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.

"Literal poison" - oh what drama.

I would. I did. Not just once!

When I was last pg in 1997/8 my obstetrician told me that I could have a G&T every day. I only did occasionally, and the occasional glass of wine. Probably two units a week.

When my mother was pg with me, she had a bottle of gin and a hot bath. She didn’t get a miscarriage she got a shot gun wedding and a very healthy baby girl. Also despite drinking socially throughout the pg, and probably having the occasional ciggie too.

I'm not condoning it, just saying there's probably no need to catastrophise about moderation.

I was getting really wound up with false starts of labour consistently for 2 weeks, it was draining. My consultant obstetrician told me to go home and have a glass of my favourite wine to try and switch off in the hopes it would relax me enough to get things going. She said a single glass at that stage couldn't do any harm.

It's fine OP.

How do you know it’s not a big deal?

Why are you universally told to avoid alcohol when pregnant?
I don’t drink anymore. One glass of wine would make me feel woozy and like shit the next day. So why would you force that into an unborn baby’s body? They don’t have any choice, so of course you’re forcing it to consume it.

You are not being unreasonable to have a very small glass of wine in the third trimester but you are being unreasonable putting ice in red wine!

Let's not be unduly restrictive, they can have formula as well.

Would you give your newborn cheese? Or a cupcake? Or a nice slice of toast? Or pop them in a nice hot bath?
FFS, OP, have the wine. The only effect it will have is that randoms on the internet will judge you.
however, please don’t put ice in red wine. Sinful.

Just about to mention Emily Oster. You're fine with a small glass in the third trimester.

I never claimed to be a HCP, in fact I suggested OP ask her midwife... I know that some meds are deemed safe and others not, some viruses are dangerous others harmless etc. so it clearly isn't that simple. My only experience is that I had three DC with fairly big gaps so I always asked about the latest guidelines about various things like alcohol and unsafe foods. What I was told fairly consistently was that the mother’s liver metabolises her own alcohol, but since the baby is connected by the placenta, the foetus experiences the same blood alcohol rise. The baby metabolises alcohol with its own liver which is not as efficient as the mother's. That’s why alcohol lingers longer in the foetus. Maybe I'm wrong but I wanted to share this just to err on the side of caution..

What you were told was 30 years ago, and what your mother was told was 60? years ago. Thankfully we have better obstetricians nowadays

Guidelines may have changed but I thought they recommended no alcohol.

stout would be better
or a very small glass
but is it worth it?

Please don't.

Your baby is fully cooked, I would. I had the odd glass of wine with mine but I waited until 20+ weeks, I was a lot more uptight with my first though and only had a glass christmas day when I was 38 weeks pregnant, the other's I was more relaxed.

Well none of us came out with two heads or any other disability.

Literally no medical professional believes that one small glass of wine at 38 weeks will effect babies development

That depends if you consider loading more and more restrictions on mothers ‘just in case’, progress.

The WHO was recently advocating all women of childbearing age not drink at all, just in case they got pregnant. Is that progressive too?

You are universally told to avoid alcohol while pregnant because it's a simple message for the NHS and government to share. The truth about alcohol and pregnancy is very nuanced. No alcohol won't harm you so that's the bottom line. Like one cigarette a week would most like have a negligible impact on your health but NHS comms trade in black and white to give populations clarity, not tailored messages for individual, unique lives.

Good to know. I must have had the strictest most joyless midwives in England then!

YANBU - I didn't feel much like drinking during my pregnancies but I probably had a half of beer or a glass of wine a few times. I also have never had a problem stopping after one so I think as long as drinking one isn't a slippery slope for you, it's fine.

You’re very harsh on this. My mum had port occasionally and I’ve got two degrees. Her mum used to have all sorts and my mum ran a business for 50 years and retired a millionaire! It needs a common sense view

I'd take the words of obstetricians on the subject with a grain of salt, all the same. The classic definition of an alcoholic was someone who drank more than their doctor, after all.😆

No, I wouldn't. It goes into the baby's bloodstream. Not worth the risk