Glass of wine on Chrismas day.

[LucyB1]

Hi, I'm going to be 12+5 on Christmas day and i am absolutely GAGGING for a glass of red. Is that really bad cause I'm not quite out of the first trimester??

I won't, but I'm the first first trimester. For me it's just not worth the risk.

Do people really drink alot when not pregnant?

errrrrrrr yes, that is why it is really quite normal and easy to pick up a few bottles of wine with your grocery shopping every week. It's no longer the prohibition era you know, you don't have to go cloak and dagger to an off-licence in the dead of night to buy alcohol .

Only on Mumsnet do people see having a glass or two of wine with their evening meal as something outrageous .

I had half a glass at my brother's wedding- I was about 6 weeks at the time...I told my midwife when she asked if I'd been drinking and she wasn't too pleased. I have read that one or two units, once or twice a week is fine...They certainly subscribe to this theory in France...

I shall be having half a glass of red wine with Christmas lunch and half a glass again with the cheese board in the evening (although no funny cheeses as I don't like much except cheddar!)

No problem. I'll be 19+2

I had literally 2 cms of wine in a wine glass at a party the other week and savoured it for about an HOUR. Sometimes I just picked up the glass and sniffed it! I love wine for the taste, not getting drunk, so I am thrilled with a tiny bit now I'm pregnant and can easily stop at that because I've satisfied the craving!

There is no evidence that drinking alcohol is 'fine'. But there is evidence to say it can cause harm.

I think you just have to do what you feel comfortable with in pregnancy. You are the one who has to deal with any potential consequences.

I plan on having a glass of red with food. Although after not having alcohol for so many months i think it will make me rather tipsy very quickly! So will be going gently.

There is evidence it causes harm in large amounts. That is not the same as evidence that a small glass now and then causes harm.

There are plenty of things that 'might' cause harm that we go around doing with gay abandon. Cleaning our homes, lathering up with any number of cosmetics and toiletries, breathing in the fumes on the tube, eating X, Y and Z.

I fully support anyone's right to decide whether to drink moderate amounts or nothing during pregnancy, but the idea that this is some sort of special category where you must assume harm until proved otherwise makes no sense to me.

The amount of alcohol that needs to be consumed to cause FAS is known to be excessive. Absolutely not what is being discussed here. The very small amounts talked about on this thread may in fact be a good thing (per UCL study circa 2008 if I remember my developmental psychology correctly - will try and find link when have more time).

Penguins is absolutely right. In fact I've seen one article that looks at pregnancy risk and notes that we are more likely to harm a baby walking down the stairs due to risk of falling (when sober I hasten to add!!).

Of course a personal decision and frankly for first 20 odd weeks I just didn't want a drink. But to imply a small glass of wine, even on a regular basis, may cause harm (and we are in real terms taking FAS here) is simply inaccurate.

OK, but what about the fact that unborn baby's liver is not fully developed until shortly before birth and as such can't process alcohol effectively? Consequently, when we drink while pregnant, even 1-2 glasses only, we may be just merry but the baby may be pretty pissed (they are tiny after all). It's impossible to tell how they feel in that state. Just happy? Can they get headaches/hangovers?

Please, don't take this the wrong way, I'm not judging anybody who has decided to drink (even though I've made a different decision). I'm just wondering how it all works.

And I'll surely be having a few vodka shots once the baby is out!

I love/hate how divisive this topic is!

People choosing to drink while pregnant are vilified almost as those who opt for elective sections.

I have a heap of friends who wont drink a glass of wine a month, but yet have a can of Diet Coke (aspartame!!) a day and many a bag of skittles or opal fruits or whatever a week. IN my mind, this infinitely worse to be honest.

Yup, I'd see Diet Coke as worse too Chica. I don't think it's great at the best of times.

It really is- it's total poison and people are blind to it! I was partial to a can of it when hungover, thankfully i haven't had a single can of it since getting the BFP (helps that i havent been hungover obviously!!). i will happily have a glass of the grape on xmas day though let me tell you! Only the 1 though :) Ihave a wedding on dec 30th, i'll probably have a glass then too!

By this measure I must be the worst potential mother ever. I'm 10 weeks, have a glass of wine about once a week or so and am having an ELCS. :) An embryo can't get drunk on a single glass of wine. It's good to be cautious but at the same time, twenty years ago, nobody stopped drinking when they got pregnant. Everything in moderation has always seemed like a good idea to me with most things in life (except cheese which I struggle to put down).

One thing though - aspartame? This has to be the world's oldest internet hoax.

Lucy- I didnt find out that I was PG with DD until 24 weeks.

I had drank every weekend up until that point (approx 6/8 units of alcohol every weekend)

I say that a glass or two of wine on Xmas day is ok and not going to hurt anybody.

Home - I don't really mean the hysterical internet hoaxes. I am generally not keen on artificial sweeteners at all, particularly in drinks, not least because what they may do to 'prime' our body for sugar and disrupt the natural response when it isn't forthcoming. I try and avoid them generally (particularly hard in yoghurts I find) whether or not I am pregnant.

However, I ignore almost all the rules on food during pregnancy and have the odd drink. I'm planning a second home birth though - I wonder if that cancels it out at all in the 'worst potential mother' stakes

Penguins I see your point - we don't eat processed food (though more on taste grounds and because we like to cook than anything else) so it's a bit much for me to do any eye-rolling :) Yoghurts - I find a low fat natural yog mixed with some bluebs generally fits the bill?

As long as you're not filling the birthing pool with gin Penguin

Go for it! I will be having a glass of red and I'll enjoy every drop. I'll be 24 weeks.
The holier than thou attitude of some mumsnetters is as predictable as it is boring. I wonder if they ever consume any fried food, processed food, chocolate or caffeine. And I assume they're all a perfectly healthy weight too as being overweight is proven to be a risk factor...

I'm the same with yoghurt Home. In fact ate a Muller Light at my mum's house recently and it genuinely tasted of vomited as I'm so used the avoiding the sweeteners/processed stuff (not related to pregnancy just how DH and I prefer to eat).

Artificial sweeteners and their harmful effects are far from 'hoaxes' home i assure you- i'm a qualified nutritionist (although not by profession i will admit!) and while there is certainly an element of sensationalism about aspartame online, it's harmful effects cannot be denied. Another vote for non processed foods here anyway.

I still maintain that one glass of wine a week is less harmful to baby than a can of diet coke a day- but the thing is, you have to make up your own mind and live by your own choices, whatever they may be. I really believe a mother has her own inbuilt gut instinct on these things also!

I mostly eat full fat plain yoghurt with fruit. Sometimes I have the Yeo Valley full fat ones when I don't want prep.

Miracle - with our dodgy water pressure, we may well be looking for other sources of liquid at the last minute

Exactly the same re Yeo valley ones - have you tried the honey one. Lovely.

In the past 4 days i've had half a Camembert, raw beef and a few massive gins. Really thought I wasn't pregnant this month till I took a test last night. oops!!

I just had a look at all the things we're not supposed to have I think i'll struggle to remember all that!

Just as an aside, for anyone wanting a beer; I found Becks Blue tasted just like Becks. Perfect for a curry; I found other non alcoholic brands of beer tasted really malty and sicky. If a beverage can taste like sick...

But anyway, hopes this helps someone who misses a good curry and a beer