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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

alcohol in pregnancy would you worry about tipple?

93 replies

pokeypants · 15/08/2012 10:03

Im half way through pregnancy and feeling well in general, in first trimestar i felt awful and obviously last thing i wanted was alcohol so abstained completely. Now I am back to normal and so is my taste for wine! I have always had the attitude that if i deprive myself i will want something more so i just go with the flow and allow myself the odd tipple/ which is a glass or two of wine of an evening. I dont get drunk wouldn't dream of drinking in excess, but i know the latest advice is avoid alcohol all together, probably because of those who continue getting plastered through pregnancy and damage their unborn babies. My first pregnancy I didn't touch a drop throughout and second had the odd glass same as this time, both were good weights, big healthy babies and growing into very bright children. What do others think?

OP posts:

Lovelylace · 15/08/2012 11:59

Just out of interest, you guys who thinks the official guidlines are bollocks and it is ok to drink, what are the benefits for the baby of continuing drinking, in your opinion? The iron in Guinness, but in wine? Have I missed something?

bloodyfurious · 15/08/2012 12:11

Speaking only based on my own position - we as a family are in a highly stressful position. It's not something we have any control over at all - and this amount of stress and anxiety is definitely not good for the baby. (if one more person tells me thy I think I may actually do someone physical harm).

If the odd glass of wine/GnT acts as a relaxant - then I think that's a good thing. A bottle - no, a small glass - yes.

maswera · 15/08/2012 12:13

There may not be any benefit to the baby, lovelylace, but if there is no (or very low) risk, then why not?

There is no benefit to the baby of having sex (once you've conceived it ), but it's sure is enjoyable!

firstpost · 15/08/2012 12:15

What maswera said :)

Lovelylace · 15/08/2012 12:29

as said each to their own, personally, these nine months are not abut me, just about making sure I do everything I can to maximise the health benefits to the little one that is completely dependable on me for all its nutrition and well being.

As many posters have said, there have not been enough research into this, so that could easily mean that the risks also are higher than we currently know, as well as lower.....and when it comes to sex...Right now, I dont feel overly up for it right now, so could abstain from that easily as well... anyway, I am sure we would have different opinions about how to bring up our children in the same way as we can disagree about what not to eat drink during pregnancy, it takes all sorts Good luck OP with whatever you continue doing

Original poster

pokeypants · 15/08/2012 12:33

Wow loads of different opinions on this! I should have been clearer I am not drinking every night but if i do it will be one or two glasses and yes i usually dilute it down with lemonade. Maybe it does have something to do with the fact that I would usually have a couple of glasses undiluted when not pregnant and I do use it as a relaxant if its been a stressful day. I cant see how the person drinking such little could possibly have damaged her baby I certainly drank far more than that in my last pregnancy and was never drunk and had perfectly healthy baby, perhaps some people are more affected for whatever reason. Its true that I cant really get my answer as to what is right on here and i have to use my own common sense, but thanks for everyone else's views.

OP posts:

elizaregina · 15/08/2012 12:50

so far i have had two glasses of wine - and every few weeks or so - shandy!

i really really cant belive - that the odd glass of wine is going to harm baby....

look at the babies of major drug abusers....

there is alchol fetul syndrome..that is babies exposed to vast amounts of alchol all the time on a regular basis.

in my first preg, i was very strict with alchol, i had one glass of champagne i think - this was because before i realised i was prg over xmas period i had drunk an awful lot - regulary......therefore didnt want to take risk,

this time though all was normal so have allowed myself odd glass...

elizaregina · 15/08/2012 12:54

bloodyfurious

have you talked to doc about stress there may be other things you can take as well....i had very stressed few days during pregnany and i was allowed a few diazipam.

Lexiindisguise · 15/08/2012 12:56

Jenner my mum was prescribed Guinness by the health visitor after I was born to build her & me up as she breastfed! Mad how much things have moved on eh?

elizaregina · 15/08/2012 12:58

tbh

after my first when i drank alot before knew was preg and i do mean...alot....it was xmas period....i was paranoid about it - did research - they are much more clued up in amercia on this sort of thing,...one reason was alot of babies where being adopted then adoptive parents realised something not right - becasue transpired had FAS....

it is nanny state but then there are some people out there having children who do need to be nanyed in my opnion.

did anyone see midwife thing last night!

elizaregina · 15/08/2012 12:59

my DM drank guiness too and smoked - out of four - one has lung issues - weak lungs astma etc...but was that her smoking or his weakness?

StealthPolarBear · 15/08/2012 13:01

Are you being honest with yourself about how much you're actually drinking? Is one glass of wine 200ml? it doesn't matter if it's watered down.
Agree with others, I can't get worked up over 1-2 glasses of wine a week (though probably not every week) but a glass of wine most nights is too much IMO

bloodyfurious · 15/08/2012 13:04

Eliza yes thanks - doc is well aware if current situation - but there isn't anything that can fix this - I'd rather the odd glass of wine to long term medication.

And I think it's something that I need to deal with and not mask - doc thinks that there is nothing that will really help anyway given the severity of the situation we are in.

I am a lot better than I was but I can't change/fix the awful place we are in at the moment.

CakeBump · 15/08/2012 13:21

To answer a couple of questions:

threefeet I think its a load of bollocks because there are plenty of studies done which show that moderate drinking in pregnancy is not harmful. Advice also varies from country to country (I am non UK). Same for the food advice, very variable, most of it a load of rubbish.

LastOne Yes I meant for the non pregnant, although adding up again I probably overestimated, and drank no more than 10 units that week in total.

As for the "yes but alcohol brings no baby to the baby" argument, neither does chocolate and yet I'm not planning on going without that!!! :)

CakeBump · 15/08/2012 13:24

benefit duh, sorry!

PeshwariNaan · 15/08/2012 13:27

IMO "needing" 1-2 glasses a night, regardless of being pregnant, is kind of an issue. Yes, it's nice to have wine with friends/ DPs, but I've been there and I did have to acknowledge I had a problem. It's all in the context.

In the scheme of things 9 short months without alcohol shouldn't be a big deal. If it is, ask yourself why it's such a big deal. Right now I'd give my right arm to be able to take allergy medication that works, so I'd rather risk that than something as non-essential as alcohol.

I've heard a glass a week late in pregnancy (which is way less than you want to drink) is probably OK, but I wouldn't do anything without the express permission of your personal midwife. You should be asking her, not us!

CakeBump · 15/08/2012 13:31

It isn't a big deal Peshwari, but why deny yourself something which will have no negative effect on your baby (I'm talking about one or two glasses a week)?

StealthPolarBear · 15/08/2012 13:32

Yes I agree asking permission from your own personal midwife is going a bit far. Advice, yes, maybe. Wine of no benefit to the baby but benefits the mother and the mother counts!

PeshwariNaan · 15/08/2012 13:35

CakeBump: Just because I think we should trust what our health professionals tell us. And as I stated, I did have problems with alcohol dependency in the past. This is my first pregnancy so I don't want to take any risks if I can help it. If I don't "need" alcohol and am happy with fizzy water/ juice, why should I have to drink it?

CakeBump · 15/08/2012 13:38

Fair enough, I'm of the "everyone should do what they feel happy with" mindset!

And actually my health professional isn't telling me to avoid alcohol, so I'm not ignoring medical advice...

ItsMyLastOne · 15/08/2012 13:45

"why should I have to drink it?" That's a very strange question! No one here who has been drinking to any level is saying that women should drink, just that one or two a week can't be harmful.

ItsMyLastOne · 15/08/2012 13:46

I actually drink less than my mw said was ok, but for me that means 2 or 3 halves of cider a week. Although often I go for a couple of weeks of more without having any alcohol at all.

theTramp · 15/08/2012 13:56

As someone who has been craving a beer I am def going to try the Becks Blue. Thanks for that tip.

Personally I think that if I can't abstain for 9 months then I have a problem and I would rather abstain than not, although I find it hard to believe that a glass or two a week would cause problems. Two glasses every evening, pregnant or not, is drinking a lot though.

But I wouldn't worry if I was eating something that had been flavoured with alcohol. There is a common sense factor that can be applied.

Reality is that in excess pretty much everything is bad for you and in moderation not so much.

Lillabet · 15/08/2012 14:06

pacificjade
Jenner - I have encountered hysteria; the midwife at my booking in appointment when I was pregnant with DS asked me if I had had a drink since I got pregnant. I mentioned that I had 3 sips (and I was being entirely truthful about the quantity) of wine, but hadn't been able to stomach it and I was promptly handed half a small forest of leaflets on FAS! I was a bit to be honest.
Much like you, my mum was prescribed a guiness every week for the iron when expecting me (apparently less likely to cause constipation than iron tablets sorry if tmi! ). Times have definitely changed!
Definitely agree on the Becks Blue, it's lovely. Have it at my in-laws when we have lunch before driving the 300 miles home!!

Like I said in my original post though, it is entirely up to the individual if they feel they want to have a drink or not! I should say my current midwife (I have seen the same one for the past 4 ante natal appointments ) says I should do what I feel is right, that I am an intelligent, aware and educated woman who doesn't need preaching too about what food and drink to consume. I'm pretty sure I would never get her on record saying this mind you .

JennerOSity · 15/08/2012 14:11

Agree Guinness not likely to cause constipation unlike iron tablets.... my irish friends tell me one of the most noticeable and unfortunate side effects of the otherwise good-thing smoking ban was that the Guinness fuelled fart stench was no longer masked in the pubs by the fag smoke!

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