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

For myself I would worry if I couldn't go without 2 glasses a week. But I don't drink regularly so 🤷 I just don't see the need for it buy each to their own.

2-3 glasses a week is far too much! I had non alcoholic cider.
I think anyone that needs to drink so badly they can't go 9 months without alcohol really needs to look at themself. There wasn't a single thing I couldn't have given up for that short time to make sure that my baby was healthy.

I wouldn't put coffee in my newborns bottle yet I drink that.

You aren't supposed to drink caffeine in pregnancy either.

It really comes down to whether you want to prioritise yourself or your baby. It's the same as birth, breastfeeding, weaning. Simple life or best for baby.

@NatMoz if its pasteurised and baked you can have it. Like baked cammenbert :)

It really comes down to whether you want to prioritise yourself or your baby.

And yet that doesn’t seem to apply to people’s weight or things like taking non essential trips in cars.

"mothers of children diagnosed in the FASD spectrum reported drinking levels ranging from mild to excessive alcohol use."
Systematic literature review on which maternal alcohol behaviours are related to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)
Sylvia Roozen1,2, Gjalt-Jorn Ygram et al

bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/12/e022578

[quote mswales]You should make your decisions and assess risk based on proper data. Studies dating back to the mid 1980s on alcohol use in pregnancy show conclusively that heavy drinking is harmful but no data indicates that moderate drinking is harmful. The available good quality evidence, that is out there, from studies conducted over the last 40 years indicates one drink a week in the first trimester/one drink a day in the second and third trimesters is not harmful. Economist Emily Oster got frustrated with poor quality data and advice when pregnant and did meta-data analysis of hundreds of studies on all sorts of pregnancy questions from alcohol use to caffeine, other food stuffs and birth choices (i.e. how much does an epidural increase the likelihood of interventions), and summarised what the data actually shows. I highly highly recommend her book: www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/19/expecting-more-emily-oster-review[/quote]
This post is all you need OP. Ignore the scaremongering and assess the risk yourself.

mothers of children diagnosed in the FASD spectrum reported drinking levels ranging from mild to excessive alcohol use

What’s the definition of ‘mild’ alcohol use there, I can’t see one?

I also presume this is based on self reported data, which is notoriously inaccurate with regards to alcohol.

Why haven’t we seen big shifts in FASD levels in line with changing guidelines in a wide range of countries across the world?

Sorry, I meant to say self reported usage

And yet that doesn’t seem to apply to people’s weight or things like taking non essential trips in cars.

I disagree. I think being overweight in pregnancy is selfish because of all of the additional risks.

The car thing I think is a bit of a silly example. Cars get you to work, supermarket etc. Yes there is a risk but it's measured against s need. There is no need for alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine (or being overweight).

The car thing I think is a bit of a silly example. Cars get you to work, supermarket etc. Yes there is a risk but it's measured against s need

Upthread I specifically referenced non essential travel like certain types of shopping, hobbies, socialising. No need for those either.

When it comes to this, who cares what a random group of pple think 🙄
Read the medical advice and then do what you feel comfortable with, based on that info

@Brokensunflower

I wouldn't put coffee in my newborns bottle yet I drink that.

You aren't supposed to drink caffeine in pregnancy either.

It really comes down to whether you want to prioritise yourself or your baby. It's the same as birth, breastfeeding, weaning. Simple life or best for baby.

Yes, you can.

Nothing happens. It's suggested it can cause miscarriage in excessive quantities (so same as anything then). There IS a safe limit on caffeine, it's about 4 cups per day.

What risk do you think a pregnant woman having a coke is to a fetus?

I suppose all the sanctimonious people on this thread go into hibernation to avoid any unnecessary risks whatsoever, yes?

It's totally fine. Research has shown that it's basically the speed that you drink (as well as the amount) that counts. So if you drink one glass of wine it'll be metabolized (sp?) before anything gets to the baby - the advice is drink like a European not a fresher!

Furthermore there's no higher incidence of FAS or indeed differences in IQ between countries where the odd glass of wine in pregnancy is the norm as opposed to countries where it's normal to abstain completely. The one (widely cited) study that showed aggression in children is deeply flawed in that not only were the expectant mothers drinking alcohol but also taking cocaine yet the study focused solely on use of alcohol.

Further randomised studies have weirdly shown better outcomes in terms of IQ and behaviour for children who's mother had 2-3 glasses of wine a week in pregnancy as opposed to just the one. Obviously no one is advocating that if you have one glass of wine this week, you should drink two more just to be one the safe side though!

Obesity, cigarettes, heroin and cocaine are shown to highly increase the chance of negative outcomes for either mother or baby. Alcohol and caffeine in moderation are fine. However I would say once you start researching it, it's so interesting. Ie the amount of caffeine that would start to increase risk of miscarriage would equate to about 60 cups of coffee a day, yet we're advised to avoid it in case we don't understand the idea of moderation. Likewise with alcohol a blanket 'avoid alcohol' seems to be the advice given as opposed to giving people the facts. Pregnant women really need to be empowered to make their own decisions and not infantilised as if they don't understand basic data. There's also a lot of very flawed studies that appear to ignore the difference between causation and correlation and almost seem designed to whip up confusion and hysteria!

@DirectionToPerfection

I think an occasional glass is fine, but I wouldn't call twice a week occasional.

I would say a sip of champagne on New Year's Eve is ok but drinking every week no.

If you can't commit to not drinking while pregnant (it IS dangerous!!) how can you commit to take care of a newborn?!

@Brokensunflower

I wouldn't put coffee in my newborns bottle yet I drink that.

You aren't supposed to drink caffeine in pregnancy either.

It really comes down to whether you want to prioritise yourself or your baby. It's the same as birth, breastfeeding, weaning. Simple life or best for baby.

Oh FFS.

If you can't commit to not drinking while pregnant (it IS dangerous!!) how can you commit to take care of a newborn?!

That really is one of the most ridiculous questions I've ever read on mumsnet! It is only in the last few decades that not drinking in pregnancy has been a thing, yet there are plenty of over 30's around to show that they were well cared for as newborns!

Yabu. It’s a very stupid thing to do.

Doctors sometimes tell women that a very little alcohol is fine, because they know at stress is also v bad for baby, and they believe they’re talking to a woman who won’t be able to give up alcohol completely so they might as well say a little is fine (plus they haven’t read the latest research). But if you do the research you will learn that even a teeny tiny amount of alcohol can cause permanent brain damage to the foetus. Much depends on how old the foetus is, as at some stages of development, even a glass of wine can cause damage. Drinking in pregnancy has also been linked to child ADHD and autism, the rates of which are shooting up in England - but not in countries where pregnant women don’t drink alcohol.

Do you know at what stage of foetal development the child’s brain is most vulnerable to alcohol? No? Suggest you google instead of coming on Mumsnet looking for support for a stupid choice the consequences of which you and your child may have to live with for a very long time.

But if you do the research you will learn that even a teeny tiny amount of alcohol can cause permanent brain damage to the foetus.

🙄

What research?

How come we didn’t have sky high FASD rates when guidelines included small levels of consumption.

@Youreacockarentyou

All I’m gonna say is Mumsnet is not known for its balanced opinions on alcohol consumption.

'Aint that the truth! Love a good alcohol when pregnant thread.

You aren't supposed to drink caffeine in pregnancy either

"Aren't supposed to"? Says who? I know we are almost living in Gilead but for the moment there is no "supposed to". Pregnant women have as much autonomy over their bodies as anyone else.

2 glasses a week while pregnant?

You may say small glasses, but most people don't know what small is. Even actually small glasses, twice a week is too much.

Find it very odd that someone who wants children is quite happy to risk them being born with issues caused by their own decisions. Very odd.

I think there is a sensible middle ground here. For me, two glasses a week is regular drinking which I wouldn't feel comfortable with during pregnancy.

However I may well choose to have one glass of fizz at Christmas or on my birthday this year. I will be in my second trimester by then and some people may frown on it but having researched and read about this at length I feel well informed enough to make that decision. You may say, why? Why is it necessary? Well it's not really but neither is eating chocolate or drinking coffee or doing any of the other remotely pleasurable things in life.

It's about doing your research and then being comfortable with your own choices.

Find it very odd that someone who wants children is quite happy to risk them being born with issues caused by their own decisions

Does that apply to overweight women too?