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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

I know the official line is 'no alcohol' but is there a 'safe' limit?

101 replies

mosschops30 · 24/05/2009 21:29

I dont drink really when not pg, only when we go out which may be once or twice a month.

I have just been through the worst 4 weeks of my life and I am amazed that I have managed to not turn to fags, which would have been usual for me.
I gave up smoking the moment I found out I was pg, and havent drunk anything at all either.

But at funeral on friday I had one (small) glass of rose, and today I had 2 (small) glasses of wine at a friends house.
Is there a limit which is safe? We are on holiday next week and I would like the odd glass or a shandy or two.

Im not used to this, when pg with dd and ds there was no real limit set and I drunk guiness like it was going out of fashion!

Any advice would be great thanks

OP posts:

lalalonglegs · 28/05/2009 09:57

In "Mother of All Myths" by Aminatta Forna, there is a claim, iirc, that when US government first started saying any amount of alcohol could harm an unborn baby, there was a rush for abortions among women who had drunk in the very early weeks, not knowing that they were pregnant so these sort of scare tactics - and I do consider them scare tactics - do have unpleasant consequences. Same book claimed that FAS was more often than not linked to high alcohol consumption and poor diet as much more proportionally prevalent in disadvantaged families.

Didn't Bush government try to promote the idea recently that all women from pubesence to menopause should regard their bodies as potentially pregnant (pregnant ready was the term, I think) and never, ever drink just in case they became pregnant in the next three months .

hackneybird · 28/05/2009 18:35

Lala - I think it was all women considering becoming pregnant that should avoid alcohol rather than all women between pubesence to menopause. But then isn't that what is recommended here?

I definitely agree that a lot of the attitudes to women and drinking in pregnancy are to do with controlling female behaviour, but I also agree with everyone else on this thread that it is important to be safe, and that light drinking but no more is acceptable.

I once was at a work do in Berlin with a woman who I knew was about 20 weeks pg. She was drinking as much as the rest of us (heavy cocktails into the wee hours) and chain smoking. We were all pretty disgusted, although no one had the guts to say anything to her. She had a really small but healthy baby. No idea of the development of said child though.

AliGrylls · 29/05/2009 10:51

I am convinced that smoking is probably the single worst thing a woman can do during pregnancy.

I know of three people (including DH) whose mothers smoked throughout, all adults now (in 30s and 40s) and all have high blood pressure / heart problems.

amandaza · 06/06/2011 09:06

think this site might answer all the questions, have referred to it for years, I have a son with FASD

amandaza · 06/06/2011 09:07

www.come-over.to/FAS/ might help if I added the link !!

Bunbaker · 06/06/2011 09:38

"I definitely agree that a lot of the attitudes to women and drinking in pregnancy are to do with controlling female behaviour"

Utter nonsense. I don't have a chip on my shoulder about health advice aimed at women. I never felt that I was being "controlled" while I was pregnant. I asked the doctor for advice about safe drinking levels during pregnancy (11 years ago) and he simply said that if I drank and anything went wrong with the pregnancy I would always be left wondering whether it was my fault. He effectively threw the ball back into my court and left the decision up to me. I was treated like an adult who could make my own decisions.

I had a high risk pregnancy and as it had taken me 17 years to get pregnant I knew that it would probably be my only chance of having a child, so I did everything by the book and did everything I could to eliminate or vastly reduce all the risks to my baby.

RingEir · 06/06/2011 09:55

I have about two glasses of wine a week (at 33 weeks), and TBH don't feel like drinking any more than that anyway. I don't believe that amount does any harm at all. Actually, according to a recent study by UCL, very light drinking during pregnancy (1-2 units once or twice a week) can even have benefits.

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/06/pregnancy-light-drinking-no-harm-study

LDNmummy · 06/06/2011 10:22

I have one small glass of red wine or a half pint or less of Guinness every once in a while. I hardly ever get pased more than a few sips as I seem to feel that relaxed feeling you get when you drink immediately these days. I am not drinking to get drunk obviously so I stop way before that could happen.

I also have low iron and told a doctor I only drank these two types of alcohol because they help with low iron and she didn't say anything negative.

Its about using your common sense.

brettgirl2 · 06/06/2011 10:35

I'm just looking forward to feeling well enough to enjoy the odd glass of wine. In our mothers generation they were TOLD to drink half a guiness every day and we dont all have FAS. As someone said people lie or count 2 units per day as 2 large glasses - or two thirds of a bottle. What annoys me though is when you go to someone's house and they dont even offer you a little glass.

MoonFaceMamaaaaargh · 06/06/2011 11:27

cory, scummymummy and solidgold i love you

KatieWatie · 06/06/2011 11:41

It's difficult isn't it.
I want to drink a couple of glasses of wine a night - I'm not sick or nauseous, and I've still got the same full-on work lifestyle I had before (it's not as if they let you give up work for the full 9 months, chance would be a fine thing). I'm craving cider - Magners, specifically - along with anything else apple flavoured. Yet I'm made to feel guilty for letting any past my lips. I don't smoke or drink coffee, so it's really my only vice, but it seems like a big one and it doesn't seem right to justify it like this.

So I'm having a couple of small mouthfuls of wine or Magners, a few times a week, but only at home. If we go to a bbq, or have people round who I know will be 'judgey' (my in-laws for instance), and haven't done the research, then I know it's easier to just sit nursing an orange juice and feeling resentful and bitter.

I've read the research and all the pros and cons, and weighed up the risks for myself, but the trouble is other people haven't and I care too much what other people think and might say (like the lady who was called disgusting in a French restaurant )

This thread has been a real eye-opener, thanks all for posting.

H007 · 06/06/2011 14:18

Personally I have totally gone off even the smell of alcohol. But my figuration has been that I would give my baby alcohol when it's born which is why I am not drinking alcohol now... I don't think there is a right or wrong answer for this I mean there is obviously a great difference in one glass and one bottle of wine, I suppose everyone knows what is right for them at that particular time.

Quite an interesting thread though

H007 · 06/06/2011 17:54

wouldn't not would oops :-S

d0gFace · 06/06/2011 18:02

"But my figuration has been that I would give my baby alcohol when it's born which is why I am not drinking alcohol now."

Pretty much think the same thing, dont care what anyone else does. Your baby, your choice.

d0gFace · 06/06/2011 18:02

bah I didnt fix the typo.

YummyHoney · 06/06/2011 18:08

Why take a risk with your baby's health? It's not a long time to abstain for. I wouldn't normally comment, but, as you've asked, I would say don't drink any alchohol. No-one really knows what effects alcohol has on an unborn baby - better to not have any regrets.

aethelfleda · 06/06/2011 18:45

Sorry, solid, i have to disagree with you. Fetal alcohol syndrome ( where mum consumes over 6 units a day for most of pregnancy) is not scaremongering. It's a very real clinical condition. The kids have altered facial development and a whole series of genuine learning difficulties and physical changes. Google image foetal alcohol syndrome if you want to see the very physical changes that result from lots of maternal boozing.

You do NOT get foetal alcohol syndrome through the odd drink (1-2 units once-twice a week as other posters have said) but higher amounts do have the potential to damage developing babies. Sorry, but that's not a conspiracy, misogynist or otherwise. Alcohol in large amounts is toxic to developing little ones.

YummyHoney · 06/06/2011 19:27

Solid - if your post is true, I would say you got away with it.

We don't need a survey, a trial, or the government, to tell us that giving our babies (born or unborn) fags and booze is not a good thing.

brettgirl2 · 06/06/2011 19:47

Yummy if yoy bothered to read the research you would see that light drinking is not harmful. If you choose not to then fine but all of this 'its not long to abstain' judgey halo-wearing position gets up my nose. Light drinking is not harmful not drinking is not harmful one is not better than the other.

YummyHoney · 06/06/2011 20:19

And if you understood my post, brettgirl, you'd know that my view is that you don't need research to tell you it's not a good thing.

It's got nothing to do with me being judgemental, nor my glowing halo and everything to do with the fact that OP asked and I answered.

That's what happens on MN.

brettgirl2 · 06/06/2011 20:33

Lol the OP asked in 2009 so I'm sure they are finding your advice fascinating. 'Not needing research to know its wrong' is a load of claptrap in my opinion. Plus there is evidence to support my viewpoint .

YummyHoney · 06/06/2011 20:45

Oh, well, at least she can have a drink now. (unless of course she's pg again)

brettgirl2 · 06/06/2011 20:46

Hahahaha

YummyHoney · 06/06/2011 20:51

Bunbaker · 07/06/2011 07:01

"Light drinking is not harmful"

I think the issue here is: how much drink is light drinking? To a light drinker two glasses of wine is a lot. To a regular drinker it isn't very much. Everyone metabolises alcohol differently and I'm sure that this is one of the reasons that the medical profession is reluctant to specify a maximum safe level.

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