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Pregnancy

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Original poster

16 weeks pregnant and craving a pint of beer!! I had a shandy

21 replies

Alisonjayjay · 09/12/2011 13:28

I have had the weirdest craving for a pint of beer for the last 3 weeks....usually I don't even like beer. I was out for lunch at Wetherspoons yesterday with my Mum and I had a shandy...am I bad? It definitely satisfied my craving though. Think I will make it my one and only though as I felt guilty after drinking it though even though it was only a weak one! Anyone else had any cravings like this?

OP posts:

spannermary · 09/12/2011 13:31

Nothing wrong with a shandy every so often! I fully intend to have a glass of wine with Christmas dinner, too...

1-2 units 1-2 times a week is ok. :)

FirstTimeMum2b · 09/12/2011 13:34

I haven't but i was talking to a friend at work just the other day who experienced the same thing. She ended up with a weekly shandy as she just couldn't go without. Having spoke to the midwife about having the odd drink over the festive season she was of the opinion that the odd one wouldn't hurt but to make sure that's all it is. If it makes you happy why not?? I'm sure the happy vibe outweighs the tiny bit of alcohol. If not have you tried the shandy you can buy with about 0.05% alcohol??

user59457812 · 09/12/2011 13:35

Yeah, beer is the thing I crave too. I tried to sate it by having a couple of centimetres of DH's in my own glass but it didn't really do it. I caved and drank half a pint the other week, and it was so good I had another half last night

However, most GPs (mine included) say 1-2 units a week is OK. The advice that nothing is better is based on the fact that they don't really know the effects of any amount of alcohol as they can't ethically do research on pregnant women drinking.

I've never got anywhere near 1-2 units a week (prob more like 2 units for the whole pregnancy so far!) so I'm not worried, and I don't really think the odd half once a week can do much harm. Most friends have drunk 1-2 glasses of wine in their third trimester and their babies are perfect - I'm still well off that!

user59457812 · 09/12/2011 13:36

I mean "the advice that no alcohol is better"!

spannermary · 09/12/2011 13:40

I heard the advice that 'nothing is better' was based on the fact that they believed many women misunderstood '1-2 units' as meaning '1-2 drinks'.

If it's true, it's pretty patronising!

bagpuss · 09/12/2011 13:40

I craved beer in my last pg too. Dh bought me some alcohol free becks which is very hoppy and really seemed to satisfy the cravings. I would have had a weak shandy if that hadn't done the trick though so I really wouldn't worry about it!

belindarose · 09/12/2011 14:02

I have a little wine in a sherry glass now and again if DH is drinking some. I'll be about 14 weeks at Christmas so might have one real glass with dinner. Shandy also a good idea though.

user59457812 · 09/12/2011 14:08

I'm pretty sure the basic reason for the no alcohol advice as they don't know what the threshold of a 'safe' level is, as it's not ethical to experiment.

However, I have also been told that they changed the advice from 1-2 units to nothing, as it was "too confusing" for women to work out what 1-2 units is. Agree that it's pretty patronising - pretty sure that we can all do our research and work out what that means when we are thinking about having a drink - although there were some recent stats to say that up to 18% of women have continued 'binge drinking' in pregnancy. I've certainly never met anyone that has though...

molschambers · 09/12/2011 14:11

Yep I craved beer too. Used to buy 4 bottles of Cobra low alcohol lager (0.5% or so) with my weekly shop!

Alligatorpie · 10/12/2011 12:57

I think a lot of people are confused about how much one unit is. I just looked it up, it is one third of a pint of beer.
So if you have one pint a week, ( or 2 half pints) that is 3 units.
I ordered a glass of wine the other night, but didn't drink it, as I didn't like the taste, but that would have been 2 units.
I am not in the UK right now, and I live in a dry community, I do have to travel to get a drink, so my consumption is pretty low. I do have the odd swig of my hubby's when we are out, but even that is not very often. I am looking forward to Xmas though, I will have a glass of wine with dinner for sure!

CalamityKate · 10/12/2011 13:06

Ooh I hated beer until I got pregnant with DS1 - then I began craving it! A lovely, ice cold bottle of lager with dinner... mmm....

Still have the odd one in the summer but the craving subsided massively after birth.

alwaysanauntie · 14/12/2011 16:50

I'm the same, have started having a small bottle of beer with weekly curry (i'm 18 + 2). My mw said same, 1-2 units a week fine. My dsis & many other friends have continued to drink small amounts throughout pg and no probs for their LOs. Given some people don't know their pg & drink much more without ill effect, I wouldn't worry. Am going to try alcohol free wine as well, apparently M&S does a good one! :o

sillymillyb · 14/12/2011 17:10

Should I worry that I desperately wanted a large jack daniels and coke the other day??! My baby is obviously craving the hard stuff!

VeronicaSpeedwell · 14/12/2011 17:19

If I weren't pregnant I would swiftly slurp down a big gin and tonic, or a Bloody Mary, or probably both. As things stand, I may have a small glass of wine at the weekend. To be honest though, with good wine I somehow don't miss actually drinking a whole glass of it. A few sips of DH's, swirled around the mouth, go a long way. I haven't yet planned my Christmas strategy.

yummicheddars · 14/12/2011 18:04

I've had martini and lemonade on my mind and iv never liked that! Thinking surely a swift one at christmas dinner won't hurt. Although I've not drank alcohol for 3 years because I stopped with my first then after I had him I hated it. He put me off any alcohol

ChunkyPickle · 14/12/2011 18:14

Whilst they can't ethically do the experiments, they can do population studies, and if you google for the millenium cohort study they found that light to moderate drinking caused no issues (in fact, there seemed to be a very small positive effect for the social development of males if I remember correctly)

I seem to also remember that the Royal society of whatever didn't support the new advice of total abstinence - it was all the government's idea.

And thirdly, the whole FAS thing was to do with the belief that there were some women who seemed to be more sensitive to alcohol, and so FAS happened at less than the normal bottle of vodka a day levels..

Personally, I went off coffee and beer, but had the occasional glass of wine when I fancied it, despite being in north america at the time and having to weather very disapproving looks (especially if I was the one that went to the bar to order )

broccolitrees · 14/12/2011 18:36

i found a nip of apricot brandy settled my evening 'morning' sickness last time , only had a nip and only did it a few times
just haven't fancied it this time

Ilovekittyelise · 14/12/2011 20:46

have a bloody beer for god's sake!

RosyRosie · 18/12/2011 12:02

I barely EVER drink usually but this baby has me craving alcohol! I just try not to do too much, it can't possibly hurt. I've had a couple of TINY measures of baileys just to take the edge off and just enough whisky to wet my lips on a coupel of occasions - smelling it for a 'fix' works for me too lol.

mumsrthebest · 18/12/2011 14:23

The first 12 weeks of pregnancy I didn't touch a drop because even the smell of it made me feel really sick. I am 30 weeks now and I have 1-2 units a week. The MW said that this is fine. They have these guidelines now because so many people binge drink nowadays unlike years ago.

joanofarchitrave · 18/12/2011 14:27

I craved beer and crisps when pregnant. I can wholeheartedly recommend Clausthaler low alcohol lager, it's the best I came across. Waitrose used to sell it, don't know if they still do. I made special trips to waitrose just for that. I found Kaliber unbelievably plasticky.

You could try putting some vodka in an atomiser and spraying it on your wrists

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