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Original poster

did you drink during pregnancy

151 replies

dooley1 · 18/03/2006 18:04

Was chatting to a pregnant friend today and she said the current guidelines are no alcohol at all during pregnancy due to behaviuorial problems further down the line. When I was pregnant 2 years ago the guidelines were 1 or 2 units a week so I regularly had a glass of wine with my evening meal. Ds has no behaviourial problems but my friend seemed quite shocked. So quick Mumsnet poll to see where this evidence came from - if you did the same have your kids experienced any of these behaviourial problmes???

OP posts:
monkeytrousers · 18/03/2006 21:03

yes, crack is also a definite no-no

expatinscotland · 18/03/2006 21:05

Exactly, sun! A sensible approach, I think. I lived in France for 2 years and you didn't see such awful binge drinking like you do here.

I found myself very wound up during this pregnancy. The doctor prescribed me mild tranquilisers.

I threw the script away and had a glass of wine. Felt much better!

Original poster
dooley1 · 18/03/2006 21:40

I guess it just sounds a bit shocking to have a glass of wine a day - therefore having 14 units a week, when that is the recommended amount we are meant to have when not pregnant!!!

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lucy5 · 18/03/2006 21:42

I didn't but it was because I just couldnt face it, the smell made me feel sick. I dont think there is anything wrong with a little of what you fancy. Obviously not crack!

Bozza · 18/03/2006 21:45

small glass of wine a day would be 7 units a week.

I drank in extreme moderation when pregnant.

ma2cra · 18/03/2006 21:47

With both 1st and 3rd drank more than I should have in the first few weeks (runup to Christmas) as I was unaware I was pregnant with 1st due to early bleeding and 3rd was a surprise pregnancy.

All three boys are very healthy and no behavioural problems.

CadMum · 18/03/2006 21:48

Not a drop but that is tthe Canadian expectation, isn't it? TBH, it just didn't seem worth the risk and doesn't offer any benefits to the baby so I couldn't do it. Besides, I can't even imagine the looks one would get for such behaviour here!

Angeliz · 18/03/2006 21:49

I drank with both other pregnancies a few glasses a week in the later stages.
I've been more restrained with this one because i really haven't fancied it. I'm 16+ weeks now and have had 2 glasses of wine throughout and have a galss of freezing Jacob's Creek at the moment. mmmmmmmmm

Actually, one glass was had at 13ish weeks when something upset me and i was devestated and cried all day and dp begged me to chill out with a glass of wine!

skinnymalinky · 18/03/2006 21:49

I had one small glass of wine about 3 or 4 times through the whole pregnancy. Dont think one glass can do any harm.

Waswondering · 18/03/2006 21:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BettySpaghetti · 18/03/2006 21:53

I completely went off alcohol when pregnant with both my two - probably not helped by nausea and vomiting!
Towards the end of each pregnancy I would have the odd swig of DP's wine as I seemed to quite fancy it again but didn't want much.
I remember being quite pleased that I went off it as everything I read said avoid alcohol or only the occasional unit.

Passionflower · 18/03/2006 22:39

I drank the odd glass or two of wine when preggers with all three DD's and have no behavioural probs to report. My consultant (everyone here gets a referal) told me in no uncertain terms that he didn't believe in all these rules and as long as you're sensible a little of what you fancy does no harm.

Spirits should be avoided though and prticularly
Gin as juniper contains a natural abortificant.

Passionflower · 18/03/2006 22:47

waswondwering my consultant was one of the 'older' generation and has since retired. Smile He was completely fab and saved DD1's life - I tend to think that experience is rather undervalued these days.

blueteddy · 18/03/2006 22:48

I didn't drink much when pregnant with DS1, although just before he was born it was BBQ season & I did have 2 or 3 glasses of wine. He has no behaviour problems at all.
With DS2 I had a horrible pregnancy & ended up with ante natal depression. I ended up drinking a little more than I did with DS1 by the end of the pregnancy. He is a more lively characture than DS1, but not more so than the average 2 year old.

fishie · 18/03/2006 22:52

i got really annoyed by this when pg - of course it isn't a good idea to get pissed or drink spirits regularly. but (as some american stuff i've read said) being told your baby will have fetal alcohol syndrome for a couple of glasses of fizz is just utter bollocks and causes a lot of needless worry and upset.

Original poster
dooley1 · 19/03/2006 11:44

It's interesting that a lot of you are talking about a couple of glasses throughout pregnancy in total. The advice was a couple of glasses a week, not in total!! Of course a couple of glasses over 9 months insn't going to cause any harm!!

OP posts:
biglips · 19/03/2006 11:47

i drank 5 different occasions throughtout my pg.. had 4 glasses and thats it

biglips · 19/03/2006 11:48

i remember one of my friend who was drinking every friday nites (buds) in nightclubs whilst heavily pg (she gave birth 2 weeks later) and the baby was fine..

biglips · 19/03/2006 11:49

but i didnt agree what she was doing but it wasnt my baby to worry about

tribpot · 19/03/2006 13:01

I'm sure I remember reading about FAS that even heavy drinkers only have a 40% chance of producing a child with FAS - again, not saying that this is justification for going out and getting hammered, but my guess is that we simply have no idea what the safe limit for alcohol consumption is and clearly there's no way to experiment! Unfortunately I don't think nowadays health professionals are allowed to advise you to use your common sense, and hence the recommendation that you avoid alcohol completely.

drosophila · 19/03/2006 13:10

My dad died when I was preg and I was under a huge amount of stress (work was terible as well). I had palpitations, panic attacks and was always worried. I drank occassionally to calm myself especially at my Fathers funeral. I also had some tranquilizers given by GP. Apparently stress during pregnancy is linked to things like cleft palatte so I was more worried about my stress levels than my odd drink.

intergalacticwalrus · 19/03/2006 13:19

Have had the odd glass of wine in both of my pgys. I used to be a big drinker before I got pregnant the first time, but sice having DS 15 months ago, I haven't really drank to excess. Partly because I am such a lightweight and partly because I can't cope with the hangover!

bamboo · 19/03/2006 13:44

I drank occasionally during first pregnancy 4 years ago. I remember my midwife suggesting I go home and have a glass of wine after a stressful appointment once. When I had my booking appointment for no 2 last year I'd filled in that I drank one unit per week on my form and the midwife said "So you drink that now you're pregnant? Just so long as you realise that everything you have can go straight through to your baby.".... which seemed a bit OTT, it wasn't as if I was drinking a couple of vodka martinis a day! As it was I generally didn't feel like drinking much with no 2 except late on when I went on holiday. I would have a couple of glasses of wine over the course of an evening. I don't feel it's affected them in any way. I can see where the guidelines are coming from but a couple of units here and there really wouldn't concern me.

What did shock me recently was trying to express when I'd had a couple of glasses of wine and the let down was really poor. I hadn't expressed in ages so I don't know whether that had anything to do with it but a couple of days later when I tried I was able to produce 4oz really quickly. That's put me off drinking a bit, though I'm sure a baby is far more efficient at getting milk than a pump so I'm sure I will still have the odd glass.

mousiemousie · 19/03/2006 13:48

I often had one or two glasses of wine with dinner - my child has always been very well behaved and healthy.

Doctors seemed to find my drinking quite shocking though Shock!

Kelly1978 · 19/03/2006 14:11

I had a few too many while pg with ds (final trimister), as I was in a refuge, v depressed and stressed. He has problems, autistic tendancies, has undergone assessment and may be dx with asd next month. The paed told me that excess alcohol may have contributed to his developmental problems.
I never had more than one glass with the dts and if I was to get pg again I wouldn't drink at all, I wouldn't want to take the risk. Sad

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