Controversial!!! Have/do you drink alcohol in pregnancy?

[DanniiH]

Hi mummies.

Just wanting to get some opinions from real people not a regulatory body.

Personally I don't see the harm in having a glass of wine when pregnant but guidelines say to have none. I'm sure we've all heard people say my mum drank lots and I turned out fine and this is usually true I'm sure. With my son I drank a small glass of wine most nights, he is 3 and scarily bright so I've obviously caused him no harm. I'm pregnant again and whilst I won't drink every night I will have one if I fancy it.

Anyone else agree with this?
Anyone know of anyone where moderate drinking has caused harm to a child?

[CrumbyCrumbs]

If you are drinking a glass of wine every night then no, that is not putting your unborn sob first. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it!

If I was to say I was having "just one or two lines of cocaine at the weekend" because there has been no study to suggest it will harm my baby, what would you think then? Just because drinking alcohol is classed as socially acceptable that does not give anyone the right to expose an unborn child to it! I don't care how you dress it up - its still putting your child at risk!

[OliviaMumsnet]

ahem.

[LexyMa]

Sorry Olivia, we'll get onto the merits of gin soon.

[JenaiMorris]

Crumby sounds very young.

[SolidGoldBrass]

Crumby's attitude is just the sort of thing that needs speaking out against: of course women matter more than foetuses. It's not your business what other women choose to do in pregnancy, end of.

[ExpatAl]

I think Crumby works for an organisation that picks up the pieces of damaged lives which makes her quite emotionally invested. Fair play. I like people who care, even if I disagree.

SGB, I don't want to go the American route but it's odd to say that women matter more when it's do with drinking alcohol. Seems a strange thing to defend so fiercely.

[Mawgatron]

If you actually read my post, I have been having a 125ml glass of wine once each week. I have said that numerous times. But to be fair, even if I had a glass a night, it is still one of you bloody business!! OP asked for a reasonable conversation about what choices people were making, not asking for you to get on you soap box. Grrrrrrr (restraining myself from swearing loudly...)

[SamSmalaidh]

Drinking every night isn't good for your health, pregnant or not.

However, I have read that there is no real evidence of harm to a foetus when mothers drink less than 8 units a week. A drink or two once or twice a week is neither here nor there imo.

[Mawgatron]

Crumby is only 21 so I should cut her some slack, but I'm not going to. This thread is about what people choose to do as individuals, not what she thinks everyone else should do.

[zcos]

mawgatron where have you been all my life

[katkoala]

have actually enjoyed reading all of your posts I'm 27+4 at the age of 32 think my body has welcomed the break from alcohol, having drank most weekends since I was about 16...not drinking at nights out gave my pregnancy away immediately My sis is 24 weeks and having the occasional wine...really is personal choice. ..I am planning on a wee bottle of prosecco in my hospital bag

[zcos]

it makes a little more sense to know peoples ages as I think when your young 10 months out of your life doesn't seem like much, your bound to be much more idealistic and I would suggest that the younger you are the more likely it is that getting drunk is a pastime so you have to go cold turkey cos its all or nothing. My attitude to drinking was much different even 5-6 years ago.

[SolidGoldBrass]

It's the woman's right to choose for herself which matters. Whether that's her right to choose to terminate her pregnancy, refuse to have children in the first place, have children without being in a relationship, or choose, based on her own understanding and assessment of the risks involved, to drink alcohol/board a plane/eat liver pate/dye her hair. While health care professionals may advise women to do or not do certain things during pregnancy, the advice should be truthful and not a matter of 'do as you're told and stop asking for information'. Just as HCPs might advise a person to stop smoking/exercise more/take a course of treatment with unpleasant side effects, they should not be able to compel a person to obey.

The majority of PG women intend to do their best for the foetuses they carry, and hopefully that means informing themselves what the current thinking is on a variety of issues but they are not obliged to be complete martyrs and NO ONE ELSE should have any power over their decisions. If it becomes accepted that a foetus has 'rights' then it will be so easy for women's human rights to be stripped away - they can't do this, they mustn't do that, because it might harm the foetus. 'What about the baby?' has frequently been used as an excuse to sack pregnant women or refuse to employ them, don't forget. And while the UK is nowhere near as scary as the US is becoming, what happens there can influence what happens here. ANd if you want to know how scary things are getting for women in the US, google 'GOP War On Women'... Maniacs who hold public office making pronouncements to the effect that rape victims never become pregnant 'if it's real rape. Calls for all women of childbearing age to be forbidden to drink alcohol in case they are pregnant...

[pinkbananabread]

Crumby I agree that drinking every night is too much - pregnant or not.

But you also judged those of us who drink once a week.

Seriously??

Would you be so judgemental of women who are obese and pregnant? Or women who don't exercise during pregnancy and live off junk food? Or women who - let's go crazy here - get into a car weekly?? All of these things are (proven to be) riskier than a glass of wine a week IMO.

I'm sure you've had a perfect lifestyle prior to getting pregnant and are living like a saint whilst pregnant, and will continue to do so whilst breastfeeding your child until s/he graduates onto an organic-only diet in a house totally free of all pesticides and germs. Well done you.

[zcos]

katkoala I was planning that too ... its the last thing you want to do! ... I felt so high after giving birth I felt like superwoman ...and that was before the gas and air for stitches! but then your so out of it too. Plus if your planning on bf apparently alcohol travels into your milk moreso than it would have done to your baby when pregnant ... but that's another discussion altogether. But is interesting a lot of people have been saying abstain its only 9 months (its 10 its 10) but if you bf you should add that on too so its 16 weeks or actually 22 if you follow the government guidelines re that too (to bf for a year- they are pretty silent about drinking when bf).

[zcos]

pinkbannanabread I would also add that if you were taking it to the extreme its not just about lifestyle choice and diet ... should you ensure you are in the correct financial position have the right family unit around ... be able to buy the big house in the fresh air round the corner from two sets of grandparents ... there is no end to it.
people need to have choices to live their life as they see fit ... I worked 6 extra years and waited to have children until I could afford it but would protect the right of any woman to have her child whatever the circumstance.

[zcos]

sorry my earlier post I meant 16 mths or 22mths to abstain if your breastfeeding by the same argument that you should abstain when pregnant... wow and what if you want to bf for longer and want your next child with only a 2 year or less gap that could mean no small glass of wine, half a real ale etc for 4 years! plus that's potentially ontop of all the other things if you also follow government guidelines on that too ...

[JollyRedGiant]

search.yahoo.com/search?p=alcohol&vs=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk%2F&fr=yscpb

The third result down with Oct 2012 in the title is the breastfeeding network's guidance on alcohol intake if you're breastfeeding.

I followed this when BFing.

[katkoala]

@zcos I want to bf and have dc2 relatively soon...think I'll be purchasing a breastpump today Also think sobriety makes you more aware of situations. ..family parties where both parents have a bit too much to drink, tipsy papas nearly dropping their beloved grandchildren....eek when will I drink a full bottle of wine again. .. my babysitters will be fully utilised

[CrumbyCrumbs]

pinkbananabread oh ok, so it's ok for you to make a sweepibg judgement on me, but not the other way round... Shot yourself in the foot a bit there.. And I already said I was on about people drinkigng every day. I said i personally chose not to drink at all because of the risks (which was abswering the op) and only said more in depth why when people started flaming because I choose not to drink!
And FYI, every single sweeping judgement you made about me was completely wrong!

[Mixxy]

Alright there crumbs, calm down. Remember stress is also very bad for the baby. Maybe make the sensible choice and avoid this thread as it is obviously getting your stress levels up. I mean, it's your choice, but working yourself into a sweat over this issue can harm the baby.

Sometimes it's okay not to have the last word. You can still be right and let others disagree.

[LeBFG]

pinkbananabread I reiterate: would you judge someone who smoked during pg? I've seen a lot of judgemental posts on MN about smoking as little as 5 fags a day!!!! A lot of self-deception going on on this thread.

To the PP who says it's OK to drink less than 8u a week: a drop of IQ is linked to drinking as little as ONE UNIT A WEEK (how many times does this need saying - fingers in ears syndrome I fear).

Am I the only one who is a bit peeved as the ageism on here??? I'm 35 for the record and although don't find it in me to be judgemental, I too am shocked at the level of FAS and degree of jusification going on on this thread. I smoked all through my 20's and drank too. I knew the damage it was doing to my body but I am an adult and took the risks KNOWINGLY. I drank moderately in my last pg but wasn't aware that the level I was drinking at (2/3u a week) could have an impact on my baby. I now have this info and made the choice to abstain. It's fine if others read and understand the risks and choose to drink. They can also eat runny eggs and raw oysters too - I have no real quibble. But PLEASE, don't pretend that alcohol is about as bad for you as caffeine - babies have never had brain damage from overdosing on coffee!

SGB what can I say? If we take your position that the fetus has no rights, not even a right to life, we are agreeing that it's just fine to abort a baby AT TERM. I know this is what you believe (that's fine) but I'm not sure it's what people on here think they are agreeing to when they defend their weekly alchol intake.

they should not be able to compel a person to obey. - no one is advocating this and (although have no idea about the US) there is no way any power in UK or France are compelling pg women to do anything!!! Thanks goodness too.

[SamSmalaidh]

It is already legal to abort a foetus at term, and actually I think many people would agree that that is the only logical position to take if you believe that the rights of a woman override the rights of a foetus.

[Mixxy]

And LeBFG saying something outrageous like you know that SGB believes in killing a child at term, when in fact you don't know anything of the sort, makes you seem a bit fanatical. Just breath a little. Maybe stick with decaf after the arrival of the LO, huh?

[JenaiMorris]

Good grief.