Do you drink alcohol while you're pregnant?

[Ninni]

If so, how much/often?

Just a bit of unscientific research...

I havent been drinking much with this pregnancy, once every few weeks or so if its a big family meal or something. Ive not had the "need" to drink except a couple of weeks ago when I had my first ever driving lesson and my instructor directed me onto quite a large busy road and when I turned off it and pulled over I had the urge to find the nearest pub!!

I always figured 'better safe than sorry' and avoided drinking when pregnant - and when breastfeeding for that matter.

Went 15 months without a drink for my DS and will probably do the same this time.

It's a small sacrifice and a great detox

Went right off wine when pg, but really enjoyed very 'hoppy' beers (only time in my life!). Would have one, maybe two in a week.

Ridiculous to give up alchol when b/f unless you binge drink and might drop the baby!

Had nothing (and really didn't feel like it) for first 20 weeks or so. After that a few sips of Dh's wine or beer from time to time (once a week or so) and more recently (30 wks) I have helped myself to a VERY small glass of wine with a special meal.

Nope none for me! Didn't drink for 2 years whilst pregnant and breastfeeding my DD. I'm pregnant again and will be doing the same!

Why is it ridiculous to give up alcohol while breastfeeding BlueKangarooWonders?

Alcohol passes into breastmilk. I didn't want DS getting any alcohol, it is a poison after all!!

It can also change the flavour of breastmilk (just like anything you eat or drink) and can put baby off feeding and there are studies to show that drinking as little as 1-2 units of alcohol can reduce supply in the short term.

A glass of wine for a special occasion might not be the end of the world if you really fancy it but I never felt it was that important.

would you give your newborn baby alcohol? doubt it!! well why drink when pregnant then?

Didn't drink during any of pregnancy (this is my 3rd pregnancy) and breastfeeding. Nor for that matter did I drink while TTC. I don't drink that much anyway but wanted my pregnancy to have the best possible outcome, so I avoided anything that was suspect. My first baby died due to severe preeclampsia (my 2nd baby was born early due to same thing, and I am waiting to find out what will happen this time ) so I don't want to do anything that would harm my chances in other ways (although I didn't think of drinking during that pregnancy either so I guess it isn't just that). Had gestational diabetes throughout all pregnancies (this time using insulin) so I imagine it would be a very bad idea anyway.

I can't help but get a little at people who say that they won't be 'told what to do' etc. Try being unable to have so much as an orange juice (because of the gestational diabetes) and see if you feel the same then. You are complaining about being told not to drink wine when the most exciting it gets for me is sparkling water! Should I go home from the diabetic clinic and complain about being told what to do?! No, obviously, because it is bad for the baby for me to have raised blood sugars. I see alcohol/pate/veiny cheeses in the same sort of way. The advice is there for a reason - either because research has proved it to be harmful or because research is insufficient. This is not the same as being told not to walk on the grass!

I'm sorry but there are a lot of things in life that the research is insufficient about.
I could list them but have no wish to give pg women more to worry about.

It really annoys me when people are judgemental - if you don't want to drink at all then that is fine by me. Equally if someone else wants to have a couple of glasses of wine a week then that is their choice. The biggest dangers IMO when pg is going in the car.

'Giving' a newborn baby alcohol would be somewhat different because during pg although it may cross the placenta it is the mother's body that actually metabolises it.

It isn't ridiculous at any time to give up alcohol, including when bf, but it is ridiculous to suggest to someone that they must.

Didn't drink at all for the first 12 weeks (and it was more like 20 last time as I felt so sick). Then about two small glasses of wine a week, but not every week.
Drink what I like when bf!

Haven't drank with this or previous pregnancy although did have the odd half a lager or 2 with dd, due to having a life then .

didn't know i was expecting first child for 8 weeks(wasn't planning either but thats another story!!!), so had my units!!! ds1 no probs. didn't drink with second and he has heart problems!!! work that one out??!!!!

Brettgirl, I understand what you are saying, I do, but I am not saying that anyone should give up anything. It just irks me a little that people are acting all "You can't tell me what to do!" about this issue. Surely stopping drinking alcohol or not stopping should be dependant on whether that person thinks it is harmful or not, not because they are thumbing their nose at the authorities who say it is not advisable? Plus, it's such a small thing to give up really.
My whole day is geared around doing things to give my baby a better chance - blood glucose testing 4x a day, insulin injections 3x a day, watching what I eat and when, taking asprin to thin my blood etc. I don't think this is being judgemental to other people - I genuinely need to do these things because I have complicated pregnancies - other people don't (or don't know they do yet). But people who rebel against the guidelines because they don't like being told what to do and enjoy alcohol - surely you need a better reason?

I drank an occasional glass of Shandy or Spritzer or wine in Pregnancy, but mostly stuck to Becks Blue, when feeling like beer, which tastes surprisingly like the real thing.

I drink an occasional glass of Shandy or Wine while breastfeeding and don't feel guilty about it either.

I haven't been drunk (or even tipsy) since I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, but I still like the taste and the amounts I drink are small enough to be harmless.

I don't see it as rebelling against the guidelines, as both my GP and my midwife always were happy with what I'm doing.

I didn't suggest anyone must give up drinking. I just explained my reasons for not doing so.

As I said "A glass of wine for a special occasion might not be the end of the world if you really fancy it but I never felt it was that important."

Alcohol is just not that big a deal for me.

It would be a small thing to give up if there was evidence that a small amount is harmful.

In the absence of such evidence it is a small thing that you can continue to enjoy imo.

It's not about being told what to do, it's about weighing up the risks and benefits. Why give up something that no-one has found any quantifiable risks for? (And lets be fair there is plenty of anecdotal evidence, like for example in the 70s women being told to drink Guinness). Obviously I am only advocating a very low level of alcohol consumption.

The current guidelines are zero because if they say one/two glasses of wine once or twice a week some idiot will interpret that as meaning they can drink 2 half pint glasses of 14% chardonnay twice a week. At this level it may or may not be harmful.

And as for the first 12 weeks - yeuk!!!

When pregnant with DD, I quit smoking right away and didn't touch alcohol, coffee, or tea until the end of breastfeeding.

With DS, I had the odd half glass of champagne or wine after the first trimester. More relaxed about most things second time around, I find.

hear hear brettgirl - I totally agree with you

First time round I only had a very occasional small glass of wine, eg at new year. This time, I'm still first trimester and haven't had any, but I think I might be a little more relaxed and have a drink with food once a week or so if I fancy it. I know someone who is a hospital consultant in a maternity unit and she has been having the odd glass of wine while pg - the fact that she's not worried has changed my mind a bit I think.

My theory was/is that alcohol is proven to cause brain cell damage and liver damage in adults and this was inevitably the same for children.

Therefore, as I was doing everything else possible to ensure my baby was perfect and healthy, I would avoid alcohol.

I had 2 small glasses of wine before I found out I was pregnant again this time and am not beating myself up over it but since I found out, I haven't touched another drop.

I agree that the advice has probably dropped to zero beacuse a lot of people are very confused about what a 'unit' is but as I said before - I would rather be safe than sorry.

a glass of wine once a week.