Controversial did anyone drink in pregnancy??

[Lmj25]

Not saying I would was just wondering did anyone?

two posts already suggesting that you are an alcoholic if you choose to drink small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy

Are you including my post in that Double I hope not because that would be mischaracterising my post.

I've been having around a glass a week. There is no evidence that doing so has any effect whatsoever and so I'll be continuing to do it.

with 1st pregnancy none at all, my body was a temple. 2nd pregnancy occasional glass of wine and 3rd pregnancy a glass of wine if not most evenings at least a few a week.
lugging a 1 year old and my huge belly around all day i looked forward to putting my feet up and enjoying that glass.
my consultant agreed it was not an issue at all as long as i wasn't glugging down the bottle and a stress free mum was priority.

@darceybussell how far along are you? I was drinking a few weeks ago as I didn't know I was pregnant at that time

For your parent's anniv, why not walk around with a glass of non-alc sparkling (or not drink the wine/champ) and then have a small champ with the toast.

A small amount on a special occasion won't be an issue, but regular drinking even in small amounts is not recommended.

A relative of mine was a raging alcoholic for her last pregnancy. No ill effects for the baby whatsoever. Not a good risk to take but no guarantee of problems either. A little of pretty much anything won't do any harm and theres no real reason for a healthy woman to give up alcohol or soft boiled eggs, soft cheese or anything else she enjoys during pregnancy. The risks are infinitesimally small and you’re more likely to be killed or injured while travelling in a car. The medical profession is constantly changing asvice anyway. What’s bad for today’s babies may be deemed great tomorrow. Just do what you feel comfortable with, now and when baby is here.

I'm 30 weeks now but to be honest I did have an odd glass before 12 weeks too. I usually only drank about half of it though. I'd have the glass at your parents' 50ths and just tip some of it into your DH's glass if you don't want to drink it all! That way you avoid attention!

There is a real pleasure in enjoying one drink. It's not an "alcoholic" thing to say or do.

The health risks just aren't there for the odd drink in pregnancy. I genuinely think it's more harmful to be so anxious about the odd drink than to actually have one.

Besides, I think there's a lot of truth in listening to your body. I couldn't touch alcohol in the first trimester (when it apparently does the most harm because that's when it can affect the organs and skeleton development) but in the third trimester I very much enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner.

I didn’t. Personal choice.

The research (and I am a geneticist with a focus on human development) says that:

Alcohol is a teratogen
There’s no safe limit known
Very low level drinking during pregnancy is not associated with adverse outcomes.

Hence the NHS advice, which is cautious but evidence based.

A single one off drink with food, taken slowly is not going to do you any harm. I personally wouldn’t drink regularly or any more than one. People have very different sensitivities to alcohol and I suspect there are a few specific windows during which the foetus is much more vulnerable

The line public health have to tread is a hard one - there is a huge issue with alcohol in the uk. It’s thought a couple of percent of babies are born with alcohol related issues. People tend to use limits as something to target rather than as a limit, and people are terrible at judging units anyway. Then we also have to make sure that women’s autonomy is respected - we can only give advice and offer support, not ban women from doing stuff.

There are a LOT of pregnant women drinking too much - and yet the angst seems to come from women worried about half a shandy. To me that indicates that the women who need help aren’t getting it.

Anyway, if you want half a shandy/lager then that isn’t going to do you much harm. Drink it slowly and with food.

I just had a couple of sips of champagne for the toast at my brothers wedding

It's not anniversary sorry it's both their 50th birthdays few weeks apart so I've 2 separate occasions to go to and keep it on the low lol. It is my 2nd child I am pregnant with, with 1st I never realised there was anything like this to go on and ask advice as I was only young

I wouldn’t judge you for having a glass of something, but if you aren’t wanting to risk it alcohol free beer has got better (as long as you avoid kaliber). And I’ve recently discovered alcohol free spirits. Slipsmith no alcohol gin is nice, not entirely the same as gin but a good substitute.

Sorry no. It’s seedlip.

I didn't have any really in previous pregnancies; one glass of bubbly in New Year's Eve in one pregnancy, and a bottle of cider the day before j went into labour with my second. This time I've had a small glass of cider once or twice- and it's been delicious and gone down very well! I also had one drink whilst out before I wanted my friends to know. I know people who have a small glass weekly. It's ok imo and doesn't mean in any way that I'm an alcoholic!

Kopparberg do a nice alcohol free cider if you like a fruity one!

I’m either alcoholic or Swiss... I was told a glass of red was ideal (particularly when eating fondue).

Didn't touch a drop for the entire time. Went teetotal whilst ttc too

I had the odd white wine spritzer, maybe about 4 in the whole 9 months. I agree things like Paté liver ect were highlighted as being more dangerous. I remember being at a friend's birthday dinner. Friends wife is a gp and so were another couple of attendees, who were also pregnant. They both had a small glass of wine with their dinner.

A glass weekly probably? If it’s whisky or a g&t I’d measure out 20ml which is 8ml of alcohol (my bottles anyway) so less than a standard drink.

Have both my parents 50th coming up so didn't know wether half a lager/shandy would hurt as they'd think it very strange me not drinking to celebrate with them. Not wanting to tell anyone till I'm past 12 week.

Applejuice in a wineglass tends to fool everyone. Just make sure you ask beforehand so the waiter doesn't out you (when sitting at a table).

Also acourse of antibiotivcs is a good excuse. You aren't allowed to drink, they can take upto three weeks and sometimes they get it wrong, didn't work so a different set of antibiotics for weeks. You'll be 12 weeks before you know it.

I'm in my third pregnancy and I have one or or two glasses of wine a week every 2 - 3 weeks (basically every now and then me and DP will get a bottle of wine and share it over a weekend) and I did this in my second pregnancy as well.

I've read lots on the subject and I'm happy with my decision. There is even some research to suggest that children of women who drank moderately during pregnancy actually have better rather than worse outcomes long term than their peers. I suspect thats less to do with the actual alcohol though and more to do with the fact that they are brought up by parents who are capable of making educated and evidence based decisions.

There's always people who trot out the old 'if you can't completely abstain for 9 months your an alcoholic' line. Usually the same people who then tell you you shouldn't drink and breastfeed either (so not just 9 months then!?)

I've been pregnant for 21 of the last 29 months, and breastfeeding for 6 out of the other 8 months, like many women I don't just get pregnant once only in my life and actually it is a long time to go without an occasional glass of wine when there is no hard and fast evidence that there is any reason to abstain to that extent.

My first pregnancy was a miscarriage so its not like I'm blasé and unaware that pregnancies can go wrong either.

Very little, the odd glass of white wine.

My first pregnancy I didn't touch a drop until Xmas at 38 weeks pregnant, I had 1 glass of Prosecco and again new year, baby arrived a couple of days later.

Second pregnancy, I didn't drink in the first 12 weeks. I was exactly 12 weeks Xmas day and had one drink, I had one at new year too and the odd glass when I fancied one. I never drank more than 1 small glass though.

When I was pregnant in 2014 the NHS advice was 1-2 units up to twice a week. I had the occasional lower alcohol cider in the summer and in late pregnancy DH would buy me one of those mini 20cl bottles of champagne on a Saturday night as a treat! I’ve had a few white wine spritzers on special occasions this pregnancy with probably 100ml of wine in.