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Original poster

Few sips of red wine when pregnant?

432 replies

ShutUpAlex · 27/04/2021 13:07

Did anybody have small amounts of wine when pregnant? I know a lot of people have one small glass a week, but I have found that 3 or 4 sips of red wine in the evening makes my morning sickness just completely vanish! However, those sips added up each day (or at least until the morning sickness is gone) may add up more than what I think.

Would I be u reasonable to do this?
Did anyone else find this helped? I’ve tried sickness bands, ginger everything etc but can’t shift the nausea.

OP posts:
Eloisedublin123 · 28/04/2021 08:20

If you’re going to have really small amounts OP try organic wine too? The least chemicals generally the better!

Tiddleypoms · 28/04/2021 08:39

Yes i would . So long as it does not increase. I had a glass a week during pregnancy.

swimlittlefishy · 28/04/2021 08:59

Whatever goes in your body is what feeds your baby. If you wouldn't want them to eat that as a weaning baby and toddler then don't feed it them as a foetus

That isn't even slightly how it works. Do some of you imagine eating or drinking and it going straight down some magical tube into a babies mouth?
If everyone who doesn't understand biology could sit down, that would be great.

Wiltshire90 · 28/04/2021 09:05

I like the stark contrast between threads where the mother doesn't know she's pregnant, says she's been drinking heavily before finding out, and gets told not to worry by posters and everything will be fine. Yet you have a conscientious OP here who is suggesting a very reasonable amount of alcohol and the pearl clutchers come out to play! Grin

Go for it, OP.

Camomila · 28/04/2021 09:07

Try alcohol free beer? - I found that really settled my stomach in pregnancy.

Original poster
ShutUpAlex · 28/04/2021 09:09

I’ve tried lots of different alcohol free beer, whilst I enjoy it it doesn’t have the same effect sadly.

OP posts:
jgjgjgjgjg · 28/04/2021 09:50

You do know that there is no evidence that small amounts of alcohol do any harm at all?

Bluntness100 · 28/04/2021 09:53

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Personally I’d not be doing a shot of red wine daily. And I think it’s a slippery slope. You’re only pregnant for a few months and that alcohol is being fed to your baby, but if you need to drink daily to get through it then I think you need to speak to your doctor.

I think you are misrepresenting what OP is saying.

How? She clearly stated it was a shot of wine, she clearly stated she wanted to do it daily and she clearly stated she needed to as it got rid of her nausea.
swimlittlefishy · 28/04/2021 10:08

You do know that there is no evidence that small amounts of alcohol do any harm at all?

Indeed there is buckets of evidence that it does not.

PoppysMum79 · 28/04/2021 10:25

Of course it's your choice but just to add some further info:
1: The chief medical officers in the UK agree there is no safe amount of alcohol use for any individual woman.

  1. Alcohol is a teratogen - that means it is poisonous to a developing baby and the effects are worse for the baby than if you use heroin.
  2. FAS is outdated - it refers to facial features that less than 10% of those affected have. All of those with FASD have damage to their brain and central nervous system.
  3. FASD is more common than autism and is a whole body disorder with over 400 conditions.
  4. Any alcohol in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome.

It's just not worth the risk IMO, most people wouldn't say a bit of heroin is fine, just a few lines of coke and yet all the justification with alcohol.

PoppysMum79 · 28/04/2021 10:28

Sorry but that's not true - there are plenty of animals studies that show there is and some human. Of course it is considered too risky and unethical to do full studies of this because of the risk of harm - that should tell you something and we would do well to remember that an absence of evidence does no equate to evidence of an absence of effect!

TheKeatingFive · 28/04/2021 10:31

The chief medical officers in the UK agree there is no safe amount of alcohol use for any individual woman.

The only reason for that is that its not ethical to do any research on it

Alcohol is a teratogen - that means it is poisonous to a developing baby and the effects are worse for the baby than if you use heroin.

We're going to need a source for such an outrageous claim, ta

FAS is outdated - it refers to facial features that less than 10% of those affected have. All of those with FASD have damage to their brain and central nervous system. FASD is more common than autism and is a whole body disorder with over 400 conditions.

Again a source? I find this hard to believe as I've never come across someone with diagnosed FASD in my life

Any alcohol in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome.

Again source? Small increase in miscarriage in first trimester, yes, the data supports that. The rest, we'll need some evidence thanks.

most people wouldn't say a bit of heroin is fine, just a few lines of coke and yet all the justification with alcohol.

Well there IS the fact that one is illegal and the other isn't. So, that point is fairly nonsensical.

PoppysMum79 · 28/04/2021 10:34

@swimlittlefishy

Whatever goes in your body is what feeds your baby. If you wouldn't want them to eat that as a weaning baby and toddler then don't feed it them as a foetus

That isn't even slightly how it works. Do some of you imagine eating or drinking and it going straight down some magical tube into a babies mouth?
If everyone who doesn't understand biology could sit down, that would be great.

Alcohol freely passes through the placenta to the baby and as the baby's liver isn't yet functioning, it is unable to process the alcohol - meaning instead of getting rid of the alcohol within 12-24 hours as it would be for Mum - baby is in it for longer. It also remains in the amniotic fluid. Research has also shown that the amount of alcohol mum consumes almost the baby has the same amount of alcohol - obviously consider the size of Mum to baby.
TheKeatingFive · 28/04/2021 10:34

we would do well to remember that an absence of evidence does no equate to evidence of an absence of effect!

Comparing and contrasting data from countries and historical periods where alcohol limits were different gives us very clear indications.

Do we have huge numbers of people born in the 70s diagnosed with FASD? Or huge numbers of French people as their limits were different until recently?

I don't think so.

TheKeatingFive · 28/04/2021 10:35

Research has also shown that the amount of alcohol mum consumes almost the baby has the same amount of alcohol - obviously consider the size of Mum to baby.

Another one with no clue how the body works

Greenmarmalade · 28/04/2021 10:36

A few sips? I’m sure it’s fine.

swimlittlefishy · 28/04/2021 10:41

@PoppysMum79

Of course it's your choice but just to add some further info: 1: The chief medical officers in the UK agree there is no safe amount of alcohol use for any individual woman.
  1. Alcohol is a teratogen - that means it is poisonous to a developing baby and the effects are worse for the baby than if you use heroin.
  2. FAS is outdated - it refers to facial features that less than 10% of those affected have. All of those with FASD have damage to their brain and central nervous system.
  3. FASD is more common than autism and is a whole body disorder with over 400 conditions.
  4. Any alcohol in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome.

It's just not worth the risk IMO, most people wouldn't say a bit of heroin is fine, just a few lines of coke and yet all the justification with alcohol.

No.

The chief medical officers know well that there is ample evidence that low levels of alcohol are perfectly safe, but won't say so as they know many people are too dim to know what low levels are and will drink too much.
Low levels of alcohol are not harmful like heroin.
FAS and FASD are not caused by low levels of alcohol
IT is not true that tiny amounts of alcohol are associated with an increased risk of any of those things.

There is no risk.

swimlittlefishy · 28/04/2021 10:42

Research has also shown that the amount of alcohol mum consumes almost the baby has the same amount of alcohol - obviously consider the size of Mum to baby

That is not true and not at all how it works. Stop spouting shite you don't understand.

PoppysMum79 · 28/04/2021 10:49

@TheKeatingFive

The chief medical officers in the UK agree there is no safe amount of alcohol use for any individual woman.

The only reason for that is that its not ethical to do any research on it

Alcohol is a teratogen - that means it is poisonous to a developing baby and the effects are worse for the baby than if you use heroin.

We're going to need a source for such an outrageous claim, ta

FAS is outdated - it refers to facial features that less than 10% of those affected have. All of those with FASD have damage to their brain and central nervous system. FASD is more common than autism and is a whole body disorder with over 400 conditions.

Again a source? I find this hard to believe as I've never come across someone with diagnosed FASD in my life

Any alcohol in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and sudden infant death syndrome.

Again source? Small increase in miscarriage in first trimester, yes, the data supports that. The rest, we'll need some evidence thanks.

most people wouldn't say a bit of heroin is fine, just a few lines of coke and yet all the justification with alcohol.

Well there IS the fact that one is illegal and the other isn't. So, that point is fairly nonsensical.

No problem I have sources for all the points - firstly you could go to www.preventfasd.info or www.nationalfasd.org.uk for much of the info. These were reviewed and evidence checked by the UK leading experts on this.

If you want to look further you can also look at the BMA guide to FASD from 2007 and the updated 2016

You can also look at SIGN 156 (2019)

There is a new NICE QS due this year on this very topic

I realise the legality point - however as alcohol is a teratogen, whether it is legal or not makes no difference to the baby

Hope that helps :)

TheKeatingFive · 28/04/2021 10:54

No problem I have sources for all the points - firstly you could go to www.preventfasd.info or www.nationalfasd.org.uk for much of the info. These were reviewed and evidence checked by the UK leading experts on this.

I don't see any actual evidence there that small amounts of alcohol causes what you say it does. Or is more dangerous than heroin.

If it exists can you explicitly quote it please.

Ta!

PoppysMum79 · 28/04/2021 10:55

@swimlittlefishy

Research has also shown that the amount of alcohol mum consumes almost the baby has the same amount of alcohol - obviously consider the size of Mum to baby

That is not true and not at all how it works. Stop spouting shite you don't understand.

I do understand this thanks :) I'm not spouting - this is evidence based.

Ok, we can talk studies if you like, so,lets' get down to the ones that showed no effect. Often these studies are looking for effects found at birth or in the first 5 years. As a neurodevelopmental disorder the effects between a young child can be quite small compared to a neurotypical child. However, as the child gets older the trajectory widens between the two groups. Often executive functioning and adaptive behaviour can have a severe impairment but if you are only looking at preschool children you wouldn't see this effect.

As nobody can say what would be a safe amount for any woman - then any amount is a risk. FASD is a serious condition with lifelong effects- just not worth the risk.

ShirleyPhallus · 28/04/2021 10:55

The FASD’s own website says that drinking small amounts of alcohol equates to a low risk

ShirleyPhallus · 28/04/2021 10:55

Here

Few sips of red wine when pregnant?
TheKeatingFive · 28/04/2021 10:57

The ‘here’s a load of dense links’ approach isn’t particularly helpful on a forum like this.

Specifically quoting sources to back up your points will be much more effective.

TheKeatingFive · 28/04/2021 10:58

As nobody can say what would be a safe amount for any woman - then any amount is a risk.

Nobody can say what a safe amount of oxygen or water is. It doesn’t follow that ‘any amount’ is a risk. Same logic applies here.