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.

Look, I don't want to highjack the thread about my own loss but I do have a very concrete and very recent example to give about the impact of prenatal diet. Recommendations are there for a reason. When I got unexpectedly pregnant earlier in the summer, it transpired that I am quite deficient in folic acid. Folic acid is crucial to the foetus's neurological development. I didn't plan this baby so I hadn't done anything in particular in preparation for it. I miscarried. Now, I know there may have been other factors at play like my age. No one can tell me for sure that folate deficiency was the main reason for the miscarriage but it certainly didn't help and I will always wonder. I didn't live in fear with my other successful pregnancies and they went very well, however sometimes some precautions are justified and I personally wouldn't dismiss wholesale what medical professionals recommend. I couldn't tell other women what to do of course, it's not my place, but sometimes things do go wrong and then you are left wondering how it could have been helped.

Again, though, this was in very early pregnancy - when the baby and placenta etc are developing. At 38 weeks the baby is at term, and is just, for want of a better term, bulking.

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. Of course folic acid is important and it's important women who are pregnant are TTC know this and are advised ao they can make their own choices. Advising all women of child bearing age to avoid all alcohol on a "just in case" basis is very much a step too far though.

I understand, I am risk averse in my answer to OP's question - but my last post was specifically in response to posters thinking prenatal habits are irrelevant. That one is very close to home and I had to say this.

I don’t think anyone has said that though. They’re saying that in the latter stages of pregnancy a glass of wine will be okay.

Im sorry for your loss.

You're not to blame.

Other women on here are also not to blame, miscarriage is very common. Even for those who are doing everything 'right'.

Its not a 'concrete example' of anything.

Can you link to the research?

Also, presumably you would be advising pregnant women not to drive or travel in cars during pregnancy?

You're fine. It is actually ok to drink in very small amounts during pregnancy. Obviously not as much as is the normal safe recommendation, but it doesn't have to be nothing at all. Ignore any finger wagging on here, it's not like you're downing a bottle.

When I was about 36 weeks pregnant I had one small glass as a treat. I regretted it though because it just made me keep needing a wee ALL night long!!

On one level I know you're right. On the other, there is always a 'what if'. Yes you can do 'everything right' and it can still go wrong or you can stuff your face with all the unsafe food in the world and nothing goes wrong (because the food was in fact safe... not all blue cheese is stuffed with listeria etc.) It's about assessing acceptable risks. Had I known what was going to happen, I would have addressed the deficiency to minimise that particular risk.

The use of pregnancy to control women is absolutely to do with misogyny.

Please point me to the peer reviewed evidence that supports your claims that all of anything should be avoided. Its just lazy healthcare to lecture women and say “don’t do it at all” rather than talk through sensible options when it comes to many aspects of maternity. We are not worth the effort which may account for UK women having some of the worst maternity outcomes and experiences in the first world.

Perhaps we should also tell women they shouldn’t work, shouldn’t exercise in case they overdo it, shouldn’t cross the road “just in case”? The first two of these ridiculous demands used to be standard controls exercised over pregnant women.

Can't believe anyone would ever think that this was ok. It's not and never ever would be

You're right. Equally, there is no scientific evidence that a glass of wine in late pregnancy is a risk. The literature overwhelmingly states that there is no evidence because it is considered unethical to run experiments on pregnant women. The same applies to many pharmaceutical drugs, which often come with exhortations to discuss the risk/reward with your GP.

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that small amounts of alcohol in late pregnancy have no significant effects on the baby. I don't know of any (although there may be some) anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

I don't say this to encourage the OP to have a drink. It's none of my business what she does. I wish her a happy remainder of her pregnancy, a good birth and a robust child at the end of it

What do you think would happen if someone had a small glass of wine?

No, selfish and a risk but sounds like you're not bothered and will do it anyway.

A lot of people on here aren’t aware that the NHS used to say it was fine to have a small glass of wine each week but they had to change the rules as people were interpreting it their own way (eg a glass the size of a bottle). It was to protect themselves against unintelligent people reading the guidelines and drinking themselves into black out. If that hadn’t happened I think we would have a more realistic approach like the Italians and French do that a small glass with a meal is perfectly fine

A lot of people on here aren’t aware that the NHS used to say it was fine to have a small glass of wine each week but they had to change the rules as people were interpreting it their own way (eg a glass the size of a bottle). It was to protect themselves against unintelligent people reading the guidelines and drinking themselves into black out. If that hadn’t happened I think we would have a more realistic approach like the Italians and French do that a small glass with a meal is perfectly fine

A good point, worth making twice...

Do you know the exact risk?
Is it riskier than getting in a car?

I thought it was common knowledge you don't drink alcohol, smoke etc when pregnant. Some risks like using a car are completely unavoidable. Nobody has to drink but just seen she has done it anyway. Pointless post then.

Bloody hell what a divide!

I literally had under a measure of a small glass you’d get in a pub, with ice (I’ve acknowledged all the weirdo comments for the ice 😂) I sipped it over about 1.5 hours and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Baby is kicking away nicely (probably drunk according to some of you). I haven’t touched anything such as pâté, Brie etc since I found out. I e never smoked (bar one I tried when I was 17 and stupid) and I’ve never vaped or took drugs, ever. It was literally a tiny watered down amount of wine. DH had one glass and put the cork back in. Neither of us NEED it and I know that I can have a glass of wine and leave it at that, as said previously I’m not a big drinker and I never have been but I really fancied it last night and it satisfied my little craving for a tiny bit.

I’m back crunching ice this morning about to have my iron infusion at hospital in a few hours as I’m severely anaemic.

Thanks everyone for your balanced views and opinions.

I was pregnant in two other countries and in both it was a lot more risk averse. We were firmly advised not to drink.

Also, my Mum is Irish and was advised a half pint of Guinness once a week when pregnant with me by her Irish midwife to keep anaemia at bay in the early 90s 😂 how times change.

My gawd. My great grandmother was advised in the 30s to eat raw liver to treat anaemia when pregnant with my nana. At least that actually had a significant iron content, but... ew.

I'm never sure why people have deciding driving is 'unavoidable'. It generally isn't. Plenty of people live without a car.

How many car journeys do you take that are not completely, 100% necessary?