Just curious, do any of you drink?

[ShanandBoc]

As I am reading this I am enjoying a small glass of red...

I didn't drink during first tri but since then I am allowing myself a glass on the weekend if I fancy it, which I don't always - last couple of weekends I haven't.

I only drink very nice, pricy wine at the mo. I figure since it is occasional I may as well go for something good. No expense spared for my baby I have quite expensive taste anyway, and not really into spirits, aside from gin, but I haven't fancied it, and like to kid myself that there are health benefits associated with red wine (who knows whether there are or not? Just one more thing the 'authorities' continually change their minds about).

My grandmother, mother, MIL and GMILs drank a healthy amount when pregnant and the NHS guidelines change weekly; I personally don't believe there is any harm in the occasional glass. I'm not a scientist and not everyone will agree with this but it isn't their body or their baby...

ive posted before that the odd drink in pregnancy doesnt bother me, but i dont like that comment as i can just picture ur baby drinking wine

Well, obviously he's not. If I have a small amount he has even less.

No intention of offending you whatsoever!

So you admit that you realise your baby is getting some of the glass of wine that you have?

And you dont think that his size and the fact that he is developing and growing, its not having an effect on him at all?

 

[ShanandBoc]

I am in Australia and this is the information given by our government, to me by my hospital

It says...

Pregnancy and alcohol dont mix. Alcohol can harm your baby for life. There is no safe time to drink alcohol during pregnancy, nor is there any safe amount that can be drunk. Everytime you drink alcohol when pregnant it is carried by your bloodstream through the placenta to your baby. Drinking alcohol can risk brain damage, miscarrige, preterm birth and stillbirth. No alcohol is the safest choice in pregnancy.

 

[gemabee]

well imo if ur prepared to give up the rest of ur life to care nd be there for ur child... givin up alcohol for 9 months... is the least u can do... jus to be on the safe side if nothin else.
but it is a personal choice... i know my mum drank with all of her children nd doesn't feel bad or guilty... she said it didn't do us any harm... my mother also had 3 miscarriages (at the time no-one would have thought to attribute alcohol to this).
so now... with the sheer mass of research against drinkin in pregnancy... i have made the personal choice to not drink so that IF anythin was to happen to my baby... i would be completely guilt free knowin i did everythin in my power to protect it.

 

[babyno9]

No i don't drink in pregnancy but then i'm not really keen on alcohol when i'm not pregnant either.

 

[aob1013]

I absolutely didn't, can't take the risk.

 

[minkymoo]

I'm in the minority on this one, however I have read and read on the subjects, spoke to doctors and a genetic councillor on the subject of alcohol.

People dont drink because of the risk of FAS or FASD which is a terrible terrible thing where children are malformed due to their mothers alcohol abuse.

It is interesting that the occurences of these 2 things are more documented in the US especially amongst ethnic and poorer backgrounds....(the reasons for this are below, the middle classes dont have the same badgering etc)
There is no denying FAS as there are many features associated with it, facial deformities being one of them and it is easier to diagnose these children.
Yet Europe has more lienient alcohol guidelines

Children who have been "diagnosed" with FASD (the lesser form, spectrum disorder) have been badgered into admitting they drunk during pregnancy, no account for prenatal diet, exposure to drugs, chemicals other than alcohol. With symptoms such as ADHD, ASD, moderate learning difficulties they have basically wanted a reason and alcohol although a contributing factor will not have been the only factor in these children having these conditions.
I work in a 90% muslim school where the mothers dont drink, and here is a shocker, we have children with all these things and the mothers didnt touch a drop.

I have a friend that works within genetics and councilling of mothers with children born with such conditions and most opinions off the record is that you have to pack away ALOT of alcohol, (talking alcoholic levels here) to damage your baby.

Also UCL (university college London) also did some research on the effects of light drinking on babies which actually had a positive effect, boys were less likely to have ADHD and girls less likely to have social and emotional problems.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/08010/08103101

Only 3 years ago the Uk was saying a glass of wine was safe to have a day, and the only reason NICE revoked this advice is because women went on benders, saving up their glasses and having a pile on the weekend, or overdoing it and having 1 HUGE glass of wine.

A good rule of thumb to go by when pregnant is if you are safe to drive you are safe to carry a baby. If you want a drink have one, but make sure you have had some food, drink it slowly, enjoy it have some water with it.

I'm probably going to get hammered for my opinion etc but as I said I have done a lot of reading and asking questions on the subject because I was confused about all the conflicting advice so I thought I'd make my own mind up through some research.

A bit of food for thought

Delly xxx

btw those who do want a glass First Cape have done a Cafe collection which has half the alcohol, its available in sainsburys and I have to say, YUM YUM!!

Nope, I'm with you. I;d rather take advice from someone in the know than all the confusing and disparate information you get in the media and online. My SIL is a GP of 20 years who specialises in maternity and I would far rather take advice from her than anyone else. She offered me a glass of something at dinner a few weeks ago (which I declined). I'm sure she was pleased no doubt, but she clearly wasn't worried either.

I suggested earlier that medical research reveals more and agree that infant mortality rates have dropped since early last century but it isn't just alcohol, smoking, pate and runny eggs that MAY have caused this. People's entire lifestyles were far less healthy in general back then and disease was rife, possibly due to the lack of medical technology. As I also touched on, they used to recommend copious amounts of liver for iron deficiency and now we can't go near it.....who's to say they won't tell us that we shouldn't take folic acid or drink milk etc etc in few years?? We might think we're doing everything right but bet your bottom dollar when OUR kids are having kids they'll be told not to do all the things we are now told to. Honestly, watch this space!

It also makes me laugh on here when people say they're not judging, and then in the next sentence they judge. Have an opinion by all means but don't judge others and subtly hint at a possible lack of care for their unborn or their future parenting skills. We can't all be 'perfect'.

It's little wonder that women on here are scared to speak the truth or ask for help with something for fear of being labelled a bad mother.

Deary me, I'm on my soapbox this morning.

 

[whoops]

It also makes me laugh on here when people say they're not judging, and then in the next sentence they judge. Have an opinion by all means but don't judge others and subtly hint at a possible lack of care for their unborn or their future parenting skills. We can't all be 'perfect'.

It's little wonder that women on here are scared to speak the truth or ask for help with something for fear of being labelled a bad mother.

Deary me, I'm on my soapbox this morning.

I'm not sure whether this part was partly directed at me or not, as I said something similar in a reply to you.

When I said 'I'm not judging' in my previous post, I meant it. My GP told me I could have the occasional unit of alcohol while pregnant, so why would I judge others who choose to do so? I haven't drank, but that's because (as I said) I couldn't stomach it.

The only reason I decided to reply to your post was because I didn't agree with your reasoning, not because I disagreed that the occasional unit of alcohol may be ok.

EDIT: Just to clarify, if we were talking about paté or liver here, then yeah, I would agree. I'm sure they'll come up with new things for us to avoid every year as well. With alcohol and smoking though, it's different.

 

[ama]

would never dream of drinking while pregnant or breast feeding for that matter ,not worth the risk IMO and mw/drs here say no drinking whilst pregnant is the only safe option as ShanandBoc stated (im also australian)

 

[minkymoo]

It also makes me laugh on here when people say they're not judging, and then in the next sentence they judge. Have an opinion by all means but don't judge others and subtly hint at a possible lack of care for their unborn or their future parenting skills. We can't all be 'perfect'.

It's little wonder that women on here are scared to speak the truth or ask for help with something for fear of being labelled a bad mother.

Deary me, I'm on my soapbox this morning.

I'm not sure whether this part was partly directed at me or not, as I said something similar in a reply to you.

When I said 'I'm not judging' in my previous post, I meant it. My GP told me I could have the occasional unit of alcohol while pregnant, so why would I judge others who choose to do so? I haven't drank, but that's because (as I said) I couldn't stomach it.

The only reason I decided to reply to your post was because I didn't agree with your reasoning, not because I disagreed that the occasional unit of alcohol may be ok.

Nope, wasn't directed at you at all. I think I responded to your comment before? Maybe not, I am a bit forgetful these days.

I just rile at comments along the lines of 'would you give your baby a glass of wine to drink/cigarette to smoke/runny egg or chunk of stilton to eat?' Well of course we f**ing wouldn't..... dont be so ridiculous. This is why many women won't 'own up' to things or ask for advice.

Sorry, just makes me mad. It's not always about food or drink either, it can be anything that makes people judgemental.

Someone, somewhere on here will be making someone else feel guilty for their bloody pram choice!

 

[ShanandBoc]

I just rile at comments along the lines of 'would you give your baby a glass of wine to drink/cigarette to smoke/runny egg or chunk of stilton to eat?' Well of course we f**ing wouldn't..... dont be so ridiculous. This is why many women won't 'own up' to things or ask for advice.

I think its a ligimate question tho. Obviously its not as bad as giving it straight to your baby in a bottle, but why would you expose your child to any amount of alcohol while its is developing and growing in the womb? That thought to me is just as ridiculous.

 

[minkymoo]

How can it be a legitimate question? Do you REALLY think someone would do that??? It's an insult to a persons intelligence. Giving a glass of wine direcly to a newborn is absolutely nothing like having a sip of red wine or beer every 3 months or so.

Would you put an exhaust pipe in your babies mouth? No? Of course you wouldn't. It might surprise you to know that everytime you walk down a busy street you are consuming toxins equivalent to a mild smoker (and I know this for a fact having been part of research) without you even knowing it, and this happens every day, to everyone, day in and day out.

You cannot protect your baby from everything and people have feedom of choice. Glass houses and all that.

 

[ShanandBoc]

How can it be a legitimate question? Do you REALLY think someone would do that??? It's an insult to a persons intelligence. Giving a glass of wine direcly to a newborn is absolutely nothing like having a sip of red wine or beer every 3 months or so.

Would you put an exhaust pipe in your babies mouth? No? Of course you wouldn't. It might surprise you to know that everytime you walk down a busy street you are consuming toxins equivalent to a mild smoker (and I know this for a fact having been part of research) without you even knowing it, and this happens every day, to everyone, day in and day out.

You cannot protect your baby from everything and people have feedom of choice. Glass houses and all that.

Did i say that i really think anyone would do that? No. And i stated its not the same but....

I was merely pointing out that you are still giving your baby alcohol in the womb, however small the amount may be. Therefore i dont think its a completely ridiculous question to ask.

Alcohol is avoidable. Pollution to an extent is not. Really that statement goes against your argument. Yes there is things that we cant avoid, so to me that even more of a reason to avoid the things we can control that could possibly be harmful.

Not a good comparison.

I didnt really think pregnant women would actually try and justify drinking either, even just a glass, but they do.

 

[ttcgeordie]

well imo if ur prepared to give up the rest of ur life to care nd be there for ur child... givin up alcohol for 9 months... is the least u can do... jus to be on the safe side if nothin else.
but it is a personal choice... i know my mum drank with all of her children nd doesn't feel bad or guilty... she said it didn't do us any harm... my mother also had 3 miscarriages (at the time no-one would have thought to attribute alcohol to this).
so now... with the sheer mass of research against drinkin in pregnancy... i have made the personal choice to not drink so that IF anythin was to happen to my baby... i would be completely guilt free knowin i did everythin in my power to protect it.

You dedicate your life to raise your children NOT give it up!!! just an opinion!

 

[ShanandBoc]

But you only have to give up alcohol for 9 months, not your entire life tho right?

 

[minkymoo]

You don't agree with it, other people are a little more relaxed about it. Hey, that is life all over. I still stand by my opinion that it is a ridiculous, insulting question to ask.

 

[ttcgeordie]

no not right coz i havent given it up i do still have and enjoy a glass of red, and i do only have 1 glass and i resurched it and found this!!!

Several scientific reviews of the research have found no consistent evidence of adverse affects of drinking at low (under two units per day) to moderate levels (two to five units a day) (Gray and Henderson 2006; RCOG 2006a; O'Leary 2004 cited in BMA 2007).

According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, there is no proof of harm from drinking within the limit of no more than one to two units of alcohol, no more than once or twice a week during pregnancy (RCOG 2006a).

 

[ShanandBoc]

Sorry i dont know how you can be 'relaxed' about putting a toxin into your body while you are growning a baby. Its not the sort of thing you should be relaxed about imo.

ttcgeordie you are quoting research from 3 and 4 years ago.....its well known that its now 'no amount is proven safe' hence why they recommend abstaining.

There is also no proof that one or two a week doesnt do any harm, you realise that right?

Thats enough for me to steer clear of it for a measly 9 months! farout, drink to your hearts content if u must once baby has arrived, at least your not forcing your child to also consume it who has no voice in the matter

 

[ShanandBoc]

They also say 1-2 units a week, if you MUST drink to minimise risk.It doesnt guarantee there will be no risk

They still state the safest option is not to drink!

 

[louise1302]

threads like this never end well, can people not agree to disagree without slagging off another persons choice- as this is what t is a choice i chose a 1/4 glass of champagne at my friends wedding just as some choose to abstain
wouldnt life be boring if we all thought and did the same

 

[minkymoo]

Clearly some people are relaxed about it, it is their CHOICE. I'm afraid it's something you just have to accept.

Your opinion will not change their minds, just like theirs will not change yours.