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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Anyone else told by MW that the ruling is now no alcohol in pregnancy?

157 replies

incy · 04/12/2006 14:15

At my booking in appointment my MW told me the guidelines on alcohol in pregnancy had changed (although still to be updated) and that no alcohol at all should be consumed. Didn't drink at all last time so not a huge concern but wondered if anyone else was told this ?

OP posts:
poppynic · 04/12/2006 16:36

I'm sure that alcohol out of dp's glass doesn't count in any measurement.

gegs73 · 04/12/2006 16:49

My MW told me that loads of the smelly soft cheese you can buy in supermarkets is now pasturised if you check, as they know pregnant women crave the stuff. She said if you check and it is, its perfectly fine to eat

I have gone off the booze completely, but I'm sure I'll be forcing down abit of champagne on Christmas day Drunk the odd glass of wine in my first pregnancy and DS is absolutely fine.

Blossomhill · 04/12/2006 16:50

I didn't touch a drop when I was pg with my 2. It's only 9 months and I didn't want to take the risk.

paulaplumpbottom · 04/12/2006 16:53

Thats wonderful news gegs!

Anglaise1 · 04/12/2006 17:05

I'm sorry to disagree with the previous info re. France, but the list of banned foods I got last week from my sage-femme (MW) in France was exactly the same as that in the UK regarding cheese, charcuterie etc and you have to be even more careful over here with hygiene as there is more risk of toxiplasmosis. The official advice on alcohol consumption has also changed, it is recommended that no alcohol is drunk during pregnancy (although my gynae said a glass of wine a day was fine). It is as difficult being pregnant in France as the UK now - even more at Christmas and New Year when seafood and foie gras will be off the menu!

twelvedaysofchristmas · 04/12/2006 17:22

Dammit! Off to the Portland with me, so...

Kabsy · 04/12/2006 19:27

Im with you twelve days of christmas, I'm gettin' my coat and coming to the Portland...

Im glad Incy bought this subject up, as I have been miserable about the thought of a dry christmas whilst everyone gets trolleyed!

My MW told me no alcohol, but she did for my last prg 4 years ago. I stayed off it for the first 12 weeks and then after had 1-2 glasses of really nice wine a week and enjoyed them! DD is absolutely fine. My mother and Mil are always telling me how much they drank through all their pregancies and I dont see any problems. Also ate liver, runny eggs, blah blah blah...

Think the moderation rule is best and stick to wine. Im fed up up with do gooders and people covering their backs just in case it all goes wrong.

My green notes dont say no alcohol...

see you at the portland twelve days you'll know its me I'll have the brown paper bag stashed under my coat........ xx

Blossomhill · 04/12/2006 21:30

By Kabsy on Monday, 4 December, 2006 7:27:00 PM
Think the moderation rule is best and stick to wine. Im fed up up with do gooders and people covering their backs just in case it all goes wrong.

Kabsy ~ why are you do fed up with do gooders as you put us? I wasn't sure if it was safe or not to drink when I was pg so I didn't. Hardly a do gooder, just doing what I think is best for my child!
If you want to drink that's up to you but it's also personal choice if you don't want to.

twelvedaysofchristmas · 04/12/2006 21:57

Whoa! Reverse. I don't think this was intended to get personal at all. Insensitively worded post perhaps?

I don't know Kabsy, but I expect she might have been referring to those people who are rather agressively anti-drinking in pregnancy. Just as I'm sure you might have found it irritating when people kept telling you, "Oh, you can have one or two, fo on!" when you actually didn't want one at all.

I even had a man in my office tell me off on Friday when I said I was going to have a couple of drinks at the weekend! Cheeky moo.

I admire you for having the will power to stay off it. I have no will power at ALL!

binkacat · 04/12/2006 22:11

"Im fed up up with do gooders and people covering their backs just in case it all goes wrong."

I'm sure that health professionals are fed up with people suing them when it does go wrong because they were never told that they shouldn't drink alcohol.

The problem is - it isn't ethical to do research on pregnant women by giving them lots of wine to drink to see how it affects the fetus. (damm it ) So yes, its not known how much is too much. So advice is now erring on the side of caution so that people can't say they didn't know if it does go wrong. The "experts" believe that that while a couple of glasses a week may be ok for some people, it might not be for others. But heck they're not sure. If you want to carry on having some alcohol then I wouldn't have thought any m/w, doctor is going to have a go.

taffy101 · 04/12/2006 22:13

I remember seeing a documentary about this a few months ago. There was a woman who had a child with learning difficulties due to her drinking during pg but she was a right pisshead.
Apparently tests show foetus' exposed to alcohol show more startle reflexes in the womb, don't know what that proved though. I was pg when i saw the doc and still had the odd glass of wine and LO is ok.
With first dd i got hopelessly drunk b4 i knew i was pg but she's ok too.

lulumama · 04/12/2006 22:18

there is no doubt that persistent binge drinking in pregnancy has terrible results for the child........

i think a drink now and again is fine, i certainly did in both my pregnancies, mainly with a meal...

if midwives are erring on the side of caution, i thikn it is for the reasons binkacat has said ......

drinking to the point of drunkeness is different to a glass of wine with dinner in the evening...

Blossomhill · 04/12/2006 22:21

I didn't drink or smoke with dd but she still ended up having sn so I guess it doesn't always work out that way.

foundintranslation · 04/12/2006 22:21

Had about 4 glasses of wine7champagne in total when pg with ds, all of them on specal occasions in the final trimester.

Will do so again if and when I get pg again, but I don't think, say, one glass of wine a week with food after the first trimester would do any harm for most women (non-smokers, fairly good diet).

foundintranslation · 04/12/2006 22:22

4 glasses of wine/champagne, not 7 of champagne!

JinglePrunes · 04/12/2006 22:26

The number of 2nd trimester miscarriages in Frances is higher than here, apparently.

The alcohol thing has been coming for a while. In the US no-alcohol is the norm, but then the CDC explicitly states that all women of childbearing age should abstain from drinking alcohol if there is a possibility of their becoming pregnant. It's hard not to see a misogynistic bent to American society.

ANyway it's easier and possibly safer to say "No alcohol at all" than to try and guide people as to unit size, frequency etc. And after all no ethical research can be done to determine whether there really is an effect on an embryo/foetus/the mother.

CantSleepWithSanta · 04/12/2006 22:36

Haven't read whole thread, but notice that hunker is searching for a link - she and I always post similar ones on this subject, so have a read here .

Blossomhill · 04/12/2006 22:37

For just 9 months is it really worth the risk?
I was an ultra paranoid mum to be with ds that if anyone even came near me with a cigarette my look was enough lol

MrsJohnCuSackFullOfPresents · 04/12/2006 22:40

It's no alcohol at all here in NZ
And as pruni says, it's because there's no 'safe limit' and it's v.hard to test anything on pregnant women - so it is simpler and clearer to say drink nothing at all. The 1/2 units 1/2 times a week UK guidelines I think were a bit woolly - and actually stated more alcohol than I would be happy to drink. (Also as it is often proved, few people actually know what a unit really means)

Having said that I have had the odd glass of wine - probably no more than one a fortnight. I can't honestly see that being a problem, even though moving here halfway through has made me feel a bit guilty.

BrummieOnTheRun · 04/12/2006 22:49

if you look at the 'foetal alcohol syndrome' site they wheel out these chronic alcoholics and drug addicts to support their 'no level of alcohol is safe' stance. Really pisses me off. Of COURSE they are going to have sick babies - they drink in vast quantities and the mothers are frequently in very poor health.

Totally agree with one of the previous posts: almost every culture on the planet has learnt to create some form of alcohol from its local crops and if it was really so dangerous the majority of the population of the Earth would have died out by now! We didn't, it isn't.

This is all coming from the States who'd ban alcohol for everyone given a chance. Puritanical roots. And another way of controlling women (ooo, that was a bit of an extreme statement!)

MKGnearlyimmaculateconception · 04/12/2006 22:50

In our "sue happy" society it's best to tell people "None at all" than "A few won't hurt". I can guarantee the lawsuits would be without end if the policy was "A few won't hurt"

Doctors are covering their asses, which they should.

JinglePrunes · 04/12/2006 22:52

Brummie I agree with you (re the puritanism/misogyny)
except that I know a woman whose child has fetal alcohol syndrome
She simply drank every day as she normally would, no hint of being an out and out alcoholic
really sad story tbh

BrummieOnTheRun · 04/12/2006 22:58

very sorry for your friend, JinglePrunes. i may have to get off my high horse. i know that your ability to metabolise alcohol can make a big difference (understand that certain cultures, for instance, have a greater problem with this than others).

JinglePrunes · 04/12/2006 23:03

yy
of course she drank more than guidelines though, not sensibly at all.
But certainly not a bottle of vodka a day kind of girl

poppynic · 05/12/2006 13:48

Someone else mentioned that programme they had on the Tonight Show about alcohol and pregnancy. The followed a few girls who were big drinkers through their pregnancy and had an "expert" on saying it wasn't safe to drink anything at all. At the end the girls had their babies and they were all fine - proving????