Drink when pregnant

[iloveburmese3]

So I'm going for lunch.. can I have a Bellini or best to just totally avoid. I'm 27 weeks pregnant. Thanks!

Advice is to abstain until you've given birth.

The risk is small but it's a small risk of profound disability.

I wouldn't.

(Emily Ostler was wrong)

Best to totally avoid.

Just don't. Recent research shows even small amounts of drink risk health issues for baby. I doubt you'll enjoy one drink that much that it's worth it. Not long now anyway.

Going against everyone else's opinion, I would at 27 weeks (I'd avoid in first trimester though). Just a small one and very occasionally.
Many, many women were prescribed^^ Guinness in pregnancy as late as the 1980s. They were drinking it daily and their babies were absolutely fine. You will also hear of many stories of women who are very late discovering their pregnancy and had lots of wild nights out before they found out. Again, the babies are fine.
But you have to be comfortable with the idea and not rely on the opinions of randoms on the internet. It's your baby, you need to risk assess it.
(I had the odd small drink in pregnancy (2nd / 3rd trimesters), both kids are absolutely fine).

I've not been following this issue so could you link to this recent research?

I had my DC before alcohol was banned for pregnant women. Didn't drink in the first trimester but then had the odd glass of wine.

The research I have seen is that excessive drinking when pregnant can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome, particularly as it is often linked to poor nutrition. The only way the government can get the message through is to say no alcohol. Research is very difficult when you have a community where the vast majority of pregnant women don't drink because of this advice, and those that do are often going against all other advice.

I probably wouldn't drink in public pregnant today because everyone would look at me as though I was a murderer.

I drank a glass of wine mixed with lemonade a couple of times in my last pregnancy in 3rd trimester - daughter is fine. I am 19 weeks with second and I had a glass of wine on NYE at midnight. I think it you are sensible and keep it to very small amounts very rarely, there's no issue. Just a lot of people wouldn't be able to keep it to a little, rarely!

I read a fantastic article by an American obstetrician (I can't find it now - just had a quick Google!) who said to avoid in 1st trimester but after that little and rarely is fine.

Of course you can, and enjoy it.

The research shows 'excessive drinking' causes damage but it's impossible to draw a line at where moderate drinking stops and excessive drinking starts. So they say an outright no.

It's fairly standard in France to have a glass of wine a week, yet we don't see increased rates of 'profound disability' over there do we?

Enjoy your Bellini OP :)

Thanks everyone 🌟 I chickened out... but I appreciate everyone's advice and think I'll avoid it completely until the baby is here - I have a planned C section in 11 weeks 4 days (who's counting) and will enjoy a drink once he's out and safe. Thanks again

Of course it’s fine. The advice is to have none because the NHS/WHO can’t morally advise a safe level (which of course there is) because some people would interpret one to mean one bottle of wine, rather than one small glass, for example.

And it’s a nonsense that is oft spouted in here that even one tiny occasional drink can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. It cannot.

I wouldn't risk it even though they've shown the risk is very low.

This. I sometimes think the increasingly patriarchical and fearful way that NHS advise women to essentially avoid absolutely everything, does more harm than good. How many women end up suffering with anxiety during pregnancy or post natally because of this heavy handed approach.

It’s only because they have to be super cautious as they’re in a dicey position if they advise something as safe, and someone has an extraordinarily rare complication as a result. I think they should guide but also advise realistic ability to make choices. The only thing, and I mean only thing I actively avoided in pregnancy was pâté.

Sorry I can't find exactly what I read. I apologise to the OP as actually if I can't find research I shouldn't refer to in a vague way. That was a hasty response on my part. It was probably this or something similar. I hope you enjoyed your evening 🙂

www.healthline.com/health-news/theres-no-safe-amount-of-drinking-during-pregnancy
medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007454.htm

Generally like anything it just carries a risk. The gist is no amount of alcohol proven safe, not that low amounts are proven unsafe. I drank the odd small cup of coffee (that carried some risk) so really who am I to judge. My friend had no caffeine whatsoever.

And I definitely wouldn't give a woman any look for what she does in pregnancy. I only responded because of a request for advice/opinions. My manager had the odd glass of prosecco when pregnant and I considered that she's an intelligent woman who would have taken a knowledge based approach so I said nothing except cheers.

I am 25 weeks with a wriggling baby girl I found out I was pregnant the day after a weeks holiday where I was consuming 4 pints of cider a night, I had a holiday booked to Magaluf for my birthday where I had the occasional cocktail and over Christmas I had a glass of wine. The odd glass of alcohol in my opinion (which is my opinion and I am aloud this right) is okay that's does not mean sink a bottle of wine

I just didn’t and went with advice…no blue cheese, soft eggs/reduced caffeine etc

it’s a poison so why even bother?

I guess I'd wonder why you'd feel you'd be missing out if you didn't drink alcohol and why that's more important that any potential risk to baby? 🤷‍♀️