Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

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

Original poster

alcohol, I know it's been done to death but would like some advice...

83 replies

minxofmancunia · 09/04/2009 14:32

Am 18 weeks pg with number 2, so far this pg have had 3x small glasses of wine and 1 half a lager (on 4 separate occassions!)

Had the half last night with a curry, friend is coming for dinner tonight and will fancy a small (125ml I measure them out) glass of wine. Socilising again on Fri so was wondering if another glass of wine then would be too much.

That will be it for a while though, maybe a couple of weeks.

What do people think? There are such conflicting views and opinions everywhere. All i know is I didn't find out I was pg with dd until 8 weeks in and had been driknig like a fish the whole time (xmas parties, new year etc.). Felt incredibly guilty and abstained for the rest of pg bar a couple of glasses when I went overdue, dd was a happy accident, this oneis planned so have been good! dd was quite little when born though (although not low birthweigt) and had early jaundice and was poorly. She's fine now but have never forgiven myself, may be why I'm seeking reassurance!

OP posts:
RenderMeSpeechless · 09/04/2009 15:00

It's so tricky isn't it? I drank red wine periodically when pregnant with DD (now 16 months) and she was born hale and hearty.... although my DH laughed at my "eggcup" measures!

Am now pregnant again (30 wks) with DD2 and again have allowed myself the odd wee sip of red (I do live in the south of France after all - it's damn fine stuff!) I am really good when it comes to not having too much caffeine, I eat really well generally and despite being a few weeks from the big 40, I feel great.

I am sure there are plenty who might disagree, but I genuinely believe that a tiny measure of wine now and again has no ill effects, and so long as you are not binge drinking, the body can handle it.

sarah293 · 09/04/2009 15:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

hf128219 · 09/04/2009 15:08

It's fine IMO to have the odd glass.

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 15:09

i didnt drink at all. there is enough that can go wrong without risking anything else.
agree with riven, god forbid something go wrong you would blame yourself
trust me, i speak from experiance

hf128219 · 09/04/2009 15:12

But where do we draw the line? Bar everything?

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 15:15

no, just what could harm your baby like smoking and drinking, why run the risk, its only 9 months

Original poster
minxofmancunia · 09/04/2009 15:16

I'm v careful re caffiene, just 3 cups of tea a day, eat very well and do exercise.

I've always been healthy apart from drinking too much sometimes (pre preg).

I had a glass of rose last week and enjoyed it soooo much it really cheered me up (I get pretty fed up when pg, don't enjoy it at all).

Oh..what to do.

OP posts:
Original poster
minxofmancunia · 09/04/2009 15:21

I've looked into all the research on FAS and related difficulties all pretty non conclusive IMO.

I know most medics I know would advise that small amounts can't do any harm, they seem more chilled on the matter than midwives tbh.

I don't know anyone who's abstained totally during pg and they all have healthy kids but i can see how if anything adverse did happen you would blame yourself and think completely differently.

OP posts:
lauraloo09 · 09/04/2009 15:25

minx my midwife said the odd glass shouldn't do any damage, however I have abstained from alcohol (apart from 1 glass of bucks fizz at Christmas time) if I have people over at the house I buy some alcohol free wine from tesco, obviously not as nice but it does the trick

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 15:28

your midwife said SHOULDNT. thats like saying if you cross the road you shouldnt get run over, we all know that but you might!
like i said, its only 9 months, why take the risk

lauraloo09 · 09/04/2009 15:33

gardeningmum i totally agree with you about the risk i know i wouldn't take the risk (apart from like i said the 1 glass of bucks fizz) but I suppose everyone is different in their thinking.

If anyone does miss the odd glass of wine i do recommend the alcohol free stuff from tesco and its only £4 a bottle

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 15:36

thanks lauraloo, just look forward to that glass of champagne when your child is born. you will deserve it

babblington · 09/04/2009 15:47

my GP said I could drink anything i liked whilst pregnant as long as it cost more than £10 a bottle - I assumed she was referring to wine rather than, say, vodka.
But quality not quantity is a good rule of thumb.

sarah293 · 09/04/2009 15:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Nekabu · 09/04/2009 15:51

I've stuck to the current advice and had 1 - 2 units a week, if that.

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 15:55

well said riven
off for a glass now...only joking

joanneg20 · 09/04/2009 16:09

I'm really divided on this issue. Personally, I have barely drunk anything at all during this pregnancy (two small glasses of wine in 26 weeks I think), partly because I haven't felt like it most of the time, and partly because I just feel like alcohol is 'bad' and best be on the safe side etc. And I haven't missed it much at all.

On the other hand, I have completely ignored all the food warnings, and have eaten all the banned cheeses, just because I feel that the chances of anything bad happening to my baby as a result of my eating a bit of camembert are so tiny as to be virtually insignificant. And I suspect the same is true also of having the occasional glass of wine.

I must say I find the 'avoid any risk at all' line slightly frustrating, just because 99.9% of the bad things that could happen to our babies are completely beyond our control and impossible to avoid, and so maintaining the 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' line of 'every time you lift a fork, please think: is this the very best for my child?', is doing nothing but scaring women about completely the wrong things, and/or trying to give them an illusion of control at a time when things are actually very much beyond their control.

Sorry, a bit of a waffle and doesn't really answer your question, but those are just my thoughts on the matter....

JetLi · 09/04/2009 16:24

I've found some pretty good 0% beers, but struggled finding a decent alcohol free wine. In the spirit of confession, between weeks 12 and 27 I've had 2 half glasses of red and a wine glass of Guinness on 3 separate occasions and always when I'm having a full blown meal out (rather than on an empty stomach). My theory is if I'm having a small amount on a full stomach, less of it is hitting my bloodstream.
To be honest, I'm applying similar rules with caffeine as well but have found some decent decaff stuff.
I've asked for a bottle of Nuit St Georges and 20 Silk Cut as my "push present" .
DP thinks I'm joking.....! Little does he know.

abraid · 09/04/2009 16:38

I drank in the second and third trimesters--a small glass of wine a week. Sometimes two.

Both mine were good weights at birth and do very well at school and in sports.

Snowfalls108 · 09/04/2009 17:35

I think that the problem with cheese etc it that you are more likely to get food poisoning from these, and unfortuantley it only takes a tiny amount of cheese to get ill. With wine it's more of a cumalitive thing - if that's make sense. Therefore a small amount isn't going to be a problem.

MrsJenM · 09/04/2009 17:46

I had a couple of v small glasses of wine a week (prob no more than 100ml) after about week 30 and I LOVED them. I figured what made me feel happy was probably not that bad for dd and ds (did it with both pregnancies). Both kids born well and healthy. To be honest I was more worried about caffiene... although I still had a fare old amount of chocolate cakage so can't have been that worried .

McSnail · 09/04/2009 17:51

Well - I haven't drank anything alcoholic since November due to a combo of fear and not really feeling like it anyway.

However... my partner was talking to his friend (female, just had a baby) whose uncle is a top physician. His (the doctor's) view was that it was absolutely fine to have the odd glass now and then. His opinion was that stress was far worse for the baby than the occasional glass of wine, and since wine helped relieve stress it was actually a good thing to have!

Made me chuckle...

stainesmassif · 09/04/2009 18:04

when i fancied a drink whilst pg i had a glass of ready made bucks fizz. thirst quenching, half as alcoholic as wine, but still feels like an 'occasion' drink. and it counts as one of your 5 a day! (not really, but it would be nice....)

StealthPolarBear · 09/04/2009 18:10

Hi minx!
Why not have a half glass both nights?
I probably would say what you're planning is OK, but I don't think I'd actually do it myself iyswim.
I have drank since about 13 or 14 weeks (when feeling better), the odd sip of DH's drink, and maybe 3 or 4 small glasses of wine myself - so about 1 a week.

StealthPolarBear · 09/04/2009 18:11

Wow that sounded judgey! What I meant was logically I think it's fine, but when it came down to me doing it I think I'd err on the side of caution
Phew...hopefully less judgey

Swipe left for the next trending thread