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?

@Graphista I respect your opinion although I obviously don't entirely agree with it 😊 I just wanted to say that I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm not trying to assuage my guilt. I don't feel guilty (you might think that's awful!) I'm just genuinely curious about how common the sort of drinking I'm talking about is, because it's not something people will often admit to! From the resilts of this post, it seems that I'm in the majority so I have my answer!

@EverdeRose that sounds like such an amazing idea!! I might have to steal it 🙈

@LegitSnack well done for staying so strong over Christmas, that would definitely be the hardest time of year! So glad I've avoided Christmas with this pregnancy!

I drank for the first month of pregnancy a small wine every night because i have digestive problems and this was helping. When i discovered I was pregnant I was horrified but doctor didn't bat an eyelid when i told him. I didn't drink for the rest of the pregnancy - just not worth the risk for me but frankly i think the odd little glass after 12 weeks is ok.

You CAN stop drinking for 9 months. Who is incredulous about that? Or you can make the informed choice to have the odd sip/glass.

I dont drink much anyway but I did have a glass of champagne at my cousins wedding, and a few swings of my husbands fruit cider on a hot afternoon. Very infrequent drinking is so low risk, I'm sure it was less dangerous than all the parma ham I ate in early pregnancy before realising it is a listeria risk

@bluemoon2468

How things change - when pregnant with DD doctors recommended a Guinness a day! It's useless of course [no medical value] and DD is fine and 35+!

Ignore the holier-than-thou types on here. They will attempt to crucify you.

I had the odd little glass of something during pregnancy. I even once had gasp a pint of Guinness in two halves while watching some sport.

No one is suggesting you get tanked every weekend but the odd tiny glass of champagne is not going to make a jot of difference and will be a treat.

I found when I was pregnant that the same crowd who were aghast at my choice to have a tiny occasional drink were also horrified by my continuation of exercise throughout. That’s just my experience. You do you.

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?

Me. But am not smug about it. It was my decision, and I felt very comfortable with it.

Besides, I've made up for it since

I craved fruit cider in pregnancy but I could never find the non alcoholic versions so I didn't bother.

No judgement here, I'm not a big drinker anyway so I didn't really bother when I was pregnant either. Had a few "zero alcohol" beers now and again when having a meal out.

I didn’t touch a drop during either of my two pregnancies as I really don’t see the need. In fact I didn’t have anything while breastfeeding either of them either so that’s a total of about 3.5 years teetotal, which I honestly don’t see as a big deal. I personally just don’t get the whole ‘need wine’ or ‘gin o’clock’ thing. That said, I don’t think that 1 small glass of something very occasionally would harm your baby - I just personally don’t see the point.

I didn't drink during pregnancy, but that was because I seemed to go off it. I would have quite happily had a glass of champagne on my birthday (around 17 weeks) but I just didn't fancy it. I rarely drink anyway, so it wasn't a big change for me

I don't but I hardly ever drink anyway. It doesn't matter to me, just as easy as not drinking an orange juice.

They say no booze because people are rubbish at understanding what a unit is and people are rubbish at having just one glass. That message is effective on that you've had half a glass and are wondering what people do. So at a population level it kind of makes sense. But for you as an individual to have half a glass for a special occasion, I just can't see it's going to do any harm.

I don't feel that I need to 'admit it'. I was first pregnant in 1984 and didn't drink. I was encouraged to drink Guinness by everyone around me. The previous generation drank Mackeson Stout. My heartburn was horrendous, so I didn't try it.

On my second I had a few glasses of wine, spaced out over summer. I possibly had a shandy as well. That was the 90's. With my third I didn't because I had a toddler and was still BF while pregnant.

I'd probably guess that it's 50/50 in terms of having the odd glass, in the general population who usually like the odd drink.

I don't eat most of the stuff that they recommended avoiding, so that was easier done. Accept for liver, which was advocated in the 80's.

I did. Had the occasional pint throughout.

It was during that super hot summer and I felt soundly robbed of being able to enjoy beer gardens.

I also quite enjoyed the slightly scandalised looks I got when i would sit with my 1 pint at about 8 months gone when we ventured to the pub with friends.

I didn't and wouldn't but I also recognise that 1/2 a glass of champers is extremely unlikely to do anything, literally zero chance of harming baby.

The first 12 weeks is where you run the highest chance of harming baby with alcohol I believe so you are also outside of that trimester.

I also avoided any and all foods that carried a listeria risk the whole pregnancy but I know that plenty of women don't do that, in my opinion they are taking a far greater risk of harming baby than you did.

My kids are teenagers now, but for both pregnancies, I had a few glasses of wine once in a while, birthday, Christmas, a wedding. Very small glasses, with food.

I think the point is that it's nice to celebrate with a drink once in a while, but as others have said, it's not necessary. It's just nice.

Christ all the selfish mother comments are hilarious! It was half a glass of champagne ffs not 10 vodka shots! I don't know why you've asked on here op as it was pretty obvious you were going to get torn to shreds. But for what it's worth, I think it's fine. That amount will cause absolutely no harm.

I didn't. It was easier just not to at all than try and decide what I was comfortable with. I also developed a taste for Becks Blue and still drink it now!

I had a bottle of beer once or twice in the 3rd trimester. The first glass of wine I had once I’d given birth knocked me for six!

The hangover from hell after that one glass with a newborn baby is not anything I wanted to ever recreate!

@bluemoon2468

you are welcome to share :) My bath will also have bubbles, candles, snacks and at least 1 episode of a period drama.

My taste buds went weird in pregnancy, not just in the early months, and I didn’t fancy alcohol at all so was never a question of making a decision for me.

I’m in my third trimester of my third pregnancy. I choose not to drink during pregnancy, and I never have done, but it’s very easy for me to decline, as I get no pleasure from alcohol, unless it’s in vast quantities and my intention is to get absolutely blotto. If we were advised to avoid consuming chocolate during pregnancy, I’m sure I’d find that a real challenge, and might occasionally give in to temptation.

I didn’t touch a drop once I knew I was pregnant - I did have a couple of drinks when I must have been about 2 weeks gone... but then I never drank much prior to having DS so it wasn’t a hardship. If I had managed to get pregnant a second time, I think I would have found to MUCH harder not to drink, as motherhood has definitely upped my alcohol intake!

@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 absolutely LOVE this and I'm going to mention it to my midwife ❤️

I've had half a glass of fine a few times in this pregnancy and don't regret it all all. I've even asked my midwife and she's said it's fine in moderation.

It's really making me chuckle to see some of the responses on here - no need to make the OP feel bad and good on you @bluemoon2468

I voted YABU because I never touched a drop of alcohol during my pregnancies so it seemed the logical way to vote in order for to get an idea of numbers. Obviously it is your decision what you do and I wouldn't judge you for it.