Drinking in pregnancy

[theheatherjane1]

Do you? The odd cheeky one? Nothing at all?
I haven't, but some days, oh some days, the only thing standing between me and a delicious glass of booze is that there's sod all in the house.

[flamingnoravera]

If the question was is it ok to inject heroin once a week whilst pregnant was asked, how would you respond?

Alcohol is more damaging to the feotus than heroin. It is a tetrogen and damages the developing brain and other parts of the body. Babies born addicted to drugs can recover, babies damaged by booze cannot. It's that simple.

[jujubeanz]

Oh it took longer than I thought for people to start talking bollocks about FAS.

[PurpleDaisies]

I have fostered a child with FAS, as a result I would advocate no alcohol at all. Why take the risk to a developing brain?

There is no evidence that an occasional glass of wine causes FAS.

[Cosmicglitterpug]

Not in the first 12 weeks, didn't really feel like it. But probably a small glass every week or so in the middle. Went off it again towards the end.

[PurpleDaisies]

Alcohol is more damaging to the feotus than heroin.

Care to qualify this? One small glass of wine a week is more dangerous than IV drug use?

[flamingnoravera]

There is no diagnosis for 100s of damaged children. Getting a diagnosis is so hard that I don't think we know how many kids have really been affected. There is evidence that alcohol damages developing cells. Surely that's enough?

[NapQueen]

There's also the issue that heroin is illegal anyways. Pregnant or not injecting heroin is a fucking idiotic thing to do.

Drinking a glass of wine with your Friday night take away is not only legal but practically mandatory after a hard week at work. And it will have no effect whatsoever on the baby's development.

[flamingnoravera]

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/Fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorders-report-Feb2016%20%281%29.pdf?token=AWy71Ztu53VGChBPEQ8jtknruKkC3kEJjoE7GtMxeib5PWEKqNvH6xPoW8gPEa2bunjF35yGP18jebAEsfMNZq1UEos8-E-aRRwFNwExnUfHU8w7iciST9gfxYrCNNBBDttSbg0N0Ry44t3DMxtguP5aRXTHz25zMlMuHT7VCYGw

[FearTheLiving]

That's not strictly true nap

It's not known how much or little alcohol effects a fetus. That's why the advice is zero.

[flamingnoravera]

Your baby your choice. Pathetic that you cannot drop the booze for 40 weeks and you have to call advice to keep your child safe bollocks. I'm outa here.

[GinIsIn]

flaming you are entitled to your opinion and others to theirs - there is no need for you to be so aggressively sanctimonious. There is no firm and conclusive medical evidence either way.

[SaltySalt]

I had a few cocktails on holiday with ds3 I was 20 weeks then the odd one here and there for the rest of my pregnancy. I don't think calling people "pathetic" for a having a glass of wine with dinner is called for either.

[PurpleDaisies]

If you read the BMA document you linked to flaming it states that the guidelines aren't based solely on scientific evidence that alcohol causes harm at any level of consumption, but the need for a clear and easy to follow policy that everyone will understand. Many people don't know the units in "standard drinks" so it's better to say no alcohol at all and then everyone can easily work out what's safe.

There is good evidence that high levels of alcohol consumption can lead to FAS. The same can't be said for an occasional small alcoholic drink.

[Sweets101]

There is good evidence that high levels of alcohol consumption can lead to FAS. The same can't be said for an occasional small alcoholic drink.
I thought the evidence suggested it effects different people/pregnancies to a different extent, therefore they can't suggest a safe limit for all other than none?

[PurpleDaisies]

This is a screen shot from the BMA document flamingo linked to earlier.

Read that and tell me not properly understanding units or what constitutes low alcohol consumption has nothing to do with the guidance to abstain.

[UnbornMortificado]

Sweets I've heard that too. I have a friend who's an alcoholic. She drank through both pregnancies although not her usual massive amounts one child has it one child doesn't.

[Orangebird69]

Nothing in the first trimester, the odd glass of fizz or half a lager if I really felt like one otherwise. You'd have to go some to worry about FAS etc.

[MrsNuckyThompson]

I didn't drink first trimester.

Second when I was feeling great I prob had a glass of champagne most weeks (i.e. One 125ml glass per week).

Since hitting third trimester I've not really bothered but would have no issues with a small one.

Second pregnancy - I've been more relaxed about everything (blue cheese, rarer meat etc).

[jujubeanz]

Sweets I've heard that too. I have a friend who's an alcoholic. She drank through both pregnancies although not her usual massive amounts one child has it one child doesn't.

Im still guessing it was more than 1-2 units a week.

[Bumpsadaisie]

I didn't at all in the first 20 weeks or so (hyperemesis).

From around then I would half a small glass of red wine every night with my dinner (two fingers of wine). Stopped at around 38 weeks.

DD and DS are hale and hearty.

[MinnieNoush]

No not one drop. Despite people thinking its fine to have a little drink now and then, there has been a lot of research to show any alcohol consumption in pregnancy can have a damaging effect! Why take the risk!

[Anatidae]

I didn't.

My background is in human developmental genetics and my take on it is this:

The way individuals metabolise alcohol varies a lot. I know I feel tipsy pretty fast. The foetus IS affected by alcohol and it IS a teratogen , but the difficulty is in isolating exactly how much is safe and at what stages. Obviously you can't work on humans, but from animal studies it appears that the foetus is differently susceptible at different points. That plus the inherent difference in metabolic clearance means that while on a population level you can say x units per x time is ok, you can't say definitively that that specific drink at that specific time might be ok.
Cigs are the same. One specific cigarette might be the one that causes a mutation that finally leads to cancer.

Public health treads a fine line here: they need to be evidence based and reasonable. Women need information that's accurate and impartial but we really mustn't get down a path where a glass of fizz with food at a wedding has you prosecuted. Women's autonomy must be respected.

Oddly enough I went off it completely during pregnancy and haven't had any since (almost 2 years now.)

[GinIsIn]

MinnieNoush research has shown no such thing. Research has not been able to conclusively prove either way.

[UnbornMortificado]

juju yes she was and is an alcoholic her cutting down is different to most peoples. I wasn't writing it in a judgey way, just remarking one child has it and one child doesn't.

[redrosered]

I'm pregnant I have a red wine now and again if I fancy..
I did with my first too..!
Really I don't think 1 hurts at all.. X