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Pregnancy

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

349 replies

DanniiH · 04/02/2013 10:02

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?

OP posts:

Report

DanniiH · 08/02/2013 10:51

It's all getting a bit judgy isn't it! Sorry to ask such a controversial question, was not intended to start a debate I was just wondering what other people did. Thank you for your answers. xx

OP posts:

zcos · 08/02/2013 11:26

no not drinking a coffee but drinking 2 cups plus a day I gave it up years ago when TTC I also cut down to 125ml of wine (a small glass) which I thoroughly enjoyed with meals out or a smaller sherry glass occasionally in the house.
Smoking has a proven effect on fetuses and even if you dis regard that on a mother anyway... 125ml of wine 1-2 times a week will not effect my body a dramatic way as a few fags a day. and I don't think its a class argument I'm from a working class background and valley and those who choose to drink will drink and to smoke will smoke. and this is what I object to on the whole abstinence argument the government telling me I can't choose and can't be sensible in my decisions from recent research drinking 2 cans of pop a week does more harm and I'm more concerned about that!

JenaiMorris · 08/02/2013 11:29

Since when were pregnant women advised to avoid fish?

Swordfish and other long living fish at the top of the food chain, yes (because of the mercury) but others?

ExpatAl · 08/02/2013 11:30

I really agree about all the rubbish that's in soft drinks, especially fizzy stuff zcos.

zcos · 08/02/2013 11:41

again just to back up my previous statements because I am no expert. those who want a small glass of wine and are worried because of some of the statements on here must recommend zoe Williams what not to expect when your expecting it rails against earnest finger wagging books and those that make you feel guilty check out the chapter "why abstinence is for suckers" its a great read.
I do wonder whether some people on here are working for the government. it was supposed to be a topic to post what you do and why.

zcos · 08/02/2013 11:45

jenai lots of the books I read no more than 2 small portions a week because of mecury some said not at all and to take suplements instead. I was being flippant as if we listened to all the advice and statements out there it would be a long 10 months of eating nothing.
I didn't eat fish incidentally as I happen to be a vegetarian.

CrumbyCrumbs · 08/02/2013 14:27

Right, I've been very polite so far and to be quite honest I would rather risk the flaming. I don't know how to get across my point without it offending a couple of people, so tough you're just gonna have to be offended.

Can't find the post I am referring to, but to the person who said that you would be taking the mother's rights away to give rights to a foetus, what a load of rubbish! In my eyes, when a woman gets pregnant it is her responsibility to ensure that foetus/baby is healthy because it is a part of her for the 40 weeks gestation! I find it incredibly selfish to say that the woman's rights are more important than the health of an unborn child, especially for something so unnecessary as alcohol.

If you can't abstain from alcohol for 9 months well I think there is a bit of a problem. I'm not talking about those of you who have had the odd inch of champagne to toast a special occasion, or a small glass of wine on a special occasion, but those who are still drinking every night/ every week - why are you even having children? If you can't sacrifice alcohol now for 9 months whilst pregnant, how do you expect to make all the sacrifices necessary to raise a happy, healthy child?! It actually upsets me slightly to think that there are people out there that care more about having their own "rights" compromised at the expense of their unborn child.

And before you say how incredibly "judgy" this is, it is not "judgy" at all it is a bloody fact that you should be putting that baby first.

ExpatAl · 08/02/2013 14:41

I get uncomfortable when people start talking about sacrifices. Lots of things contribute to a childs health, not just what you eat or drink.

LittleMissSnowShine · 08/02/2013 15:08

As I mentioned back up the thread, I am not a medical type but I do work with teens and parents. Some are pregnant teenagers, some are teenagers who are considered to have been botn with fetal alcohol syndrome which has caused developmental problems, some are the parents of these teens.

I advocated mumsnet doing a campaign to let people know how many units are in common drinks, since people (myself included) do get confused and it's interesting to see if your own alcohol intake is light, moderate or heavy, depending on your usual tipple.

I also agree that this thread was supposed to just be a chat rather than an angry debate about drinking in pg, and I personally would err on the side of caution but certainly wouldn't tell other women what to do. But I just got this through from work in my email today and thought, since it's very relevant, I should share:

An estimated 6,000 to 7,000 babies are born in Britain each year with alcohol related brain damage known as Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This means that 1 in 100 children born, 1% of the population, may be affected by FASD.

We have been funded by the Public Health Agency to provide ½ day FASD awareness raising workshops.

ExpatAl · 08/02/2013 15:21

Hmmm, I'm assuming that many of those kids had the same mum. Bit misleading.

CrumbyCrumbs · 08/02/2013 16:02

Regardless, ExpatAl, of whether or not some of those children have the same mother, it is still clearly a problem. And 6,000 to 7,000 babies a year is a LOT of babies to be affected by alcohol - and of those 6,000 to 7,000 babies in one year, they can't be from the same mother because she can only have one baby a year!

I would rather not take the risk than be part of such a sad statistic :(

FriendofDorothy · 08/02/2013 16:08

Oh this subject has a tendency to wind me up. I work in drug and alcohol treatment and all the people I know who had babies with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome were drinking significant and substantial amounts regularly, if not daily.

I had a baby 8 weeks ago and whilst pregnant I would have the occasional glass of wine without worrying about it.

Significant hard occurs with significant amounts of alcohol, not the occasional drink.

CrumbyCrumbs · 08/02/2013 16:13

FriendofDorothy Anyone with half a brain would class having a glass of wine with dinner every night regular drinking not occasional! And some of the people on this thread say they refuse to give up their glass of wine every night with their dinner. That is not occasional drinking.

mrsR1991 · 08/02/2013 16:15

when pregnant with my daughter i had a sip of champagne at my partners brothers wedding for the toasts but wouldnt allow myself any more for fear of people judging but i had a small glass of rose to celebrate my bday and a i had a weak shandy near the end too. my daughter is fine. i am currently 13+4 and have had no alcohol except a few sips of my partners cider the other night but i keep really wanting a glass of red wine!! i am not allowing myself it tho as it is a high percentage one that we have in the house. i think a little bit is fine as long as it isn't a lot in one go or every night. i have heard stress is more dangerous than alcohol xx

mrsR1991 · 08/02/2013 16:16

ps crumbycrumbs i agree with you a glass a night is not occasional an i would class that too much in pregnancy :-/

zcos · 08/02/2013 16:17

I think that there does need to be education about what exactly a unit is ... when I talk about a couple of glasses of wine a week I mean 125 ml but a lot of pubs do 175ml as a small and some pubs have a measure of wine as 250ml!
I disagree with the term sacrifice as it shouldn't be that you feel that way.
I would have drunk a bottle of wine a week 7.5 units or more if there was a special event before I was TTC ... I went down to 1-2 glasses of wine every couple of weeks or so I didn't drink to feel tipsy or drunk but to enjoy the taste and as an accompany to a meal. But I would defend a woman's right to have 1-2 glasses a week.
I think if I went out for a meal it is better to have a small glass of wine with a meal than a large cola.

FriendofDorothy · 08/02/2013 16:18

CrumbyCrumb I totally agree with you. I wouldn't suggest that a glass of wine a day is anything other than regular drinking.

zcos · 08/02/2013 16:20

I agree friendofdorothy I think the governments previous abstinence stance seems to just be making the wrong people feel guilty!

Mixxy · 08/02/2013 16:31

Oh question FriendofDorothy! Would you have any idea of the rates of FAS in mothers who drank before they knew they were pregnant but not afterwards? I've trawled Lexus-Nexus but can't find a single study or statistic.

Mawgatron · 08/02/2013 16:31

'Those who are drinking every night/ every week why are you even having children'?
How dare you? Never heard so much guff in my life! So you don't think I shouldn't have kids because of a glass of wine a week? Get off your pedestal, concentrate on your own pregnancy and stop piling guilt on other people. You are bang out of line. This is supposed to be non judgment, yet you look down your nose at other people! Once again, individuals have the right to make their own choices!

Mawgatron · 08/02/2013 16:35

Oh and I'm glad that you have decided, without knowing anything about me, that I am not putting my unborn son first. Nice. Crumby, you need to focus on yourself and your own decisions, rather than making sweeping value judgements about others. And it is judging. Bet you love the daily mail...

Mawgatron · 08/02/2013 16:36

'Don't think I should have kids'
Bloody iPhone...

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FriendofDorothy · 08/02/2013 16:54

No idea Mixxy.

Mixxy · 08/02/2013 17:18

Rats! Thanks anyway *FriendofDorothy.

ExpatAl · 08/02/2013 17:28

I think though that although there maybe other challenges such as the general health of a previous alcoholic that a woman who stopped when pregnant would not have a FAS child. I don't see how that's physiologically possible.

The NHS has exact details on what a unit is. www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2270.aspx?CategoryID=54#close

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