shock at the drinking in pregnancy thread

[alle01]

i have been reading for the last couple of days, and posted a couple of times in this thread. i found shocking that people encourage pregnant women to drink, based on the evidence that they did and nothing happened to them, and there is no research that probes this is a risky behaviour.
well, there isn't research because it would be unethical to do research that may put at risk unborn children, but there is plenty of research that probes that alcohol is damaging in adults, and children cannot really process it until at least 17/18 yo, plenty of cases of alcohol poisoning in young adolescents as well, it is also known that the placenta does not filter alcohol, among other substances.
i would like to know what kind of benefit it is suppose to bring to the pregnancy and baby, that is so worth it, and what the difference is with people that say they smoke because the anxiety of no smoking is more damaging to the baby than the nicotine itself, or any other drug, cocaine maybe...
what is the choice, do what you can to ensure you have a healthy baby, or indulge yourself for five minutes?

sorry should have added it is the need to drink that bugs me, if you need to drink then your midwife would probably have concerns.

Obviously not getting it, I mean looking into it sorry

natt, it is your choice, even if i don't agree, i mean i didn't touch a drop, but then my friend says that is easy to me as don't normally drink.
in real terms for me it meant skip a glass of wine on my birthday and anniversary and the traditional cava toast in xmas, went to a wedding and think the bride got a bit cross i only had lemonade.
imo, you need to read scientific research and make your decision based on evidence, some people are always gonna be more cautious than others.

I think everyone has the right to treat their bodies as a temple or a dumping ground it's up to them it's their bodies regardless of what we may think. And they will get defensive if any of us try and get on a moral high ground. I personally think it is sad that people abuse their bodies while pregnant because they either don't know better or simply don't care enough to put their own wants above the needs of their fetus. The latest scientifically backed studies show that although drinking during pregnancy can cause damage to the baby; this does not necessarily show itself until the baby reaches adulthood. This understandably leads to people thinking it hasn?t done them any harm. So the best thing to do is bring up your own Children the best you can as it?s the only thing you have control over.

I'm all for people abstaining completely. I gave up smoking immediately, and alcohol with the exception of my birthday (1 small glass of white with ice and soda in a tall glass was all I ever had), and at xmas and a couple of sundays with the whole family.

I would have given up, but I do enjoy drinking wine. And I gave up everything else - so for me it was a treat.

alle01 - the bride got upset with you. Your choice at the end of the day.

I can't raise enough energy to get worked up over pregnant women drinking low-moderate amounts, really.

I'm not going to feel guilty about the 3 or 4 units that I have had this entire pregnancy (37 wks now). I have also had the odd bit of caffeine, so smite me now. But I eat healthily, don't smoke and have avoided the dodgy foods. I think treating grown adults like children doesn't help anyone and is really quite misogynistic...would we feel the need to lecture men quite as much?

I have decided not to drink at all during my pregnancy as I can't, in my own mind, be completely sure of the risks or otherwise. That, however, is my decision and should not influence anyone else. I would not criticise anyone for any decision they have made regarding their own pregnancy, just as I would not want anyone to question mine. It's a decision that is up to the individual and citicising others' actions helps no-one really.

My friend is a leading neonatal consultant, i had a great chat with her about drinking whilst pregnant and she says the govt have come straight out with a "no booze" approach as it is easier than trying to qualify what "moderate means". Generally the opinion is that if you're usually sensible in life you can make an informed decision about whether to drink and how much. However for those who are lacking self control with regards to alcohol it is far easier to refer them to the strictly no alcohol reccommendation.

It is not for you or I to ask people to justify their reasons for drinking, but rather to look after ourselves and hope others do the same in their own way.

I hate the presumption that drinking in pregnancy is only done as a massive self-indulgence.

One of the main reasons I used to have the odd drink in pregnancy was to take the edge of that horrendous pregnancy fatigue; so then I could unwind my nerves, forget about work stress, cope with my boisterous toddlers, get on with jobs that otherwise seemed overwhelming.

If you could find me a cheap accessible alternative to a small glass of wine that could help with all that, fine, but it didn't exist.

Nothing is 100% safe in pregnancy (or in life, not ever), everything you do is on a sliding scale of risk-benefit trade-offs.

UUUUUUUUUUUUGH

sorry where have people encouraged people?

WHERE EXACTLY!!!!!

its just a discussion alle01

people are alloweed to have opinions that differ

????
a bit of an overreqaction, don't you think?

you are the one thats "shocked"!!!!!

I am merely "frustrated"

you know what happens? today it is the first day in weeks that my baby decided to nap a few hours in day time, and i've gone a bit mumneters crazy...maybe shocked!!! is a bit of an overstatement, but people were saying...in the other thread, and it was all a bit: go to hell if you're not drunk, so i wanted to see what were the reasons for people to think whatever they think and change the tone of the thread a bit, which i think we did.
now, why are you frustrated?

"but people were saying...in the other thread, and it was all a bit: go to hell if you're not drunk"

What??? Are you talking about the thread I think you are. People on that thread were telling people to go to hell if they didn't get drunk when pregnant?

That's utter bollocks and you know it is.

I don't remember anyone saying they had gotten drunk full stop...let alone encouraging others to do so.

"people were saying...in the other thread, and it was all a bit: go to hell if you're not drunk"

Which posts exactly are you referring to?

As I must have missed the ones that said "go to hell if you're not drunk"

What a load of rubbish OP...you have led a VERY sheltered life if you are "shocked" by pregnant women having a glass of wine. I assume you have not eaten a single runny egg, soft scoop ice cream, prepacked salad, piece of salami, smoked salmon, proscuitto, mould ripened cheese, pate, or rare meat during your pg and you never had more than 2 cups of tea or coffee in a day either or did the gardening/changed the cat litter without wearing gloves. So how is life on the moral high ground?

alle01 - come on, be reasonable! Nobody said anything like 'go to hell if you're not drunk'.

Your OP was provocative; with the use of the word 'shocked', that people were encouraging others to drink in pregnancy, and your high-horse 'I would like to know what kind of benefit it brings', etc, etc... In fact, even starting a new thread instead of continuing on the perfectly legitimate existing one was provocative.

I know where I stand on this issue - I am perfectly happy with it - and some faceless random coming on here to question and judge me is not going to change my position one iota.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and ask if you are either pregnant for the first time or a recent new mother OP?

I hate all this PFB stuff but I was probably as sanctimonious as you when I was pregnant for the first time and in the early days with a new baby. I soon realised that you can tie yourself up in knots with all the things you are told you should and shouldn't do, and that sometimes it's better to weigh things up for yourself and use your own brain to make a decision.

Life got a lot easier once I relaxed a bit

your OP is a load of bollocks OP.

Please investigate the subject further if you want to make seemingly informed comments.

And if you're really worried about the health of pregnant women and their babies, why aren't you campaigning for access to decent neonatal facilities, clean water and adequate medical support?

Alle01, I really do think the other thread was more just a discussion about the extent to which people rigidly stick to all the guidelines or whether people do their own assessment of the risks (and, as a result, think its fine to have the odd glass of wine).

I don't think anyone was syaing "hey, I know we're pregnant, but lets go and get wasted!!"

That would be pretty insane!

Personally, I don't have the time, scientific mind or the inclination to read a lot of articles and research myself and reach my own conclusions as to all the risks, so its easiest for me just to stick to NHS guidelines and what mymidwife tells me. I ignore the random ones floating round the internet though, like no fake tan etc!

I would see your point if people on a thread were saying "Its fine to get wasted while pregnant". But they're not. They are saying: I have weighed up the risks and I have decided that I am happy to have a drink or two.

The actual evidence (i.e. scientific study) as linked to on the original thread showed that drinking a small amount (1-2 units per week) actually decreased the risk of behavioral problems and conduct disorders compared to abstainers here

So if I was a judgey kind of person, I could say that I am shocked that you are encouraging prospective mothers not to drink at all, increasing the risk of these problems. But as I believe that we are all adults capable of making our own decisions not based on random internet forums, so I won't

I give myself a treat of a small glass of wine or bottle of beer every week. I never finish it anyway, and sometimes I don't feel like it at all and so I don't have it.

After 20 weeks of severe morning sickness I have come to really enjoy and appreciate having an appetite again, and enjoying having some beer with curry, for example, or a glass of pimms in this fine weather we have been having.

I usually breastfeed for about a year and to be honest I am a bit more cautious with my 'treat' every week - just making sure it is when the baby sleeps the longest etc etc.

It's a very personal choice.

By the way I was tee-total in my first pregnancy, and now by my third, when my husband is away on business I can't be bothered to cook and I eat a slab of blue cheese and wash it down with my 'treat' glass of red wine.

As I said - personal choice .

Buy the way I will have three children under 4 and I have completely sacrificed myself in body for the past 5 years as I breastfeed for so long, and so I think I am not being irresponsible in allowing myself a unit or two a week if I fancy it. I am sick of being on the wagon and the designated driver.

Although I do love breastfeeding my children and I wouldn't cut it short just because I wanted to drink properly again, it is very draining indeed.

Can't wait to be 'normal' again.

hey, I know we're pregnant, but lets go and get wasted!!!

LOL