To have one small glass of red wine at 38 weeks pregnant?

[baby2c]

I’m not a drinker at all but DH gets a bottle of red once or twice a month and tonight I really fancy just a very small glass, I’m a weirdo (according to DH) who likes ice in red wine on the rare occasion I have it. DH is only having one glass just in case I was to go into labour and he had to drive to hospital. So I was thinking of having a tiny amount with some ice and enjoying sipping it whilst watching tv in my pjs however I’m not sure if this is totally out of order or reasonable? Would you? Or did you? I haven’t touched alcohol at all since finding out I am pregnant at 4 weeks.

No. I’m saying it’s odd that midwives advise it, like in said I’m my post. Midwives are told there is no known safe amount of alcohol and to advise pregnant women of this. In their training, they learn that alcohol can cause premature birth, impact growth etc, so even though one glass is unlikely to do any of that, it’s still odd that they would actively tell a woman to drink, rather than just tell her the advice and leave her to make her own mind up. I remember a work colleague saying she had directly asked her midwife whether a glass of wine at a wedding would be ok and she said she’s not allowed to say it is because there is no known safe amount etc.

Oster is quite controversial on this point. And she is not a medical professional, she's a data expert. Yes, she has interesting points to make but it's important to remember that she is not a medic and I wouldn't blindly follow her book as a guide.

Go for it OP. Your baby is fully formed. I worry why you asked on here though, you know you will get the drama queens, someone mentioned previously about putting a glass of wine in your child's bottle. Enjoy, relax with DP soon you will be so busy. I have a medical qualification if that counts for anything on this mad site ;)

The mother in question is full term though, as was I. There is absolutely no risk of premature birth or impact on growth at this point! Hence why I suppose midwives suggest it. Must be common since there are a few of us mentioning it.

Yes, had the same advice. And you're right, they changed it because us silly women can't be trusted to know what a unit is and to stick to only 1 or 2, not because of any evidence that those amounts cause any harm.

Meanwhile the women who drink to excess are still doing it despite the guidelines and are far less likely to ask for help due to the judgement on display here and in real life.

@Spookyspaghetti Re your AI graphic: the alcohol in a small glass of wine will usually be mostly metabolised by the liver (“hepatic first pass”), and only after that would any left over go into the bloodstream. Obviously if she continued to drink several more glasses, the level in the bloodstream would then rise, but one small glass produces negligible blood alcohol.

Please don’t get your info from AI - it isn’t a reliable source of medical information.

(“Hepatic first pass”: since the blood filtering through the GI tract is collected in the portal vein, all substances absorbed with blood must first enter the liver prior to distribution to other organs. The liver metabolises any substances in the GI tract, sometimes to such an extent that only a very small amount of active substance emerges from the liver to the rest of the circulatory system. This is why many medications and drugs are given by injection/transdermal/IV routes instead of orally.)

There are other risks too, it can increase the risk of SIDS for example. I’m not saying one glass would harm but it’s just not known what amount is safe so my point is that it’s ridiculous and irresponsible for a midwife to actually encourage it.

My BFs mum was told to drink a small glass of Guinness every day when she was pregnant in the 70s. I think we’ve gone from one extreme to another.

No, I wouldn’t be comfortable drinking at all. I didn’t drink at all once I knew I was pregnant, if you want anecdotal comments - but maybe medical advice would make you feel more comfortable with deciding.

This is the funniest thread!

I wonder if it's a generational thing...my mum was instructed by her GP to drink a pint of Guinness a day through all of her 4 pregnancies - and she followed the instruction, even though she hated Guinness. We all turned out fine

I'm not saying that I would recommend that myself, but I do think everyone should chill a little. A glass of wine isn't going to do anyone any harm

We have more medical knowledge now and we do know there are risks, but as it would be unethical to test, it’s best that drinking in pregnancy is advised against. What women choose to do with that advice is their choice.

But a lot of people drink before they know they are pregnant. And that's when the baby starts actually forming

But that can’t be changed once done. It’s a very different thing whether you choose to drink when you know you are pregnant. when you are advised that it is not known how much is safe.

I did and would.

Your baby is almost fully developed and as a pp said your organs will filter it out before it reaches your baby.

Your husband sounds very thoughtful! I had to beg my then 'D'H not to get completely shitfaced when I was due.

Hope it all goes smoothly! (And enjoy your chilled wine!)

I do think the current obsession with the danger of having an
occasional alcoholic drink during pregnancy is scaremongering. I drank like a fish for the first three months, had no idea I was pregnant. Had a very healthy 10lb boy. Of course drinking to excess during pregnancy is wrong, but the occasional glass of wine a couple of times a month is not going to cause an issue, anyone saying otherwise is being rediculous.

Good lord, this thread is illuminating😂

Your baby will come to no harm from one glass of red. At this gestation you could probably sink a whole bottle of red without any ill effects on the fetus, save for if you needed any surgery or analgesics - and even then the negative impact would be on you not on your baby.

People really do need much better science education in the UK.

My neglected and poisoned foetus is now nearly 15 and 6 feet tall and thriving. Poor, poor child.

Red wine with Pepsi max and ice

Ita amazing

Not sure why some are saying just wait and ‘enjoy’ it after, ‘celebrate’ with a glass. OP will barely get chance to finish a glass of water after for a very good while let alone enjoy a celebratory drink in peace - unless you were talking waiting months afterwards. Time to enjoy is right now.

I’m not sure what I’m more disgusted at OP.
the fact that you’re drinking Malbec in any season other than Autumn/winter… or you have ice in it…
im currently on the sober train as I went out middle of July and had a hang over for a month…
when I break, I’m going to have to be prepared to have my mind blown and try it with ice in October 🤣
hope you had a lovely ‘small’ glass, ignore those that are judging and enjoy!!

And then people will be bleating about not drinking while breastfeeding

I really don't think one small glass at this stage will be at all harmful.

No, I wouldn't and never did. There is no known safe amount. Even if it's unlikely to do any harm, why risk it for a glass of wine? I just never thought it worth it.

The WHO suggested thst woman of childbearing age so 18-50 shouldn’t drink at all so as not to impact a potential fetus. It was even less popular than iced red

US agency's alcohol advice for women is mocked https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35493188

It's hardly the same!