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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

So if its 1-2 units of alcohol per week, how many mulled wines can I have this Xmas season??

20 replies

greenday · 19/12/2006 12:08

Just found out I'm pregnant (yay!!). But I do luuurve mulled wine at this time of the year. If mulled wine is 'diluted' red wine, do you think I can get away with 3-4 units a week? I'm not too crazy about white/red wines so no problem with sticking to the recommended limits there.

Just pushing my luck here ... feel free to tell me that too!

OP posts:

Ash80 · 19/12/2006 12:23

I think its best you don't drink at all, as some experts are not sure the amount of alcohol that can have detrimentral (spelling) effect on the baby! And advice that its best not to drink at all. Hang in there, it only months! Then you'll have a beautiful baby. Good luck and Congratualtions

steffy1 · 19/12/2006 12:48

i agree with ash80.

did anyone see that documentary 'pissed and pregnant' on bbc3?

basically alot of medical opinion on there was to abstain-it is totally touch and go how it affects some babies and not others.even tiny amounts are found to affect some babies.

i know its boring at xmas but just think of next year!you can have a drink and you'll also have a lovely baby!

DingDongDraculaOnHigh · 19/12/2006 12:50

I think that guideline was after 3 months and that you should drink nothing for the first 3 months

Now they say don#'t drink at all

zzzzzzzzz

Tommy · 19/12/2006 12:54

I thought the rule was "1 or 2, once or twice a week" - that's what my MW told me 6 months ago!

I would have one or two greenday if I were you - although I passed on one at the weeken but they'd put brandy in it as well

SparklySnowflakeKid · 19/12/2006 12:54

I would have no more than one or two units once or twice a week - so if you wanted to you could have 4 glasses but not at once!! You can get alcohol free wine/bubbly and mulled wine much more easily this time of year too - Sainsburys has quite a good selection.

You aren't going to get a definitive answer and everyone has different views about what is right/wrong - but it is up to you.

glitterkitty · 19/12/2006 12:56

Government guidelines are up to 2 units twice a week. However, my midwife recommended not drinking at all. It dosent help, all these mixed messages. Having said that I didnt drink for 1st 3 months- now I have the odd unit once every couple of weeks. I'm sure there's a lot worse things I could do... (like run my dp through with a kitchen knife for not hoovering...again) :O)

morningpaper · 19/12/2006 13:03

If you've JUST found out you are pregnant you are likely to be vomiting all day by Christmas so don't worry too much

Having said that, mulled wine is basically spices and sugar and lots of people boil it to death so there's no alcohol left anyway - so buy a non-alcholic one (or make one with red grape juice) and you won't be able to tell the difference!

Original poster

greenday · 19/12/2006 13:04

Omigosh! I read a thread recenty where the OP mentioned MW told her none at all. But most posters responded saying how rigid it all is and 1-2 units should be fine. I guess I took comfort from that! But you're all right here. And I forgot the good point about having alcohol only after 1st trimester.
I've got a lunch-do with my mum-friends tomorrow and the plan was to have lots of mulled wine. That was all planned before I found out that I'm pregnant again. I don't want to let on the fact that I'm pregnant yet, so I think I'll sip slowly but laugh loudly so they think I'm having a good drink!

OP posts:

incy · 19/12/2006 13:12

Yes I was told by my MW that the rule was now no alcohol at all in pregnancy. Reason given as already mentioned babies are affected by different amounts and so can't make a ruling. Consultant did say ok to have one drink with dinner on a special occasion after three months.

Mind you, last time I didn't realise I was pg until 8 weeks and was drinking and DS is lovely.

Original poster

greenday · 19/12/2006 13:55

Morningpaper - LOL at your points on vomit and boiling alcohol to death.

OP posts:

lazyemma · 19/12/2006 13:58

I do think it's best not to drink at all for the first 3 months whilst your baby's organs are all forming. After that, I had a glass of wine every now and then - probably averaging once every fortnight - but I haven't had any for the last month and I've decided not to drink for the rest of my pregnancy because one drink just makes me want more.

Gemmasmummy · 19/12/2006 14:04

Mulled wine recipes vary hugely, so it's best to check with the person who made it. Some contain brandy and are very potent - but it's impossible to tell how alcoholic it is just by tasting it. You can buy non-alcoholic cordials which taste almost as good as the real thing. Some of the ready-made mulled wines are quite low in alcohol: Lidl does a "Gluhwein" which is only 4.5% alcohol and is basically the same as mulled wine. You could have half a pint and still clock up only one alcohol unit! If you're making it at home you could put your portion in a separate pan and bring it to boiling point to get rid of some of the alcohol. Or you could treat yourself because it's Christmas! I don't think the odd few drinks over the festive season will do any harm.

littlefrog · 19/12/2006 14:29

If you're making it at home, do as we do and dilute it - I think it's about a third (ideally fresh) orange juice, less than a third water, and more than a third red wine. Also lots of sugar and spice and zest - which weirdly makes it taste quite strong! If you then heat that, by the time you drink it it's pretty innocent.

liatHoHoHo · 19/12/2006 14:36

M&S do a nice non-alcoholic mulled punch.

TBH my understanding of alcohol in pregnancy is that it's more likely to cause harm after the first trimesetr as that is when all the nerve cells in the brain are making their connections. I think some animal studies have shown even tiny amounts of alcohol can disrupt this process but the difficulty is extrapolating that to humans.

All that said, I'm still having the odd small glass of wine but 1-2 units a month max.

lazyemma · 19/12/2006 14:49

"TBH my understanding of alcohol in pregnancy is that it's more likely to cause harm after the first trimesetr "

That contradicts pretty much every single piece of information I've ever read or heard on the subject of drinking in pregnancy, I have to say.

lazyemma · 19/12/2006 14:53

that's not to say you're wrong, by the way - just that I'm interested to know a bit more about what the reasoning behind that is! So far as I understand it, the brain doesn't stop developing all the way through pregnancy. The programme I watched (Pissed and Pregnant) the other night said that the first trimester was a particularly dangerous time to drink but that there's never a "good" time, if you see what I mean.

liatHoHoHo · 19/12/2006 15:01

I think the reasoning is that although all the main organs develop in the first trimester it's during the second & third trimester that the brain really forms properly and all the neuronal connections are made, which makes it vulnerable to more subtle effects.

Which would go along with the theory that alcohol can have fairly unpredictable effcts on things like behaviour/development etc. Difficult to prove, though.

CurrantBun · 19/12/2006 15:43

Until I watched that 'Pissed and Pregnant' programme I'd had nothing at all in the first trimester, then only the occasional small glass in the second (probably one unit every 2-3 weeks). Since then, I've pretty much decided not to drink at all for the rest of my pregnancy.

I hadn't really considered before that just as alcohol affects different people in different ways (we all know someone who's under the table after half a shandy and another who can appear sober after 3 bottles of wine), babies also metabolise it at faster and slower rates. What if the one glass I'd thought was quite harmless was actually damaging my baby? I know it's pretty unlikely but as there's no way of being totally sure, I guess I can accept not drinking at all for the next 10 weeks.

Damn shame as I was really looking forward to a glass on Christmas Day!

Original poster

greenday · 19/12/2006 16:11

Shame I missed the 'pissed and pregnant' progamme. Could someone enlighten me? I can assume it's full of horror stories!
Thank you all for your thoughts. I am determined NOT to drink at all (if not, just a sip here and there and keep my glass full so as not to give away my pregnancy).
I know I'm putting myself up for lots of judgement here ... but at this moment, I'm really annoyed with myself. When I was pregnant with 1st dd, until my taste/smell changed, I really wanted to smoke. I'm not a smoker (social one, to say the least) ... but the urge came from wanting to do something just because I know I won't be allowed it. Now, I'm feeling the urge to again.
Please feel free to throw judgements at me!!! I haven't given in to my urge so the harder the better ... (shielding myself now...)

OP posts:

Nikaleeona · 19/12/2006 21:35

Make non-alocoholic one! We made it at work for the kids n its lush! Cranberry juice, apple juice, satsumas n mixed spice!!!!! Probably not the same but im not a huge fan of mulled wine anyways!!!! Congrats btw!

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