Page 4 | Little amounts of alcohol during pregnancy

Cherry85 · 2025-05-01T17:46:38+00:00

During my first pregnancy I never drank at all. I have friends with 2 or 3 kids who have enjoyed the occasional glass of wine throughout pregnancy and my midwife also says that's fine..... but we are out for dinner on Saturday for a friend's birthday and I am really craving a cocktail. Would one cocktail be an issue as opposed to a glass of wine? 17 weeks if that makes any difference

ButWhere · 02/05/2025 20:47

ChunkyMum667 · 02/05/2025 20:23

I had a glass of prosecco for my birthday when I was 24 weeks and I think another glass of wine another time...have a cocktail if you crave it (although I don't understand it....the only reason I craved wine/beer was because I was sick of drinking sweet crap every time I went out and cocktails are just juice with alcohol mixed in)

For those saying, it's just a few months, it really isn't if you plan to breastfeed. I'm EBF a 9 month old so that's 18 months of pregnancy plus BF. The odd drink keeps me sane.

In the grand scheme of life, it's really not that long though. The guidance around occasional alcohol consumption during breastfeeding is also different to during pregnancy.

Icanttakethisanymore · 02/05/2025 22:12

Personally I wouldn’t have entertained it, but I’m sure you’d be fine. I found it easier mentally not considering drinking at all.

Icanttakethisanymore · 02/05/2025 22:16

ChunkyMum667 · 02/05/2025 20:23

I had a glass of prosecco for my birthday when I was 24 weeks and I think another glass of wine another time...have a cocktail if you crave it (although I don't understand it....the only reason I craved wine/beer was because I was sick of drinking sweet crap every time I went out and cocktails are just juice with alcohol mixed in)

For those saying, it's just a few months, it really isn't if you plan to breastfeed. I'm EBF a 9 month old so that's 18 months of pregnancy plus BF. The odd drink keeps me sane.

Drinking when BFing is totally different to when pregnant. When pregnant you share your blood alcohol level with the baby. When you’re BFing you feed your baby milk which has the same amount of alcohol as your blood. Which, if you’re totally smashed might be 0.5% (roughly the same as a very ripe banana or a ‘non-alcoholic’ beer).

ArminTamzerian · 02/05/2025 22:17

It is literally impossible for one cocktail to do anything to a 17 week foetus.

Anyone who tells you anything else is lying to you for their own reason.

nyancatdays · 02/05/2025 22:18

AltitudeCheck · 01/05/2025 19:30

Have a mocktail and add a single measure of whichever spirit it goes with or ask the bartender to make your cocktail weaker. You'll know exactly how much alcohol is in it then. Enjoy your night out.

This - ask them to make it without alcohol then you can add a single or half measure of the main spirit.

Tiddlywinkly · 02/05/2025 22:19

caringcarer · 01/05/2025 20:58

I'd never take any risk with the cognitive health of a DC. I look after 2 DC who have foetal alcohol syndrome which left them both with quite severe learning disabilities they will have for life and are irriversable. Their mother's drank a lot of alcohol but having seen the devastating consequences on their lives I would never risk drinking a drop of alcohol even when trying for a baby.

This

Perzival · 02/05/2025 22:24

Nrtft for most people it's fine and the baby will be fine, my best friend craved guiness and she never drinks anything other than wine, all ok. What I would say is that my ds is severly disabled and I'm incredibly glad that I didn't drink etc during my pregnancy as I know I would blame myself or ask if it contributed (I already do this over a million other things so I'm glad this isn't In the mix too).

ItsOoooon · 02/05/2025 22:27

Alcohol is a literal toxin. No way I’d want that crossing the placenta into my unborn and developing child.

still astounds me how human’s like to completely discount how bad alcohol is for us… have a mocktail surely?!

Little amounts of alcohol during pregnancy

Flowers234 · 02/05/2025 22:28

Mocktails taste the same...can't understand why people can't have the strength of character to not drink for a short amount of time for the sake of their child 🙄 (unless addicted).

SaveMeFromMyBoobs · 02/05/2025 22:35

Personally I'd have a mocktail because I'd feel guilty so wouldn't enjoy it anyway!

Reality - one cocktail won't matter. I wouldn't go for a strong one like a long island iced tea, but as a one off it won't hurt.

People will act butthurt and say you don't care about your baby but life isn't like that. There's probably higher risk of you/baby coming to harm in a car crash each time you get in a car than that cocktail causing harm. But you can't exist in a bubble while pregnant. I ate non red-lion stamped eggs while pregnant from a local place that gets it's eggs from a local farm 😱 totally fine, chickens were vaccinated against salmonella as per UK law. I also ate pastrami 😱 I had horrendous morning sickness and lost
10kg by 14 weeks. If the only thing I fancied was a pastrami sandwich, it was better that I ate it so I was eating something!

Titasaducksarse · 02/05/2025 22:41

No. You shouldn't drink any alcohol during pregnancy...in fact why would you want to? It's a poison and a carcinogen as recently labelled by the WHO.

SaveMeFromMyBoobs · 02/05/2025 22:41

caringcarer · 01/05/2025 20:58

I'd never take any risk with the cognitive health of a DC. I look after 2 DC who have foetal alcohol syndrome which left them both with quite severe learning disabilities they will have for life and are irriversable. Their mother's drank a lot of alcohol but having seen the devastating consequences on their lives I would never risk drinking a drop of alcohol even when trying for a baby.

You are aware there's literally alcohol in bread right? No alcohol beer has significantly less alcohol bread.

Don't go out and get smashed but one cocktail, especially with a meal, won't cause harm. It's not the prolonged heavy exposure to alcohol that the DC you look after had. Short of it being cyanide most things in moderation are fine.

ArminTamzerian · 02/05/2025 22:44

Titasaducksarse · 02/05/2025 22:41

No. You shouldn't drink any alcohol during pregnancy...in fact why would you want to? It's a poison and a carcinogen as recently labelled by the WHO.

Blah blah blah. Utter nonsense

CheeseWisely · 02/05/2025 22:55

mumnet87 · 01/05/2025 22:54

Wow. I'd feel extremely uncomfortable as a bartender to serve a pregnant lady an alcohol drink.. I'm pretty sure if you disclosed it the staff would say no!

I was a bartender for years and frankly it was none of my business. There’s a lot of people walk up to a bar who shouldn’t be drinking. If I was going to uncomfortable about anyone then I’d be far more worried about the person who was going to drive home or the raging alcoholic or the guy who was going to go home pissed up and knock his wife about than a pregnant woman having a single drink.

caringcarer · 02/05/2025 23:25

SaveMeFromMyBoobs · 02/05/2025 22:41

You are aware there's literally alcohol in bread right? No alcohol beer has significantly less alcohol bread.

Don't go out and get smashed but one cocktail, especially with a meal, won't cause harm. It's not the prolonged heavy exposure to alcohol that the DC you look after had. Short of it being cyanide most things in moderation are fine.

Show quote history

If you saw what these DC have to deal with every day of their lives you really wouldn't want to risk 0.0001 of it having any effect on them.

OddSocksAreCool · 02/05/2025 23:29

If you are even remotely anxious I'd say don't do it. I drank small amounts in my first pregnancy and none in my second. My first born is neurodiverse and my second isn't, the first has some mental health difficulties too. Even though I know in my mind it's probably genetic, there is a tiny part of me that will blame myself forever that my drinking might have caused him issues.

MooMooMoooove · 02/05/2025 23:33

A small amount occasionally shouldn’t be too much (ask them to go extra light on the alcohol in the cocktail) if it makes you feel any better my sister craved an aniseed flavoured shot throughout her pregnancy and once when we (just the two of us) were out for a 3 course meal ordered the shot which she sipped about half of throughout the meal and my nephew is totally fine 😂x

BritishFoodFan · 03/05/2025 00:54

Titasaducksarse · 02/05/2025 22:41

No. You shouldn't drink any alcohol during pregnancy...in fact why would you want to? It's a poison and a carcinogen as recently labelled by the WHO.

Tidy.

I'd love to see your dietary plan for pregnancy.

Please show...

BritishFoodFan · 03/05/2025 00:57

If any poster can show me an example of FASD after a single drink, I'd love to see it.

Icanttakethisanymore · 03/05/2025 06:08

Perzival · 02/05/2025 22:24

Nrtft for most people it's fine and the baby will be fine, my best friend craved guiness and she never drinks anything other than wine, all ok. What I would say is that my ds is severly disabled and I'm incredibly glad that I didn't drink etc during my pregnancy as I know I would blame myself or ask if it contributed (I already do this over a million other things so I'm glad this isn't In the mix too).

Yeah - this would also be a factor for me.

BlondiePortz · 03/05/2025 06:12

BritishFoodFan · 03/05/2025 00:57

If any poster can show me an example of FASD after a single drink, I'd love to see it.

You would love to see it? Wouldn't it be better not to see a baby affected from alcohol at all

ThejoyofNC · 03/05/2025 06:37

I think it's unbelievably selfish.

babyproblems · 03/05/2025 06:41

I would drink at all when pregnant. I thought the latest research showed that no amount was safe? It’s a poison and a toxin.. I get you’re craving a cocktail but I wouldn’t want alcohol in my body whilst pregnant. I wouldn’t give alcohol to a newborn so id be reluctant to drink whilst pregnant. I don’t know if that’s ridiculous but I’d think it would cross the placenta.

hhtddbkoygv · 03/05/2025 06:44

🤢

BrendaSmall · 03/05/2025 06:45

When I was pregnant many years ago, alcohol was a complete no go in the first 4 months due to the fact that it wasn’t good for the babies brain development!
Guidelines change so frequently though now a days!