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Original poster

what do you think of pregnant women drinking?

154 replies

babyonboard · 12/07/2005 17:39

Just wondering, as we went out for a sunday roast this weekend, and I had a pint of lager shandy (it was a really hot day and it was lovely out in the pub garden)
I have generally been having a shandy or a white wine spritzer almost every weekend since I found out I was pregnant, and do not ssee the harm in it myself,
I did however get a lot of disgusted stares from various women sitting near us.
i am very proud that i stopped smoking the day I took the test, and though it has been hell i have not succumbed since, even though dp is still smoking as normal so the temptation is always there
I do not see the problem in treating myself to an occasional drink, and don't believe I should be wrapped up in cotton wool for the whole 9 months.
what are your thoughts?

OP posts:
wordsmith · 12/07/2005 19:27

I had a glass of red wine every night when I was pg. It's binge drinking you need to worry about, not the occasional stress-releiver. Besides, red wine has been proven to be good for the heart .

Tell the women giving you dirty looks to f* off!

MrsGordonRamsay · 12/07/2005 19:28

Starlover

Since you put it like that

wordsmith · 12/07/2005 19:28

I ate nuts as well (absent mindedly, not deliberately, but they're just there aren't they?

Tommy · 12/07/2005 19:29

My midwife advised me to drink as if I was driving which I thought was very sensible. One or two units ince or twice a week I reckon is fine.
I had a 40 week scan with DS1 on Christmas Eve and the consultant told us that the baby wasn't going to be born tonight so we should go home and have a bottle of wine - very sound advice which we followed of course

starlover · 12/07/2005 19:29

mgr... be pretty surprised if you gave birth to that wouldn't you?!!! hahahahaha

i also ate nuts... craved them in fact. didn't drink though... didn't see the point as i couldn't get drunk! lol

morningpaper · 12/07/2005 19:33

I agree that saying NO ALCOHOL seems extreme. The studies I've read about FAS all talk about women with SEVERE drinking problems.

Xena · 12/07/2005 19:37

I drank in moderation in all 3 pgs and DD1 was 9.6lbs
Although I thought that a bottle of wine was 4 units (which was the recommended weekly limit for a pg lady) but someone put me straight that its 6 to a bottle, but it was to late as I'd already had no3 and had drank a bottle a week the whole way through

Nimme · 12/07/2005 19:38

Each to their own. Personally I couldn't stand the smell of alcohol - if I had to drink champagne was my poison.

I did, however, smoke throughout my first pregnancy (not loads but still) which caused all sorts of dirty looks!

Also had people advising/interfeering about my diet which drove me mad. Pregnancy no 2 no ciggies, little alcohol - so better but best of all no interfeering busybodies!

Incidentally have 2 gorgeous healthy girls.

Good luck - and enjoy

MrsGordonRamsay · 12/07/2005 19:39

Starlover

I would send it back

aloha · 12/07/2005 19:40

nuts are fine! lots of myths about eating in pregnancy.

WideWebWitch · 12/07/2005 19:46

I drank sensibly when pregnant both times and don't see the problem, I feel fairly sure that FAS occurs with heavy and binge drinking, not the odd glass of wine. Babyonboard, I'm not terribly keen on your comments about enforced sterilisation though.

Starlover, aaagggh and I even had to turn Protowall off to view it, grrrr!

starlover · 12/07/2005 19:47

tee hee...

mgr... you;ll give the bat a complex... i agree he has a face only a mother could love though!

christie1 · 12/07/2005 19:49

I sometimes think what next is there to make pregnant women feel guilty about? Anyway, my motto is common sense and moderation, don't get totally blotto and be careful during the first 3 months. I live in canada and believe me, it seems daily there is a study that our kids will die, turn out horrible, grow 3 heads or something if we don't do this or that. My favorite is the study that said teething rings had something in them that would cause some kind of poisoning ( I forget now) being a new mum, I threw out all the new toys. A Few laters later, it comes out the baby would have had to physically eat about 10 teething rings to get any kind of poisoning, hence my now commonsense approach! Use your head, don't overdue it but if you need a glass of wine, do so. When I got pregnant I asked if I should give up caffeine and my doctor said of course not, who could survive without a cup of tea and toast first thing in the morning.

wordsmith · 12/07/2005 19:53

www, reading though BoB's postings I really think she was being ironic.....

Donbean · 12/07/2005 20:01

personally i stopped drinking when trying to concieve. (also stopped having sweetners in tea etc), a bit ott this must sound i know BUT i had lost 2 babies and didnt want to do what to my mind would be jepordising my chances of a healthy viable pregnancy.
BEFORE you all start on me about "what rubbish" and "where is the evidence to support..." i know i know but this was what i had in my own mind, based on no research, no advice and no other reason except that this was how i felt about it.

As for other pregnant women drinking, i have no thoughts whatso ever about this, no problem at all.

Original poster
babyonboard · 12/07/2005 20:04

of course...

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 12/07/2005 20:06

Oh ok, sorry if I misread it, am reading fast as only have another 10 minutes before dp wants to talk to me! The cheek!

meggymoo · 12/07/2005 20:08

Message withdrawn

PiccadillyCircus · 12/07/2005 20:10

I am nearly 7 months pregnant and drink wine most weeks. I didn't drink anything until I was about 20 weeks pregnant, but only because it made me want to be sick. I have been enjoying Pimms as well.

I've not had anyone say anything to me - hopefully they won't.

I have been avoiding peanuts, because of DH having asthma, but I'm sure I have had some.

And I regularly eat other things that I shouldn't.

juicychops · 12/07/2005 20:24

I never drank alcohol when i was pregnant. occasionally i was tempted to have one but every time i went to the bar to buy alcohol i always came back with a coke or water cos the thought of alcohol made me feel sick. I haven't really drunk since i had ds

Satine · 12/07/2005 20:39

I think you're fine with drinking in moderation. And as for other people's comments - I'm bad tempered at the best of times but when heavily pregnant I used to go round the supermarket loading up my trolley with pate and runny brie and wine just waiting for someone to say something

morningpaper · 12/07/2005 20:39

lol!

"Oooh this sushi is reduced!"

Satine · 12/07/2005 20:54

"Excuse me, can you tell me where the liver is please?"

edam · 12/07/2005 20:58

WWW's right, foetal alcohol syndrome affects the children of heavy drinkers. A couple of glasses of wine occasionally is not going to do any damage.
There is pressure from some doctors and public health people to change the message to 'don't drink at all' but that's because it's an easier message to send out and may attract the attention of problem drinkers (ie harder for them to fool themselves that their drinking is OK). The professionals don't actually have any hard evidence that the odd glass of wine causes any harm at all.

wordsmith · 12/07/2005 21:00

meggymoo, as soon as I found out I was pg with DS1 I had a fag cos I was so shocked!!!! Then I ditched them (till I stopped breastfeeding, oh the shame)