Drinking whilst pregnant

[manicmumdayss]

Not after a flaming, just generally interested, what are people's views on drinking whilst pregnant?

I received a promotion at work today, and my colleague said you can have a glass of bubbles to celebrate, I patted my bump and laughed it off. She said plenty do, Is this the case?

No judgement either way.

It’s not a reality

Otherwise there would be generations of everyone born with FAS as it was either recommended to drink

@honeybee it is scaremongering - I opened some of the publications they got their info from which say very different things from the headlines on the front page of the site!

I had a small glass (125ml) every 2 weeks or so after 14 weeks. With my first pregnancy I had a very, very long phase and had a 'proper' (175ml) size glass with my curry while in labour!

@RachelEllenR

As I said, I don’t think it is but my point is not to convince those posters (like you, no offense!) who believe it’s fine to drink.

I just don’t want any pregnant woman who is in doubt about wether it’s ok or not to drink, to open this topic and read only posts that say it’s fine.
Because I really believe it’s not and I’m actually a bit shocked that in the UK, apparently many believe it is. But as I mentioned in one of my previous posts, advice might differ from country to country

@goingtoneedabiggercar agreed! most of the others tasted like sweet fizzy juice but this one does actually taste like prosecco.

@honeybee that's totally fair enough - but the link you used to illustrate is incorrect and most people reading it won't bother to go into the research papers that supposedly back it up (which don't - I read the one about increasing the risk of stillbirth).

Otherwise there would be generations of everyone born with FAS as it was either recommended to drink

This statement seems to assume that FAS is the only possible negative effect of consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. We do know that alcohol consumption negatively affects adults - it is a carcinogen and causes liver and brain damage, for example - but we don't know what the impact is on unborn babies.

Historically, women drank far less alcohol than they do now. We don't have generations of data of frequent alcohol consumption to look back on.
bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/10/e011827

I believe in women's right to bodily autonomy, including during pregnancy. Other women may read the research and come to a different conclusion to me and that is fine. Blanket statements like "It is safe to drink X amount", however, are a misrepresentation of the information we have.

I drank before I found out I was pregnant. As soon as I got a BFP I stopped and haven't had any since. There seems to be so much contradictory evidence out there over whether or not it's safe, so for me personally it's just easier just to avoid it altogether. I'm an anxious person and don't think I'd enjoy the drink anyway - I'd just be worrying whether or not it was reaching the baby. I'm missing my wine with dinner though! And am still beating myself up about those first early weeks where I did drink...

Honeybee sorry you are wrong. My dissertation was on drinking in pregnancy, I got 96%, all of my research was through obstetric doctors and midwives through interviews and studies. It's a massive myth you can get fas through a couple of glasses of wine.

I did drink in both pregnancies in moderation

I never had any alcohol in my pregnancies as soon as I found out. I didn't see the point. Giving up alcohol was a small sacrifice to make and I do like a drink.

Back in the day pregnant women were told to have a bottle of stout to build themselves up. Even in the 70s we were not told to avoid alcohol. A glass of wine is fine.

Had 9 weddings the year I was first pregnant - had a glass of champers at every single one until I hit 6 months and then received a few 'looks' as it started to be properly visible. That pissed me off.

Generally had 1-2 glasses a week if I felt like it, and never once felt remotely guilty.

My mum had a large glass of wine a day (!) in 1983 with me and was horrified when I told her what the guidelines are now.

Don't risk it

I had little tastes here and there - mainly one or two sips of my DH's wine and I think i may have had one or two tiny glasses of my own (much less than 125ml). I actually lost all desire for it around month 5 or so, of memory serves.

DS arrived with all correct limbs and apparently decent brain function! I'm happy with my approach and wouldn't personally have felt comfortable pushing it any further, but that's just me and I'm known to be a worrier!

@rosamundos yes people do look sometimes don't they it's so rude
I drank wine every single week when pregnant probably 2 times a week

I can't really see how it's so hard to go 9 months without a drink.

It's not hard to go 9 months without alcohol. 🙄
Really don't understand why you can't respect someone else' choices. I went without for about 18 weeks (drank until I knew I was pregnant.. Sure ill get a talking too for that as well 🙄). Then one evening I just thought it would be nice to have a small glass of red after dinner, I also did this the following week and the week after had a tinier glass just to go with my olives.
To be honest I am more worried about the local anaesthetic I had to have and there's no conclusive research that that is sfe either, it does direct itself straight to the baby's nervous system tho.

This wasn't supposed to be a discussion highlighting to people who choose to drink what the risks are. We already know, it was to ask how much people drank. Go start a thread about the dangers of alcohol if it matters to you so much

@RachelEllenR as soon as I looked at the website I could see it was totally biased, didn't have me fooled

Sandaled

I didn't risk it. Better safe than sorry.

It’s important to understand that FAS is a spectrum disorder and that whilst you might not see physical signs of FASD (small head size etc), there can be other less visible neurodevelopmental symptoms relating to behaviour, processing of learning etc which could be attributed to consumption of alcohol in pregnancy. It really is a spectrum and there’s a fair bit of ignorance about this and worth considering also. It’s also very difficult to determine from one person to another how much alcohol can actually have an impact on their baby because it’s all about how you as an individual metabolise alcohol- which is why it is so difficult for setting public health messages, no one size fits all in this case. It’s about considering if it’s really worth it to you but I would say it’s probably safer to try to abstain, if you can.

@goingtoneedabiggercar Thanks for the heads up! I'll look out for it. I bought some 0% Sainsburys sparkling wine this evening. I might have to do a taste test!

I had the occasional glass special occasions, Christmas etc . 4dc eldest DC is 20 , youngest is 12 advice fluctuated during all 4 pregnancies from fine to have occasional drink to don't drink at all to back to occasional drink is ok , no idea what current official advice is but tbh I don't think the occasional drink (i.e one g&t on your birthday and a month or so later one glass of bubbly on Xmas day) will do any harm.

I saw my GP today who advised 1-2 small glasses of wine (pub measures, not home ones) will have no negative effects on baby. That being said I will stick to special occasions to have a nice glass of champagne (weddings, nye etc) as I have spent most of my adult life hungover so I'm going to use this as a chance to dry out!!!!