Can I have 1 glass of Prosecco at 4 weeks pregnant?

[Justfoundoutthat]

Just that really…just found out that I’m pregnant and I’m invited to my best friends wedding on Sunday when I will be 4 weeks + 3 days. I’m not planning on drinking during my pregnancy but I’m in two minds if one glass of Prosecco to cheer the couple would be ok, considering that it’s so early days.

Of course one glass of Prosecco isn't going to be an issue, there's so much scaremongering on here. We all take risks every single day of our lives .. are you giving up tea, coffee, chocolate, processed foods, driving, being a passenger in a car, going near a road, river, etc etc? . It seems yet another way for women to martyr themselves and being made to feel guilty (usually by other women).

I'm another who didn't even know I was pregnant until 10 weeks ... and drank regularly.

Did you keep drinking regularly after you find out you were pregnant? I assume you did given your disdain for those who take harm reduction measures to optimize the health of their fetus based on available scientific research.

I hope your kids don't have any attentional, behavioural, psychological, learning, or physical health issues later in life. You may have been able to drink throughout pregnancy without any ill effect but simple critical thinking and a bit of research would tell you that was and is a giant risk to take.

I wouldn’t.

I wouldn’t. It won’t cause any harm but as it’s so early if anything were to go wrong you might blame yourself. Just accept a glass but don’t drink it if you’re worried about people catching on.

Nobody could or should say yes. But for what it's worth, I would.

I also drank in early pregnancy, not knowing I was pregnant. DS has dyslexia, ADHD and anxiety. Didn't drink at all in second pregnancy and DS2 has no issues. I have no idea if there is a connection but why risk it?

I personally wouldn't and if I felt I had to have a drink I'd rather do it at 40 weeks than 4 weeks when all the organs are developing.

It's ONE DRINK.

I'm sure OP can cope without ONE DRINK

And the research shows that there is increased risk from any alcohol consumption. You don't need to be a binge drinker or heavy drinker to increase the risk.

No, it really doesn't if you look at it carefully.

People are implying on this thread that she will be risking FAS, miscarriage, learning difficulties etc if she has a small glass of prosecco at a wedding. It's madness. I'm not saying she should or she shouldn't but the scaremongering on here is completely ridiculous.

Please link to the peer reviewed research which shows that a single toasting glass of prosecco will cause damage to a foetus.

Entire generations would be damaged if this were true at the time when women were not able to confirm a pregnancy within a couple of weeks of conception. You seem to be confusing the lack of evidence for a negative consequence (not possible to study) with evidence for a positive consequence.

Ah right fair enough sorry

Of course you can have one glass of Prosecco! Congratulations on your pregnancy, and enjoy the wedding.

I don't think you understand the meaning of the word risk. I have never said that there is a "will cause". I have said risk in every post. Risk doesn't mean that every woman who drinks during pregnancy will have negative outcomes.

Do you wear a seatbelt? Put your kids in car seats? Why? You could drive them for a lifetime unrestrained without an accident.

Here is an article. "In addition, risk was not related to number of drinks per week, beverage type, or binge drinking." https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002937820307250

The idea that there is no risk until the placenta is fully formed is just not true if you belive in science and research. Do you truly think women should then drink as much as they want though the first two months as based on many posters on here, there is no harm until the placenta is fully formed at 8 weeks? If there isn't risk of harm then it doesn't matter if they drink 1 drink in two months or 10 a night for two months.

Listen you can each decide to drink as much as you want throughout pregnancy. You can ignore all the research and decide you know better and that there is no risk and that alcohol doesn't hurt fetal development but encouraging pregnant women to drink as you personally have decided to believe there is no risk is just stupid.

Given your belief that drinking in early pregnancy is healthy and safe and Op should go enjoy herself - is there a point that you would say it isn't healthy and safe? How many drinks a day or week or event is acceptable to you and healthy and safe and you would continue to encourage pregnant women to drink if they so desire? You have said one is fine - is there really any difference in the effect on the fetus between one and two or five or 3 a week or ten a week? What is that effect - how do you know when it is too much? What is your evidence to back up where you draw the line in what is safe and healthy and what could be a risk? Since you don't base it on science or research - what do you use to decide when it is too much or when it is still okay?

At 4 weeks the placenta isn't established and the foetus is getting its nutrients from the yolk so trace amounts if any could pass over.

I personally would. Same as I had 1 or 2 throughout all 3 of my pregnancies and they are all fit and healthy.

I did around then as it was Christmas. After five weeks I didn’t want to anyway.

@saffronsoup did you actually read that paper or was it just the first link in Google?

Ignoring for a moment that they didn't control for medical history, family history and a number of other known relevant factors the women in the study were all regular drinkers before and during pregnancy.

Even then, they could not see any effect before the 5-8 week point.

There is absolutely nothing in that paper to support the notion that one toasting glass of prosecco at 4 weeks carries a risk and this endless scaremongering to control women is tedious.

Anxiety is a known correlate for miscarriage in some women - well done for worrying the life out of all women who didn't even know they were pregnant when they toasted a bride at a wedding.

Don’t understand posts like this on pregnancy: people have different opinions, health bodies’ advice is easily available online, just take the decision yourself.

Anxiety doesn’t cause miscarriage, FFS!

The fetus is getting all its genetic material during that period of growth and the uterine enviornment is impacted in many ways - including negative impacts on the fetus from poor nutritional / metabolic environment or infection, illness, inflammation etc. I am not sure why people have the idea that a fetus is detached from the mother and uterine environment in the early months and can't be impacted by anything. Harmful exposures in the first trimester are actually the most harmful not the least harmful.

Many congratulations OP. Personally I chose to avoid alcohol with both of my pregnancies, that was my choice. Entirely your choice, I am sure one glass won’t hurt, but for me I didn’t want to risk it.

How could anxiety carry risk if the fetus can't be impacted by maternal behaviour or uterine environment as per the majority of posts on here - which is why many feel alcohol is fine?

There is plenty of research - you can go to a website called Google Scholar and do your won research. If you find articles saying that alcohol is healthy and safe in pregnancy or findings of no risk - please feel free to come back and post them to support the encouragement of drinking in known pregnancies.

If someone doesn't know they are pregnant, then they can't mitigate that risk. It doesn't mean it has no impact but you can't mitigate if you don't know. If you do know you are pregnant and you continue to engage in known risks - that is perosnal choice that anyone can take and live with.

Do you feel there is any risks of alcohol during pregnancy? How much alcohol do you feel is safe and healthy to drink while pregnant?