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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Taking champagne or bubbly cider into hospital with you?!

25 replies

Saymyname · 03/07/2008 20:43

In my pregnancy book the hospital bag section includes:

-A bottle of champagne or bubbly cider labelled with your name, for celebrating - your partner shuold ask a nurse to put it in the fridge.

Then it says you should ask the nurse to bring it once the baby has been born.

Do people really do this?! I can't imagine asking some overrun NHS nurse to do this.

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DirtySexyMummy · 03/07/2008 20:50

What in the name of Christ book are you reading?

LyraSilvertongue · 03/07/2008 20:51

Never heard of this
Although a glass of champagne would have been most welcome. Not sure it's the best thing when you're starting breastfeeding though...

Original poster

Saymyname · 03/07/2008 20:51

It's called "what to expect when you're expecting"

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks it's weird. I'm wondering now if it might be American.

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 03/07/2008 20:52

i had DH bring me a cold beer with the curry takeaway he brought me for tea.

meglet · 03/07/2008 20:52

I wouldn't dare ask a midwife to put it in the fridge (our hospital has a nice kitchen for mums & dads). But I'd get my DP to sneak it in the fridge and disguise it, someone would be bound to pinch it otherwise.

I have no idea how sensible it is to be drinking alcohol after a birth, wouldn't it go straight to your head?

Original poster

Saymyname · 03/07/2008 20:54

Agree meglet, and re: breastfeeding.

T'would defo go straight to my head after 9 months of abstinenece, let alone having just given birth.

And bubbly cider?

OP posts:

DirtySexyMummy · 03/07/2008 20:55

Hmm. I had that book, and yes, it is very American.

Don't do this. The chances of you fancying a glass of champagne immediately post-birth are slim.

That book is actually quite good otherwise though, I don't remember reading this particular snippet of 'wisdom', however the book overall is useful.

Original poster

Saymyname · 03/07/2008 20:59

Thanks DSM, it sounded distinctly odd to me, and I can just imagine the withering stare that would accompany trying to hand it over to the midwife to put on ice.

Think I will save it for when I get home

One glass of champagne after a feed is ok when breastfeeding, isn't it? Or is that another thread...

OP posts:

LyraSilvertongue · 03/07/2008 21:00

One glass after a feed definitely ok. I had several

expatinscotland · 03/07/2008 21:02

Alcohol whilst bfing is fine.

I used to sit down for the evening marathon feed with a big glass of claret.

Original poster

Saymyname · 03/07/2008 21:03

Oooh, I could really get to like breastfeeding if I do it your way expat...

OP posts:

sophiebbb · 03/07/2008 21:06

This is really unPC but I am on my second glass of red. A lovely evening with my DH. Breastfeeding in about 4 hours.

Tommy · 03/07/2008 21:14

DH brought me in a little bottle of red wine with some nice sandwiches from Waitrose

Piffle · 03/07/2008 21:16

we took one, although somewhat unglamourously I preferred tea... Well it was 6am....
so had it for lunch upon getting home, after bacon sarnie. I'm pure class me
I'm with expat. Happily had regular but not to excess tipple while feeding, which is just well as said child is now 16mths (still feeding a bit)and quite frankly, to go a day without a drink seems foolhardy given the levels of stress impact his busy self lays upon me.
3rd child oh yes
last child
you can take that as gospel...

LyraSilvertongue · 03/07/2008 21:22

I agree Piffle. A glass of wine at the end of a long and stressful day is compulsory in our house

Essie3 · 03/07/2008 22:11

Hahaha, I had that book and didn't dare take a bottle of bubbly in...

I vomited royally after giving birth, and was then whisked to theatre, so it would have been wasted. DH adds that he then had to drive home.

I'll admit to alcohol whilst bfeeding too. And baby isn't even 3 weeks old yet... He's not a foetus any more so he needs to learn about reality .

hairymcleary · 04/07/2008 02:04

God, they couldn't even organise a glass of water where I gave birth- let alone putting a bottle of bubbly in the fridge!
I was convinced I was going to be gagging for a drink as soon as I'd popped DS out (to the extent that if anyone asked me what I needed for the baby, I told them to get me a bottle of vodka!), however it was actually weeks before I fancied even a small glass of wine.
(No-one did get me a bottle of vodka, by the way... it was all very boring babygrows etc)

S1ur · 04/07/2008 02:18

heee hee hehe heh heh heh

I am picturing the scene where a woman and her dp having cued up the whale music asked the nhs staff to put the champers on ice.

that would go down ever so well. In fact so well I think Smack the Pony should do a sketch

I would suggest that either

a) dp/MIL/Mate brings slightly less than chilled bubbley to celebrate post birth (about 1-5 days)
b)you homebirth and use your own fridge
c)you move to a hollywood film set and give birth with minimal fuss
d)the writeers of that odd book realise they are being slightly amibituos with the expectaions of the needs and desires of nhs staff and mothers alike.

tbh I didn't want champagne until at least 48 hours, i'D GET DP TO ORGANISE A LITTLE YOU'RE AT HOME (oops) party and serve up forbidden foods and champagne then.

dippy egg and bubbly anyone?

Hoonette · 04/07/2008 05:55

It's funny you should ask this. I am currently so desperate for a drink that I have been debating with DH the ethics of packing a bottle of port in my hospital bag, ready for the moment when they cut the cord and I can get drunk again... Current thinking is that port is a no-no but I might get away with brandy for medicinal purposes.

Bring on the gout!

Seriously, though, I'd leave the bubbly at home and just take extra bottles of water. I could never get enough when I was in hospital!

traceybath · 04/07/2008 06:33

DH brought one of those packs of 4 little bottles of champagne in to the hospital for me.

As i'd had a c-section and baby was in NICU was in for a few days. I just popped them in the communal fridge and had a small glass after i'd expressed.

Made the horrid situation much nicer. Must also say i breastfeed and generally have a glass of wine once baby has gone to bed.

Thankyouandgoodnight · 04/07/2008 09:11

ladies - it might be doing some research on the net - apparently you're fine to drink what you want while BFing as long as you don't get blotto'd. Very very very little gets through....

Original poster

Saymyname · 04/07/2008 10:23

Sorry - just to clarify, I have no intention of doing this! Just wanted to check it was as weird as it sounded to me.

OP posts:

notcitrus · 04/07/2008 12:30

That NHS A4 'From birth to five' book says it's OK to have a couple drinks when breastfeeding but warns champagne, being fizzy, may give your baby more wind!

I don't drink much but my birth backup people have been given the menu for the local Japanese restaurant and I'll most likely be demanding an enormous sushi platter as soon as I give birth! I'm sure I'll need the protein!

Wouldn't trust a bottle of champagne to stay put in a communal fridge, myself.

MrsMattie · 04/07/2008 13:04

I had fantasies of having a glass of bubbly in hospital, and of feasting on seafood and champers on my arrival home from hospital afte being deprived of such luxuries for 9 motnhs. In reality, all I wanted was tea and toast! I didn't feel like a drink for weeks after my son was born, to be honest.

Pinchypants · 04/07/2008 13:52

My DH bought me a half bottle of real champagne, chilled, and two proper cystal flutes the evening after I'd had DD - she was 24 hrs old and we celebrated her first day with a lovely cold glass of bubbly together just the three of us. Was memorable, and lovely. Wouldn't have asked a midwife to take care of it though.

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