in pregnancy or stay strictly tee total?

[LaurieMarlow]

No, I didn’t. I had no need to.

If you say so. That’s highly unusual behaviour though in this country.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

Yeh I’ve had a small glasses of wine sipped over a couple of hours twice, I’m 20 weeks. Nothing until 19 weeks. Probably won’t again for a while, maybe DH birthday in August.

The odd bit of alcohol is really fine, ill effects are linked to excessive drinking, binge drinking, continuous drinking, not the odd glass of wine, which most doctors will tell you is perfectly safe. If it wasn’t our entire parents generation would have FAS. No need for people to be martyrs over the odd glass of wine, it’s not someone kicking back downing tequila shots.

[anotherwayout]

@Iwonder08

It is quite amusing so many people here would consider drinking small amounts of alcohol selfish, but stuff themselves with crisps, fizzy drinks, KFC etc because 'pregnancy is not a time for a diet'

Absolutely. Being obese in pregnancy is a much greater risk to your baby than drinking one single half glass of champagne. Would people call an obese pregnant woman selfish in the way they’re suggesting OP is?

I am currently pregnant. During the first 20 weeks the thought of drinking alcohol made me want to vomit. Then my heartburn was so bad that that it wasn’t even worth the risk of drinking a drop and feeling even worse. However if that hadn’t been the case I may have had a very very occasional and small alcoholic drink without any worry.

[NoHardSell]

I had a few sips at a wedding toast with one of my pregnancies, that was all. No point really.

I know one woman who insisted the odd glass was fine, what a fuss etc. She was a healthcare professional. One of her kids has fas. Not great. It was probably a cover for hidden alcoholism, I can only assume, but it's made me really wary of the 'oh what a fuss, it wouldn't hurt to have the odd glass' people. What are they normalising?

[Alwaysfrank]

The advice in the mid to late 1990s when I had my pregnancies was no more than 1-2 units once or twice a week. I seem to recall having a glass of wine with dinner probably most Fridays or Saturdays. Was I desperate for alcohol? No! But it was enjoyable and within the guidelines then and I don't remember any judgement or being described as "grim".

I seem to remember drinking while breastfeeding was really discouraged though, and I have a feeling that is less frowned upon now?

[BuffaloCauliflower]

@NoHardSell

I had a few sips at a wedding toast with one of my pregnancies, that was all. No point really.

I know one woman who insisted the odd glass was fine, what a fuss etc. She was a healthcare professional. One of her kids has fas. Not great. It was probably a cover for hidden alcoholism, I can only assume, but it's made me really wary of the 'oh what a fuss, it wouldn't hurt to have the odd glass' people. What are they normalising?

If their child has FAS they were definitely drinking more than the odd glass

[Graphista]

I lost 3 before dd. 1st pregnancy was unplanned and I was drinking moderately before I knew and frankly I still wonder if it had an impact - nearly 30 years later!

When ttc later I stopped drinking before even ttc. Alcohol is a toxin and FAS is by no means the ONLY possible consequence of drinking in pregnancy.

I do judge and I particularly dislike seeing threads like this because they generally seem to be the op trying to assuage their guilt and seeking acceptance for unacceptable behaviour.

"So many women will judge you but are happy to eat sugar/processed food etc." Not necessarily. I'm veggie anyway and while ttc and while pregnant I strived to eat and drink (soft drinks) as healthily as possible. After the second mc I undertook my own research and was shocked regarding caffeine in pregnancy so the coke comment doesn't surprise me, there are several studies which even back then (over 20 years ago) suggested that caffeine was almost if not as harmful as alcohol. There were certain food additives I avoided too. We're still in the Uk far too lax on the caffeine in pregnancy advice in my opinion.

Has that awful book been recommended yet? Apparently not- I expect it will at some point. Well that's written by a statistician NOT an hcp, as an ex hcp myself I think listening to medical experts makes far more sense.

The REASON there's no large studies showing evidence - one way or the other - regarding light to moderate drinking is 2 fold -

1 it would be unethical to encourage pregnant mothers to drink to conduct such studies

2 it's difficult (as op herself noted) to have women be honest about their consumption in real life.

A lack of evidence doesn't mean something is safe.

And honestly having experienced pregnancy loss I don't understand women who take the risk for something that is easily avoided for most - alcoholism is of course a whole other game!

[EverdeRose]

I don't think half a flute of champagne will do any real damage.

My birth plan states when I enter established labour, if I feel like it I'm going to have a glass of champagne in the bath. The midwife had a chuckle about it and said it would be no problem as long as I felt up to it.

[crazychemist]

Haven’t had anything in this pregnancy, and don’t intend to. With DD, I twigged that I might be pregnant while at a wedding, where I had had a few drinks, and the week before I’d been totally plastered at a wedding! I didn’t have anything once I knew I was pregnant. In my case, not a struggle at all - I was sick throughout, couldn’t even drink a cup of tea, so alcohol wasn’t what I missed most!

[BuffaloCauliflower]

@Alwaysfrank

The advice in the mid to late 1990s when I had my pregnancies was no more than 1-2 units once or twice a week. I seem to recall having a glass of wine with dinner probably most Fridays or Saturdays. Was I desperate for alcohol? No! But it was enjoyable and within the guidelines then and I don't remember any judgement or being described as "grim".

I seem to remember drinking while breastfeeding was really discouraged though, and I have a feeling that is less frowned upon now?

My mum had a gin every Sunday when she was pregnant with me.

And yes, drinking whilst breastfeeding is considered fine now based on the recent research. No need to pump and dump, so little goes into the milk its not even worth thinking about (unless you’re totally blotto) general consensus is if you’re safe to pick baby up you’re safe to feed them

[LegitSnack]

I was pregnant over Christmas one year. I have never wanted a drink more!

I did have half a shot of Baileys in a hot chocolate. It was so good.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

@EverdeRose

I don't think half a flute of champagne will do any real damage.

My birth plan states when I enter established labour, if I feel like it I'm going to have a glass of champagne in the bath. The midwife had a chuckle about it and said it would be no problem as long as I felt up to it.

I think I’ll put that in mine too 😂 that is a combo guaranteed to chill me out

[dicksplash]

The rules/guidance changes so often that personally I think its safer to abstain. I don't think a sip is comparable to a glass though.
I had one sip of wine in my second pregnancy because I had been bought a bottle of wine for my birthday (Birthday was week after we found out so hadn't told them) and I found out my husband had drank and replaced the bottle twice. When he was wanting it the third time I said to just have it and let me try a sip so I could at least have a taste then he need not bother replacing. In retrospect I wish I hadn't bothered as I felt bad despite rationally knowing a tiny sip of low alcohol wine would have minimal amount of alcohol in so couldn't harm my baby.

[PerpetuallyUnderwhelmed]

What @moita said. I notice how people on mn are so judgemental about alcohol but think nothing of having a fizzy drink instead....erm, ok!

You are allowed to be sanctimonious about drinking alcohol pregnancy but dont dare comment on the amount of crap some people seem to think its licence to eat..... (ducks)

[SweetPetrichor]

I doubt occasional small amounts of alcohol will do any harm. I think general diet and healthiness in pregnancy probably does a lot more negatives!

[Connie222]

@Iwonder08

It is quite amusing so many people here would consider drinking small amounts of alcohol selfish, but stuff themselves with crisps, fizzy drinks, KFC etc because 'pregnancy is not a time for a diet'

I’ve never got the logic in that either!

[Thekindyoufindinasecondhand]

Yes have had the odd drink, never more than one and never more than once a week. Did my own research, spoke to my doctor and used my common sense.

[Aria2015]

Oh yes. I've had a glass of fizz for Valentine's Day and my wedding anniversary this pregnancy. Nothing wrong with the odd glass with food imo. I'm not probably having any more between now and due date but that's because I've got hideous heartburn and I don't want anything that would make it worse.

[Jellybeansincognito]

I didn’t touch a drop.

However, i rarely drink. I don’t see the appeal.

[BuffaloCauliflower]

For what it’s worth, I don’t drink fizzy drinks really at all. I’ve never had a glass of coke on it own. I have one coffee a day and drink about 5ltrs of water.

[Needallthesleep]

@Graphista I’ll recommend it, Expecting Better. It’s an extremely good review of the science behind guidelines in pregnancy. Are you suggesting that a HCP personal opinions are more important than science?

I’m 24 weeks, have had a glass of wine most weeks. And drink about 3 coffees a day from 16 weeks.

Having said that, I would absolutely not eat rare meat/cured meats, as the effects of toxoplasmosis are awful. That should be shouted about more in this country.

[AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter]

Why is everyone on MN so incredulous that people can go without alcohol? Its bloody weird.
I didnt drink a drop of it during pregnancy because the mere thought of it made me want to hurl. I dont feel thats completely odd or unusual as I know others who didnt drink anything aswell. Its 9 months. Its perfectly possible to not drink for that long (I'm not criticising anyone if they did btw) but just commenting on this weird idea on MN that its IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to leave off the booze for a few months. It definitely is possible and its not weird.

[WeAllHaveWings]

I absolutely pickled ds nightly at a week long company 'training event' at a hotel when I was 4 weeks pg and didn't know, including several shots a night. He's 16 now and thankfully it doesn't seem to have caused any problems.

I also had one very small glass of champagne during the toasts at my wedding when I was 3 months pg. Other than that I was teetotal throughout pg and one year of bf, can't remember what the official advice was at the time.

[F1rstt1imer]

First pregnancy the odd glass here and there probably 1 a month on average (but not before 12 weeks). And will do the same this pregnancy to

[LaurieMarlow]

A lack of evidence doesn't mean something is safe.

If the occasional glass of wine was dangerous, you’d expect to see a significant drop in FAS cases and/or pregnancy loss when the guidelines changed.

I don’t think that happened, though happy to be corrected if I’m wrong.