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?

@Beebie2

Very interesting!

On my last pregnancy I had a glass of mulled cider at about 32 weeks.

I also ate pizza, chocolate, brie, runny egg, i drank coffee, and I missed a few days of my folic acid because I forgot.

It's ok to have the odd thing that isnt 'perfect' once its managed and balanced by a general healthy lifestyle. We cant be flawless and perfect for 9 months. You make choices. You and your baby will be fine.

I recall an obligatory drinks do where I asked the steward for a glass of water with a lemon slice, later I took a drink from my glass not realising that another steward has refilled my glass with g and t, I almost gave birth on the spot coughing so much!

@Queenoftheashes

I would as there’s no evidence or reason to think that will cause an issue. If one glass of champagne caused problems most people would have them. I hate the paternalistic attitude to pregnant women.

As a doctor, I agree completely. There is zero evidence that very small quantities of alcohol are harmful in pregnancy, especially after the 1st trimester. The public health message to avoid alcohol completely exists because we don't trust pregnant women - it's thought easier to tell them not to drink at all. This is incredibly patronising and there is no way this would be imposed on men, in an equivalent situation. There is an assumption that it is OK to tell women what to do, and to play constantly on their guilt as mothers,

Every female doctor I know with kids has had the occasional glass in pregnancy.

I wouldnt worry over half a glass of champagne!

Ooh lovely I bet it was delicious. I had a very small glass of wine every now and again in pregnancy 2 and 3. I didnt with number 1 because I had had a miscarriage just before her and I stuck rigidly to every single rule I could read out of sheer terror.

I didn't because it's not recommended and I could go without. Each to their own, it's down to the mother.

I personally haven't had a sip since trying to conceive, and due next week, but don't have any bad feelings towards people that do, science says it's fine in moderation, but I just don't feel the need.

I had an occasional small glass of red with dinner once I got to 20 weeks, and relished every sip! Hope you enjoyed it

I’ve had the odd sip so far.

Keep fancying a glass of champagne so would probably have a small one if it was a special occasion and someone had offered....

but another pregnant woman could drink lightly on just one day, and affect the growing baby.

I don’t think there’s any actual evidence to back that up though.

My understanding is that FAS is pretty much always associated with heavy drinking.

I had a very large glass of red wine the night before I tested. (I thought my period had started a few days previously and assumed I was out for that month. It only dawned on me the morning after the glass of wine that the ‘period’ had stopped and not come back so I tested and got a shock).

I got married at about 8 weeks pregnant. I took a sip of the fizz they put in my hand as we exited the ceremony, and another sip during the toasts. Wouldn’t have added up to even half a flute I don’t think.

After that nothing, I’m 35 weeks now. I’ve missed it a bit at certain times, Christmas and New Year which was also our honeymoon, and then again a bit more now with the lovely weather. But I’ve not missed it enough to bother actually having a drink, I occasionally toy with the idea and then ultimately decide against it. But I don’t think I’d be doing any actual harm if I did decide to go ahead. Mostly I just don’t want to risk the heartburn- it’s killing me enough as it is.

@lauriemarlow

The training was by a consultant who specialises in FASD. I’m not an expert, or a doctor, it was just what she said in the training, and she did back it up with research and longitudinal global studies. This website is good, the first page links to research if you were interested.
www.fasdnetwork.org/what-is-fasd.html

In short, her explanation was, the heavier you drink, the more likely the impact, but, it is about the day you drink in terms of foetal development.

So you could drink heavily a few times, and be very lucky and not do it during a crucial developmental window. You could however have a glass of wine (equivalent of 3 glasses to the baby) and have an impact due to the day you drank it.

No I don't drink during pregnancy but I very rarely drink anyway. I don't see the point. I get some people feel they need a drink to unwind etc but it personally does nothing for me

There is zero evidence that very small quantities of alcohol are harmful in pregnancy, especially after the 1st trimester. The public health message to avoid alcohol completely exists because we don't trust pregnant women - it's thought easier to tell them not to drink at all. This is incredibly patronising and there is no way this would be imposed on men, in an equivalent situation. There is an assumption that it is OK to tell women what to do, and to play constantly on their guilt as mothers

I came on here to say this, basically.

I probably had a glass of wine once a fortnight during both my pregnancies and absolutely nothing happened and everyone was totally fine.

In short, her explanation was, the heavier you drink, the more likely the impact, but, it is about the day you drink in terms of foetal development.

I don’t doubt that there are perhaps more ‘crux’ times than others.

However, I’ve never seen a shred of evidence to suggest that an odd glass would do any harm, regardless of the timing. Nothing in your link supports it either.

We need to remember that there are a lot of agendas when it comes to pregnant women.

I didn't because I read about fetal alcohol syndrome and it put me right off having even a sip

Isn't most of the development in the first trimester when the advice is to totally abstain anyway?

And the damage can only be done once the placenta takes over which is at about 6-8 weeks, as this is when the alcohol can cross to the baby.

There's loads of research referred to (not linked, I can't see any hyperlinks) in that link you've posted, @Beebie2. Which specific study are you talking about?

But each to their own obviously - I'm sure one small glass of something would be fine.

Foetal alcohol syndrome only occurs in mothers who are alcoholic during pregnancy. You’d have to drink very heavily to affect foetal development to that extent.

Most women can be trusted not to neck a bottle of vodka every day while pregnant, but the government apparently doesn’t think so.

Competitive abstinence on here. Someone is going to claim they didn’t have sex before getting pregnant either.

"There is zero evidence that very small quantities of alcohol are harmful in pregnancy, especially after the 1st trimester. The public health message to avoid alcohol completely exists because we don't trust pregnant women - it's thought easier to tell them not to drink at all. This is incredibly patronising and there is no way this would be imposed on men, in an equivalent situation. There is an assumption that it is OK to tell women what to do, and to play constantly on their guilt as mothers"

I interpret this as they don't know and don't have evidence so the safest thing is to say to avoid it to cover their arses, but chances are it will be fine. I'm not sure I get the patronising thing and the men link seems a bit irrelevant?

Similarly I'm pregnant and spoke to a triage nurse about hay fever treatment and they said there isn't much evidence to show if there are any negative affects on antihistamines and pregnancy because it's 'unethical' to trial it on pregnant women so it's best to avoid if you can, but if you do take the odd tablet it's unlikely to do any harm.

I'm (shamefully) a bottle of wine a night woman. While pregnant I've not touched a drop.

But....I'm not about to judge someone who has the occasional drink. It's really not that big a deal. We just like to judge other women. Just make sure you don't bottle feed when it gets here.

Joking.

I had half a glass of champagne at a very good friend’s wedding when I was about 20 weeks pg with dc1. I was too sick throughout both my of town entertain the idea of anything else.

I didn't drink at all throughout my pregnancy but had a couple of WKD blues to celebrate New Years Eve and went into labour that night.
Prob a coincidence though. 😂
I don't see an issue if it's just half a glass of champagne. Not like you necked the bottle and swung round a pole is it 🤷🏻‍♀️