Alcohol and pregnancy, how much is too much?

[bmm39]

I have heard so many mixed views/opinions from expectant mothers, mothers and professionals re: alcohol and pregnancy. Was interested in other peoples view of alcohol during pregnancy. I am talking about minimal consumption not get getting completely blind drunk. I had one glass of wine when I was 14 weeks pregnant, is that so bad?

puritanical scaremongering Now I've heard it all!

Hang on just a cotton-picking minute - all I asked is is it really worth it for a short period of time, when you can only have a few units anyway?

I miss a drink. But I choose to abstain during pregnancy, is all.

Erm fortyplus no need to be rude you plonker.

All I asked is is it really worth it for a short period of time, when you can only have a few units anyway?

Because for some of us drinking is about the taste, not the effect.

Having a glass of really good wine at the weekend or a half of a toothsome real ale is a treat for me. I don't need to have glass after glass. Some of us can do alcohol in moderation and therefore can have the proven risk-free amount.

Giving up alcohol completely is as nonsensical as giving up caffeine competely. Neither are necessarily if you can stick within the guidelines.

If anyone wants to abstain that's totally up to them and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't think it's up to them to judge other women who look into and decide they don't want to abstain though, which is often how comments on these threads end up sounding/being interpreted and presumably why they always decend into a row.

9 months is 3/4 of a year. It is a long time if wine is absolutely your favourite thing in the whole world, and if you're in that position it can be really helpful to be reassured that 1-2 medium sized glasses a week is totally safe and fine.

I don't think it's non-sensical to decide not to take in potentially dangerous substances (albeit that they are proven dangerous in higher levels). And I haven't said anywhere (please point me to where I've said it if I have) that it's non-sensical if you do have a small amount. I've just said that I don't get the big deal in not drinking for nine months.

My midwife told me that as the guidance has changed so often in recent years (from not to drink at all to a small amount is ok) - best to just avoid it to be clear.

I think the only people that advice would really be a problem to would be people who have a problem.

I'm not having a go at anyone who chooses to drink a small amount of alcohol, but I'm answering the OP's post (she said she was interested in other people's views, so I gave mine) and being insulted for it!

Hairylights For me, yes it is worth it. Pregnancy is stressful, and there are many conditions that are placed upon us, rightly or wrongly, when pregnant. Those couple of units a week are part of my social life, my way of unwinding after a daily 3 hour commute and stressful job, and a part of 'normality'. As there is no proof or research showing risk of FSA in light drinking (or other abormality) then i will continue to do so as it is something that I choose to do for myself. A treat, if you will. Some people treat themselves to a coffee, some to chocolate etc, I choose a glass of wine a couple of times of week.

My point is not about whether women choose to drink or not... it is about the patriarchial societal demands and pressure placed upon us which many women follow without questioning why. I questioned, I researched and I came to my own conclusion. My baby's life is precious - but so is mine, and I am entitled to enjoy a treat every now and then when the majority of the time that my body, mind and soul is taken over by pregnancy. Albeit a treat which I have concluded, through educating myself, to not harm my baby.

Alcohol isn't the only example of the way that Women are dictated to in pregnancy - look at the fact that we are told to not eat softly boiled eggs and to always ensure that they are fully cooked before consumption. The reason? Salmonella. The salmonella crisis hit the UK in 1988 - 14 years ago. The UK has strict guidelines since in place for the production of eggs for consumption - the result of which is the Lion stamp of quality which indicates that an egg has been fully vaccinated against Salmonella Enteritidis. This was introduced in 1998 and yet the guidelines for pregnant women have not changed in that time.

Anyway, I digress... my point is only to encourage women to make informed decisions rather than being dictated to. It is my body, and my baby and I very much resent the guilt that is forced upon pregnant women during a vulnerable time in our lives by government and society and the attitude that we will just suck it up for fear of damaging our babies.

If you read Zoe Williams' book Bring it on Baby (I know it gets cited quite often on these threads), she looks into the research on alcohol in pregnancy and concludes that there's no evidence that up to 10 units a week, if consumed at the rate of no more than 1-2 units a day, is in any way harmful. 9 months is a long time, and if you go out socially with people who drink it's a bit miserable to abstain completely when you're not convinced there's any good reason to do so.

Gah - see? Brain taken over by baby! Not 14 years ago.. 24 years ago!

scepticalexpert thankgod for that then

Nah, 1988 was definitely 14 years ago [age denial emoticon]

It's definitely not something I worry about - I reckon zoe Williams' conclusions are reasonable, though I usually would only have a glass or two a week and many weeks nothing. I think FAS really is more on the lines of bottles of vodka.

Let me just begin by stating I am extremely biased, I am a social worker and I work with parents who drink during pregnancy, which has a massive impact on children's lives which I deal with everyday. We are not just seeing an increase in FAS but also the "effects" of FAS, in that you don't necessarily have a full blown diagnosis but a child is affected in some way by alcohol being consumed in-utero. That is enough to put me off. I know I see the extreme and the perception is that all of these women are full on alcoholics, but some of them aren't. They probably binge on a regular basis, as well as other issues. I am not saying that is the same for women who choose to drink the recommended intake. For ME the risk is not worth taking, but I do think if you follow 1-2 units once or twice a week it's fine. I really don't have a problem with women who make an informed and educated choice. I try not to judge people because as others rightly point out we probably all have our weaknesses or treats which are fine in moderation.

I think the main issue is that A LOT of women think they know what a unit is and in fact they don't. It is easy to think you are having 1-2 units, have you seen how little that is. I know my idea of a glass of wine is something very different! I probably know that I couldn't always stick to the 1-2 units so I don't drink at all

I have very recently been in the company of someone who is well educated (so I thought) and is in the camp of "one or two units won't hurt"... she proceeded to neck 3/4 of a bottle of wine during early pregnancy, certainly well over the recommended limit, in fact that would be classed as a binge. Made me quite sad tbh.