would you / do you: one glass of champers

[frazzledtofun]

I think I kind of know the answer to this question, but here's the deal - I'm 19 weeks and it's my birthday and DH is treating me to a fabulous dinner at a michelin starred restaurant. I would LOVE to have a glass of champers when we go which I could sip at throughout the meal (so not down in one go or anything), but don't know if I'll enjoy it if I am just imagining poor baby wallowing in alcohol.

So, what do you all reckon? Would you do it? Have you done it? I haven't had any alcohol since I found out I was pregnant (had a glass of wine the night before my BFP as I was convinced that I wasn't pregnant).

[milliemanzi]

Answer to this always easy: no a glass of champers will not harm your baby bit if you're going to worry about it afterwards don't bother as it takes me enjoyment out of it somewhat!

Don't think the guidelines have changed but my midwife did say she was instructed to tell mums to be to abstain completely. I'll continue to have the odd glass of wine here and there, sometimes I don't even finish it I just like to have it there!

[namechangedalready]

AbbeyRoad who dared to take a drink from a pregnant woman? If someone had tried that with me they would not have lived to tell the tale!

[AbbeyRoadCrossing]

It was at a family wedding of DH's side. Quite a crazy wedding by all accounts. Anyway the woman doing the food etc was an ex school teacher who used to cane arses long after it was banned and we all still a bit scared (despite being, you know, 30-odd) I didn't realise what was happening I thought I was getting a top up not a replacement!

[VenusVanDamme]

I didn't touch a drop, that included 4 weddings, my birthday and wedding anniversary. Personally I don't see the point, however I know most would be ok with doing it as a one off so if it won't bother you go for it.

[batfish]

I am 22 weeks and have had the odd drink during my pregnancy - probably only 5 or 6 in total but never more than 1 on the same day. I have had one when I have really fancied it - and I have enjoyed them. So I would definitely have one. However it depends if you will actually enjoy it guilt free or if you will be beating yourself up afterwards about it - if that is the case then don't do it! Have a lovely night.

[batfish]

Oh and my friend is a doctor and after 12 weeks had 2 drinks every single week of her pregnancy! Not saying that means it's safe but I would have thought that if anyone would be cautious then she would.

[AliceAnneB]

What a depressing thread. It's a drug. It's a drug that harmful to your baby. No one has a scooby at what level it becomes truly dangerous because you can't ethically do a dosing study on a pregnant woman and a fetus. Guess why? It's dangerous. When public health officials are faced with making the guidelines it was decided that if they told woman "none" they would actually drink more than the 1-2 per week.

[AliceAnneB]

What a depressing thread. It's a drug. It's a drug that harmful to your baby. No one has a scooby at what level it becomes truly dangerous because you can't ethically do a dosing study on a pregnant woman and a fetus. Guess why? It's dangerous. When public health officials are faced with making the guidelines it was decided that if they told woman "none" they would actually drink more than the 1-2 per week.

[AliceAnneB]

What a depressing thread. It's a drug. It's a drug that harmful to your baby. No one has a scooby at what level it becomes truly dangerous because you can't ethically do a dosing study on a pregnant woman and a fetus. Guess why? It's dangerous. When public health officials are faced with making the guidelines it was decided that if they told woman "none" they would actually drink more than the 1-2 per week.

[Roseybee10]

I had the odd glass of wine or champers when pregnant with both girls - at Christmas or my birthday etc. I wouldn't have more than one a week personally but I don't think there's anything wrong with having the odd one x

[PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom]

I would say it was a depressing thread. I would say your attitude is pious and patronising Alice. People here are talking about very moderate drinking and your language is suited to serious binge drinking. Yet you seem unable to understand a difference (or do, but still feel you have a moral right to judge).

[batfish]

If nobody has a clue at what point it becomes harmful alice then I don't see how you can say with such certainly that 'it is a drug that harms your baby' and then immediately go on to say that nobody actually knows that.

Great that you choose not to have any alcohol and that is your choice but I don't think it is right to say that those that do are drugging their babies.

[AliceAnneB]

I'm not judging but I do find the lack of knowledge depressing. It is not in dispute that alcohol is a drug that is harmful to a fetus. No one disputes that - it's a fact. What isn't know is the dose that the baby would have to be exposed to in order to see significant harm. It's not a risk I would personally be willing to take for the sake of a drink.

[Coolchic12]

I do have a glass now and then and don't even finish as I'm usually drinking with plenty of water. I always enjoyed wine and I see no reason to stop now as a small amount with food and water won't do any harm. Alice is so opinionated and judgemental, sometimes it's better to keep your negative comments to yourself and let grown ups make their choices without the unnecessary guilt!

[AliceAnneB]

If you wouldn't give alcohol to a newborn baby then why on earth would you drink it whilst pregnant? It crosses the placenta. Everyone makes risk decisions for themselves and their children. If you're comfortable taking that risk that's up to you.

[Coolchic12]

So OP enjoy your dinner and lovely bubbly and happy birthday

[Coolchic12]

By the way no one is giving anything in its pure form to the fetus so I don't think drinking a glass of alcohol is quite the same as giving alcohol to a baby, so stop exaggerating Alice

[AliceAnneB]

I'll bugger off after this one but she asked and I responded with my thoughts. I haven't attacked anyone personally. At least I got a giggle out of being called pious. Google ladies. It's all out there. Here's a decent quote from the NIH's website.

Research shows that binge drinking, which for women means consuming four or more drinks per occasion, and regular heavy drinking, put a fetus at the greatest risk for severe problems.1 However, even lesser amounts can cause damage.2,3 In fact, there is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Alcohol passes easily from a mother’s bloodstream into her developing baby’s blood. Alcohol present in a developing baby’s bloodstream can interfere with the development of the brain and other critical organs, structures, and physiological systems.

[sianihedgehog]

Science education in this country is shocking, isn't it? Adult women unable to understand the difference between "no evidence of harm" and "not proven safe", and completely unable to understand the idea of an effect being dose dependent. :/

[Teeste]

As the saying goes, the dose makes the poison. A pregnant woman drinking a glass of champers once and with food is not the same as feeding a glass of champers to a newborn.

If we're talking 'lack of knowledge', this from the NHS:

The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) says the safest option for women is not to drink at all during pregnancy, but adds that small amounts of alcohol in pregnancy (not more than one to two units once or twice a week) have not been shown to be harmful. [my emphasis]

So women can take that knowledge and make their own informed choices.

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

Alice if you have the same attitude to everything in life I'm very surprised you haven't been called pious more often! It's very apt.

[Polyethyl]

Anything is a poison depending on the dose. People have died from drinking too much water. King Henry I died from a surfeit of lampreys. Saying that alcohol is a poison with unknown dosage threats is disingenuous.

One glass of champagne, on one occasion, taken with a meal is not poisonous. No more than one glass of water is poisonous. But both, drunk to excess, can poison you.

Criticising someone for consuming something moderately is just unreasonable.

[Chchchchangeabout]

Alice do you have links to the research showing light drinking (eg one small drink every so often) harms the baby?

I looked into this in quite a bit of depth two or three years ago and found nothing of the sort. In fact one study found mothers who drank (very) moderately when pregnant had slightly better outcomes than those who abstained. It was just one small study and by no means conclusive, but I found it interesting nevertheless.

[Chchchchangeabout]

Actually I can't now find that study again and am wondering if I dreamt it or something

[BadIdeaBear]

Of course you should have a glass of champers! Enjoy it!