Drinking in pregnancy

[PurplePizzaCake]

AIBU in thinking it's OK to have the odd glass of wine while pregnant? Maybe 2 very small glasses a week?

Yes = YABU and shouldn't drink that much/anything at all

No= it's fine to have the odd glass

@Drumgley

No - it states any levels of drinking could be harmful.

Where?
You're wrong - it states we don't know what levels are harmful. That's not the same as 'any levels are harmful'

With the greatest of respect I think you're situation is colouring your view, which is understandable but it doesn't make it ok to lie to women.

@nameisnotimportant none of those links provide evidence that just one drink harms a baby. That's what I'm looking for because SO many people here have said it.

@arield

Ugh I hate this obtuse passive aggression of the faux-dippy "I just don't undy-stand" that women do. Fucking grow up, and say what you mean

I'm not being PA, I think anyone who can't go without alcohol for 9 months needs to look at their relationship with alcohol in general

And I think anyone who judges women for making a completely rational decision based on actual science not fudged generalisations needs to look at their attitude to women.

I cannot stand this one size fits all treating of pregnant women like imbeciles. Give us the actual data and let us make our own informed decisions like the responsible adults we are. Then if one person chooses to or not to drink alcohol, eat bagged salad or runny eggs or anything else they're doing it from a place of knowledge not just because or some imagined risk.

I'm guessing you declared your drinking to your midwife and then listened to their advice?

[quote nameisnotimportant]@YourFinestPantaloons
I have also nursed babies with FAS, where the mother has just had a daily drink during pregnancy. It's not just the junkie, alcoholic mums that have FAS babies. Once you see a baby suffering like that, it changes your perception on it being worth the risk. [/quote]
That's what they tell you. This is why it's a notoriously difficult area to study, because women aren't going to be truthful when they hear there's repercussions

their regular alcohol consumption caused FASD

And we can’t use this to decide that minimal drinking levels cause fasd, especially as there is absolutely no evidence at a macro level to back that up. Of course we can’t have double bind trials, but where are the shifts in levels we’d expect to see as guidelines change?

Therefore, most health officials and governing bodies air on the side of caution.

Well sure. It doesn’t mean a well informed woman shouldn’t make that choice for herself.

@YourFinestPantaloons
I didn't say that the links to the research provided evidence that one drink causes FASD. I said I thought two drinks a week for the whole pregnancy was drinking quite regularly, which the research shows does have an affect. I also stated that I personally don't think the occasional drink has too much of an affect but by occasional, I mean 2-3 drinks for the whole pregnancy.

@TheKeatingFive
I didn't say she couldn't make the choice herself. I gave my opinion that I thought drinking twice a week was too much and I personally wouldn't take the risk.

Yes, even NOFAS say:

'Myth: A single drink containing one ounce of alcohol during pregnancy, or occasionally during pregnancy, has been scientifically linked to affects that can be diagnosed as an FASD.

While only abstention from alcohol during pregnancy completely eliminates any risk to the embryo or fetus, there is no published research of a diagnosis of an FASD from prenatal exposure to an ounce of alcohol. It is possible that a drink could have a subtle harmful effect, but it has not been scientifically shown that such an effect would reach the criteria necessary for a diagnosis under the FASD umbrella.'

@PurplePizzaCake

Sometimes I think it's easier to accept a drink at a social occasion than basically telling people you are pregnant by not drinking

You absolutely should not be drinking if you are so early in your pregnancy that you do not want to tell people yet.

This is the time it has its greatest (neurotoxic) effect. It has its biggest impact on a baby's central nervous system int he early developmental stage

I didn't say she couldn't make the choice herself

I personally wouldn't take the risk.

I am certainly cool with these points anyway

[quote YourFinestPantaloons]@Drumgley

No - it states any levels of drinking could be harmful.

Where?
You're wrong - it states we don't know what levels are harmful. That's not the same as 'any levels are harmful'

With the greatest of respect I think you're situation is colouring your view, which is understandable but it doesn't make it ok to lie to women.

@nameisnotimportant none of those links provide evidence that just one drink harms a baby. That's what I'm looking for because SO many people here have said it.[/quote]

If you can't actually read a full article and see what's in it, I'm not wasting more time assisting you in spelling it out.

One drink at any time in pregnancy can cause FASD. Ask a GP or midwife, should I drink alcohol in pregnancy? and they will advise you not to, for this reason. Are they lying to you?

Alcohol is a drug. If you would not feed alcohol to your newborn, being aware of the risks that carries, why would you do it in the womb? Your argument makes no sense.

@TheKeatingFive

there's a diagnosis that states otherwise!

Presumably based on self reported usage, which doesn’t actually get us anywhere,

Eh no. Birth mum is dead. This relates to the clear physical facial features related to FASD.

@TheKeatingFive

I can see how my child is affected

I am so sorry for your situation, but your child wasn’t affected by minimal levels of drinking.

You know literally nothing about this.

YANBU but people really get their knickers in a twist about it on here.

Birth mum is dead.

So how does anyone have any accurate understanding of how much she drank?

I don’t think what your daughter was exposed to was very small levels of drinking with no other risky behaviour. That’s what we’re talking about.

Just accept the drink and don’t drink it, people won’t notice if you’ve accepted it but don’t drink it (assuming you’re talking about being less than 12 weeks or wishing to keep the pregnancy secret)

@Gorl

I think an occasional drink is not harmful, but twice a week is more than occasional.

Nor would I give my newborn a full tablet worth of panadol but I just took two myself.

125ml is at least a standard drink op, I don’t think a glass here or there is a problem but I would avoid any regular drinking. So 2 standard drinks a week feels too much, it’s so easy to pour an extra splash, let the amount creep up. I’m 19 weeks, will have the odd drink but never let it get to regular. And more like half a glass when my husband has a glass, a whole standard drink would be to celebrate something not just an evening on the sofa. When not pregnant I probably have a drink more days than I don’t, looking forward to that again when baby is born!

You absolutely should not be drinking if you are so early in your pregnancy that you do not want to tell people yet.

This is the time it has its greatest (neurotoxic) effect. It has its biggest impact on a baby's central nervous system int he early developmental stage

I’ve read this sort of thing a lot on here but I was told by my consultant that until the placenta takes over (8-12 weeks of pregnancy) and they’re ‘hooked up’ to your blood supply, they’re existing solely on the egg sac. And so, any excessive alcohol consumed in the early days won’t actually reach the embryo/foetus.

I enquired after I went to a particularly good wedding (free bar) and got stuck in before I knew I was pregnant.

If you can't actually read a full article and see what's in it, I'm not wasting more time assisting you in spelling it out.

One drink at any time in pregnancy can cause FASD

@Drumgley you have literally made this up and have failed to provide any evidence. No, that link doesn't state this. And I have read the full article. Perhaps you don't want to 'assist' me because you know you're talking bollocks and the information isn't actually there?

Alcohol is a drug. If you would not feed alcohol to your newborn, being aware of the risks that carries, why would you do it in the womb?

Did you only drink breastmilk in your pregnancy then?

Your argument makes no sense.

Haha that's rich!

This relates to the clear physical facial features related to FASD.

From one drink or excessive drinking?

One drink at any time in pregnancy can cause FASD

Even NOFAS itself says otherwise.

@Glssr195726113493

Ugh I hate this obtuse passive aggression of the faux-dippy "I just don't undy-stand" that women do. Fucking grow up, and say what you mean

I agree. But a simple soul, was that poster, and couldn’t really explain what she meant. Other than demonstrating that she doesn’t really understand anything, least of all that a pregnant woman is still an individual with choices and rights, not just a vessel carrying a foetus.

Urgh, you're horrible

@Newpuppymummy

This makes me so sad. That you need to ask snd the results of the poll. If you’d been around children with FASD you wouldn’t ask. No amount is safe

If any sip of alcohol caused FASD, we'd ALL be around children with it. Most humans throughout history would have had FASD. And you know well that we aren't and they didn't.

Logic beats emotion.