Honest Answers needed regarding pregnancy and drinking

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

I have read all the information available, heard views from both sides and understand how touchy / sensitive this subject is. I am not really looking for further proof it is bad or harmless or opinions on the subject - I would just like to conduct an unofficial type survey - and the Question is this.

Did you drink during pregnancy? And when your baby arrived, were there any problems?

I am asking this because I have drunk a little during my pregnancy and as I am nearing the end I am starting to really really panic that I have affected my baby in a negative way. I have only drunk a small amount of wine - always with food. I understand that no tests have really been taken out regarding it so this is a way of just taking a straw poll. I read an article this morning saying alcohol could affect the baby's senses so they may have learning difficulties and the development of their face.

This obviously takes honesty - so thanks if you reply as I know this is not an easy issue.

[Loislane78]

I drank a few before I knew I was pg and then a few half glasses of wine towards the end. I BF now and will often have a glass of wine in the evenings after the 'last feed' (yeah right...!). Started doing that when LO was say 10 wks old.

[MrsPennyapple]

I found out I was pg with DD very late - into 2nd trimester, so had had a very merry Christmas and New Year before finding out. Once I did find out, I reduced it to one glass of wine, once a week, or less. She is fine, no problems whatsoever, although I definitely would not have drunk so much if I had known.

Now I am pg again but found out at 4wks. I am not planning to stop drinking entirely, I've had a couple of small Baileys, but will NOT be going on the lash tomorrow evening!

[FairyPenguin]

I drank half a glass of wine once or twice a week, in the second half of each pregnancy, after I'd had my 20 week scan. Always with meals. Both my children are average or slightly above average developmentally, according to the Early Years targets.

[maximusminimus]

Totally agree with Whitehand - a few drinks here and there are not going to cause any problems.

Having said that, I didn't touch any alcohol (or caffeine) with DD since I was overly cautious a bit of a sanctimonious and paranoid first time mum. I made a lot of other 'slip ups' though (eg gorging myself on soft scoop ice cream before realising it was off-limits, sleeping on my back etc) and DD was/is totally healthy. So I've realised that babies are a lot tougher than we maybe give them credit for and have been a lot more relaxed this time around: caffeine daily and alcohol (small glass of wine) weekly (on average). I wouldn't binge drink or drink daily, but I don't do those things when not pregnant anyway.

[maximusminimus]

Oh and I've had over 10 scans with this one (32wks now) for various reasons and have been told every single time that I have a perfect looking little baby in there. Obviously we can't tell everything from scans, but my approach to pregnancy this time doesn't seem to have had any big physical effects at least.

[2cats2many]

I got blind drunk when about 4wks with both pregnancies. Stopped completely after I found out until about wk 14ish. Then had the occasional spritzer/ half pint of beer/ glass of champagne. Never got drunk, never had spirits,

I did, however, eat seafood, coleslaw, soft cheese, drink coffee, etc, because I didn't believe all that crap about these foods suddenly being dangerous when they'd never made me sick before.

Both children and hale and hearty.

[Writehand]

LOL, Iamwhaticallpregnant! Babies are tougher than they look. You'll be fine.

The thing about studies on alcohol intake is that because they're based on real live women rather than lab rats it's almost impossible to discount every other factor. For example, weight, fitness, diet, housing...

My doctor said this was her issue with the research concerning smoking in pregnancy. Not that there was no risk, but she said smokers statistically tended to have far worse diets, drink more, were more likely to take drugs, even have worse housing, than non-smokers, so she wasn't convinced that the risks were due to smoking alone.

[ItsaTIARA]

Write - the thing about the newest research is that it's rather cleverly split between people with gene A, which apparently makes foetuses vulnerable to alcohol and gene B which doesn't. If you have gene A then "moderate" drinking makes a difference, if you have gene B then it doesn't. The clever bit is that there's no reason to suppose that having gene A is in any way related to smoking, stress, junk food etc - so it strips out the confounders.

It's not cast in bronze, and there's always more work to be done, but it's pretty persuasive IMO. It is, however, an effect that, while measurable at a population level, stops a long long way short of FAS.

[Pudgy2011]

After I managed to stop vomiting 12 times a day at 14 weeks, I had a mad craving for beer, curry and spicy hummus.

I think I had a couple of bottles of beer a week from about 16 weeks and only 1 at a time I think. I usually drink wine but the one time I had a glass of red I fell asleep in my dinner after 2 sips. DS is 15 months and perfectly healthy.

I hate the scaremongering that goes on when you're pregnant. I get that they are "guidelines" but regardless of that, it just gives other people carte blanche to be judgey bastards about what is a personal choice.

OP, I'm sure your baby is going to be completely and utterly healthy and in no way will have had suffered any ill affects from your minimal drinking. As far as I can tell, if only drinking small amounts, no alcohol really passes through to the baby as your liver processes it before that happens. Please try not to worry and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!

[expatinscotland]

I went on a bender a couple of days before my period was due with DD1. But after that, nada because I was terribly nauseated and sick. I had a half pint of Guiness when I was about 6 months pregnant with her. Then I got awful acid reflux.

With DD2, I had a couple of glasses of wine once when I was about 4 months pregnant, but again, was vomitting a lot and then got sinusitis for months.

With DS, nothing at all until 5 months and then I had two beers for the Wimbledon final.

[MrsWajs]

Well I think it's safe to say yes, I have been drinking in this pregnancy. Got suitably inebriated on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and then BFP on 27th!! Might have explained the projectile vomitting on 27th.

With DD I didn't drink at all first trimester, had an occasional half cider in the second and third and whilst I was in labour had 2 white wine spritzers as I was on a hen do! DD is perfect and quite advanced for her age (20mo) so I don't think it has done her any harm whatsoever.

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

Pudgy - the judgy bastards are my mother and father. Early on (16 wks) they were all for me having a wine with dinner - red wine is good for u etc.. then my dadread some article somewhere - God knows what it said - and showed my mother. Since then my life (when i have seen them) usually on special occasions or for dinner has been a nightmare. I havent been able to have even a small glass. They have been incredibly rude about it and on Christmas day i wasnt able to have a bucks fizz and mother made a rude comment and i got so frustrated i sat there with tears streaming out of my eyes. How dare they??!! It makes me so angry. Christmas day was more or less ruined and if i have a glass itis not worth the looks they give me.

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

Sounds trivial but my pregnancy has been hellish from the start and a small glass of wine is a life line. They have the ability to make me feel 11.

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

I had the odd half a lager or glass of wine in both previous pregnancies, probably half a dozen drinks over the whole pregnancy both times. Both babies born perfectly healthy at term, normal birthweight, developed perfectly normally as babies/toddlers and now doing very well in school.

[Radiator1234]

In my first pregnancy I drank a reasonable amount in the first trimester before I knew I was pregnant (including when I kind of knew but hadn't done the test! If I didn't officially know then it was ok right?! ;-)). I then went off drink for most of the pregnancy but was quite happy to have a glass of wine on social occasions and indeed towards the end regained the taste and it was summer so enjoyed a glass of white wine in the sun once a week or so. My DD is 2.5 and fine.

This time, I haven't really been fancying a drink, but had a few small glasses of wine / beer in the first trimester to mask the fact I "wasn't drinking" and I have had a few glasses of champagne /wine over Xmas. Doesn't go down as well though seems to cause heartburn.

[noblegiraffe]

Ask your mum if she drank when she was pregnant?

[fortyplus]

My 2 are 17 and 19. The guidance in those days was little or no alcohol the first trimester then ok to drink a little. I occasionally had a couple of glasses of wine. No problems at all.

Same for all my friends - even the ones who got pissed in early pregnancy.

Don't worry!

[specialknickers]

I got absolutely bladdered for my birthday when I was about 4 weeks pregnant with ds... I didn't know he was there! I felt terrible when I found out I was pregnant two weeks later but no harm was done.

I got married when I was 13 weeks pregnant and had a couple of glasses of prosecco then as well and he was absolutely perfect in every way (still is).

That said, I'm 12 weeks now and haven't touched a drop though, probably won't. I really don't think it's worth the risk.

[Mylittlepuds]

I have about a glass a week or less. This week i've had a hefty glass of wine and a good glass of Champers tonight. My personal opinion is that issues would only ever arise if it was regular and sustained drinking - as in three or four glasses a night. I'm no expert but common sense should prevail here.

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

noblegiraffe - no she didnt touch a drop! she only ate fruit and veg and drank no alcohol whatsoever. she was and always will be overly protective.

[Jenny123G]

I found out I was pregnant with ds1. on Xmas eve two days before I had been on my Xmas works do and was a mess I must have drunk a years worth in 1 night so when I found out I was pregnant I was petrified told my mw and Dr and they didn't seem to concerned. He's 3 now and thankfully happy and healthy. I also have ds2 and ds3 is due in Feb. I didn't drink at all through all 3 except on Xmas day when I had a very small glass of wine. For me I'm not a drinker anyway but I can tell you I craved cold beers through all of my pregnancies!

[SolidGoldFrankensteinandmurgh]

Most of the squawking about alcohol in pregnancy comes from misogyny, not public health concern. Moderate drinking won't do any harm and even raging alcoholics can have babies that are not affected by their alcohol consumption. The barrage of conflicting advice about what to drink/eat/do/wear while you are pregnant is very often coming from a mindset that wants women to be percieved and treated as walking incubators rather than people.

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

best response award goes to solidgold! here here!!!

[ItsaTIARA]

I'm sorry SGFM, but unfortunately there is increasingly good evidence that moderate drinking can harm. Just a small amount, it's on the same kind of level as the damage done by ff, but it's not entirely caused by misogyny.

I do know where you're coming from, but unfortunately the "I am a human being, not just an incubator" fight, has to be had on its own merits - we have to grit our teeth and say "yes smoking/drinking/standing up all day in pg will do some harm to the baby once born, but the choice is mine". Just dismissing findings we don't fancy (see also nursery care for the under ones) is not honest. Better perhaps to put it in the context of the other risks, in particular the risks of poverty and lack of support.

[Heavywheezing]

I think the problem is what maybe moderate for one is not to another.

No drinking upto 16 weeks with both of mine.

Maybe half a cider once a month later on.

Damage by ff?