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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

is anyone having the odd glass of wine?

218 replies

daisystone · 09/07/2010 13:26

When I found out I was pregnant I stopped drinking immediately and then the morning sickness kicked in and the thought of alcohol sent me running to the loo.

However, now I am over that (thank the Lord!!) and although I am still not drinking per se, I have had a glass of Champagne, two coronas and a glass of red wine spaced over about 11 weeks.

The NHS say that one or two units once or twice a week is acceptable but obviously a lot of people think it is a big no no anyway.

I am interested in what other people are doing and if they feel guilty if they have the odd glass of wine.

OP posts:
LittleSilver · 10/07/2010 18:37

I'm teetotal. Unless I;m in late 2nd/3rd trimester, in which case I get the odd craving for 1/2 pint Guiness (read half, not 1-2 pints!). And so I have have a half once or twice in the pregnancy. It's bizarre, because like I said, I don't usually touch alcohol.

MistyB · 10/07/2010 18:46

Babies have preferences too. DS1 liked red wine, DD liked beer and DS2 perferred white!

anyabanya · 10/07/2010 19:03

Yes, I was very very careful not to have my weekly indulgence in public...... because you never know how people will react, and i figure it was no-one's business but mine. I did not even drink becks blue in public..... because you still get censorious looks, if people do not know what beck's blue is.

I did once towards the end smells DH's whiskey he was having in a pub, just smelled it, and the woman of the couple we were with freaked, because she said that the alcohol will enter my mebranes and itis like drinking it.Bull shit, sorry. (Mind you, this is the ame woman who when she found out this week I was combining b'f and formular topops told me I was poisoning my baby.

Someone on MN once said that people judge and give advice when you are rpegnant, but it aint NOTHING on when the baby comes out. I am afraid it is all too true.

anyabanya · 10/07/2010 19:06

Note to self... do not mumsnet while holding wriggly child. Bad grammar/spelling alert.

tingelingle · 10/07/2010 19:20

I would if I fancied it but nausea is preventing it.

I remember my Dad sending me to buy a litre of whisky when I was 30 weeks with my DD. That drew some looks.

I also enjoyed a nice pint of shandy the weekend before I went into labour, secretly enjoying the fact people thought I was sinking a straight pint.

AliGrylls · 10/07/2010 19:31

Not really into wine ATM but I think that is because it is too hot rather than because I am preggers. I love beer. When DH was on holiday last week I had a glass of lager shandy every night. It was lovely and I needed it at the end of a day with BabyGrylls. Had 20 week scan on Thursday and it appears that baby2 is thriving.

I think the no tolerance approach to alcohol during pregnancy is demeaning to women's intelligence, as apparently the only reason that guideline is in place is because most people don't actually know what a unit is. When I did my nutrition degree 10 years ago the advice was that you could have up to 7 units per week. I don't have this much but I probably do have more than most people (probably between 2-5 units depending on where I am and what I am up to).

tattycoram · 10/07/2010 19:32

In my first pg I did it by the book (as it was then), ie two glasses of wine a week. This time I hardly drank at all in the first trimester but have had a small glass of wine every time we have had a nice meal since - so probably 3-4 times a week. I really don't think a small glass of wine on a full stomach can do any harm.

BongoWinslow · 10/07/2010 19:41

glad to hear so many reasonable voices on here!

i have maybe a small glass or two of wine a week and if I'm in public that doesn't put me off. in fact, I think it's important to fight against the tide of ignorant judgment.

I went to a dinner last week and the serving staff kept saying 'oh, you won't want any wine' when they came past, but I had two half glasses and no one said anything. almost disappointing - I was so primed and ready with my arguments as to why a) they were wrong to say I mustn't drink and b) they should sod off and mind their own business!

BettyButterknife · 10/07/2010 19:41

Really interesting piece on Woman's Hour about this very subject a few weeks back - you can listen again. Basically there doesn't seem to be much evidence as to why you shouldn't drink during pregnancy, because any clinical research would be unethical. So it's cautionary more than anything else.

Worth a listen. I'm much more relaxed about drinking since I heard it!

ReshapeWhileDamp · 10/07/2010 23:11

I had two glasses of wine in the first trimester with DS, and then, after about 14 weeks or so, had a small glass of wine or about 1/3 pint of beer maybe once a week.

This time, I think I've just had sips of DH's beer (just for quality control purposes!) in the first trimester. I'm 16 weeks now and wanting a cold bitter very mcuh indeed, but this time round I'm actually a bit scared to do it in public, and of course, that's when I want a cold beer most (when DH is enjoying one in a sunny beer garden, or as today, at a sunny beer festival). Silly really, I generally don't give a toss what people think.

As for breastfeeding, if I'd abstained entirely, I'd have been dry for over two years! I had the odd glass of wine or beer, not more than one in a session, after about 10 weeks (not that I was too worried earlier but I was so tired I'd have keeled right over).

Valpollicella · 10/07/2010 23:19

Reshape, go for it. Sod what anyone else thinks.

You're not exactly eyeballing vodka in public!

I had a glass, maybe a glass and half most days while PG. No guilt. Used to sometimes have it in public (ie after work) and my colleagues were fab, no comments passed. In fact they would often buy my one glass of wine for me as they said I had to save my money for the baby

Octaviapink · 11/07/2010 18:03

Yes, I have a drink probably three or four days a week. Not more than one, and not that regularly. But yes!

OnEdge · 11/07/2010 18:18

I was having half a cider when pregnant last time and a man said

"doesnt it bother you that that alchohol is having a negative effect on your unborn child?"

I just said "No, because luckily I have a placenta to deal with it."

I was very upset though. And after he had gone, a mutual freind said he thought the bloke had been out of order.

When son was born, we were in the pub and the man was there. I nodded towards new born son and said "Turned out OK despite all the negative effects of the alchohol" he just smirked back. CUNTO !

BongoWinslow · 11/07/2010 21:16

this is interesting

YorkshireTeaDrinker · 11/07/2010 22:14

I am adhering to the 1-2 units a week rule, but haven't actually wanted to drink much. I'm 23 weeks and have had maybe 4 or 5 glasses of wine / wine spritzers since the start of pregnancy. On the few occassions I have had a drink, I've found a glass or half glass to be more than sufficient and it makes me feel like I'm not denying myself completely.

anyabanya · 12/07/2010 08:10

I think the 'not denying yourself' thing is key psychologically. I was having such tiny tiny amounts, ofte I would not even finish my half glass allocation (I became good at drawing it out over an evening) but it made me FEEL as if I was having a treat, and that meant I did not feel resentful or deprived.

Bongo, your link was fascinating. And I really think the time has come for a proper, adult debate, as this doctor also clearly thinks the 'pregnant women are too stupid to understand what moderate means' infantalises women.

porcamiseria · 12/07/2010 09:10

OH YES a glass of vino most days in fact

japhrimel · 12/07/2010 09:26

I'm sticking to the 1-2 units a week rule, but as I understand it, you'd have to be drinking more than 4 units for it to be risky.

I had a glass of champagne at lunch on Saturday as we were out for our anniversary and I did wonder if anyone would give me looks but no-one did.

I think that the (last) Government was very hot on nanny-state rules. The no alcohol in pregnancy at all rule just hasn't worked - so many people know it's not evidence based and then there are some people who will drink more whatever. I do resent the assumption that people are too stupid to learn what units are and drink within the guidelines! If they made as much effort to educate pregnant women about what a unit is as they make trying to tell us to not drink at all it might have more of an impact.

BongoWinslow · 12/07/2010 10:02

Agreed on the infantilises point. It's bizarre, actually, that as soon as you get pregnant people race around telling you "you know you mustn't eat blue cheese, don't you?" and "you're not smoking, are you?" etc etc etc

YES! I know! I'm pregnant, but that doesn't mean my brain just fell out of my head! And it's odd that people, esp those who aren't pregnant seem to suddenly assume they know more than the woman who is pregnant and probably now doing lots of reading/thinking/talking about it and who sees a a midwife and a doctor and yes, oddly enough, does know this stuff because she still has a brain ... and can therefore also count alcohol units! Just like she could before she got pregnant. Amazing!

Gah. Sorry. Bit of a rant there.

But I really hate this idea that we're so thick once we're pregnant we need to be tricked with false information just in case we have a one unit too many.

ladyjadey · 12/07/2010 10:05

I am 34 weeks and this weekend i went out and had 4 small glasses of wine in one day, spread over several hours with a heavy meal and lots of water. I was definately not drunk.I do not feel guilty about this and am sure my baby will be absolutely fine. I also danced til about 3 am! As much as my fat bits would allow anyway! And I most certainly didn't care about the looks I was getting being out late with such a bump.

Normally i will have a couple of glasses once or twice a week, and have also had a fair amount of becks blue so I don't feel like I'm missing out. I didn't drink anything at all until about 24 weeks, not for any reason than it just didn't feel right, I didn't want it. I think the majority of us are sensible enough to know when to stop. I also just had a cream cake for breakfast. Call me bad I don't care!

umf · 12/07/2010 10:12

I have a half glass every now and then - 2nd trimester. I reeeeeally enjoy it.

My understanding is that it's important never to have anything like a binge - one incident of significantly raised blood alcohol could cause damage. But no idea where I read that. May well be bollocks.

Totally agree about the need for adult, scientifically-based debate.

Have twice had to say to people in this pg "You mean advised. I'm advised not do to X. I'm allowed to do whatever I like with my body, including have a termination".

BettyButterknife · 12/07/2010 10:15

Good link, Bongo, similar to the Radio 4 piece.

They also talk about the far greater damage done to unborn children by drunken partners abusing the mothers-to-be and how there isn't guidance on drink bottles to that effect. Very interesting.

ladyjadey · 12/07/2010 10:16

I would also like to point out that I know an awful lot of people who had exceedingly heavy nights out before they found out they were pg and all subsequent children well and healthy! I would still not advise anyone to go out and get smashed if they can avoid it tho!

BaggedandTagged · 12/07/2010 10:18

I think it's notable that the zero drinking recommendations bandied about by the DoH have not been endorsed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Per my Obs, the key is not getting drunk, so better to have 2 glasses of wine over a long dinner (where you metabolise the alcohol slowly)than to neck a vodka shot on an empty stomach.

Me? Vodka shot? How very dare she?

redbird79 · 12/07/2010 10:23

I remember that stuff coming out from the Government about the no-drinking thing a couple of years ago. To be honest I think it was more to frighten alcoholic women into stopping- but then anyone with any sense would recognise that heavy drinking isn't a good idea. Like others on here, I hardly had any during the first trimester because of morning sickness, but since then (now 24w) I have relished my weekly beer or glass of wine. My DH has been absolutely lovely, making me very weak Pimms and lemonade with all the trimmings during the recent nice weather- mmm lovely. I think he recognises that I am a sensible person and if I am allowed to have a drink I am more likely to come to the pub with him- poor lamb says it's not the same without me!
I fully intend to continue having 'the odd drink' during breastfeeding too. I am particularly looking forward to having a glass of the very nice English bubbly we have put aside for after the birth!!