Pregnancy and alcohol

[wolftress]

Did/Would you drink a moderate (1 to 3 glasses of wine per week) amount of alcohol while pregnant?

Were you advised about alcohol consumption by your doctor?

All the research I''ve done seems to be conflicting, and there was an article in the local paper recently about how there is a real need for studies into moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy. We all know ''getting drunk'' is a no-no when pregnant, but what about drinking small amounts of a regular basis?

I love red wine and currently drink about 1/2 a glass a day with dinner, and would like to know if I can continue to do this when I''m pregnant.

 

[marcy]

I have always heard it is bad to drink alcohol when you are pregnant. I have no personal experience with it though.

 

[fieryred33143]

1/2 a glass of wine is ok. I probably wouldn''t do it during 1st tri and probably not every day. Talk to your OB to get a feel for what his/her preference is. My OB didn''t mind. I don''t drink regularly so I didn''t drink at all during my pregnancy.

 

[Mara]

My OB didn''t advise FOR drinking but when I told her I wanted to drink a little sangria in Spain she was like..it''s all about moderation. I am not a drinker anyway so I didn''t really drink at all except for a few instances here and there.

On the otherhand, my friend''s OB told her it was fine to have a beer a night while pregnant. Also my OB before the one I had most of my preg told me not to drink at all really.

It really depends on the OB and your comfort level. What my OB told me is that there is really not enough research to say YES ITS FINE and I imagine no hospital/doctor wants to be in that position to say that and then get sued later if something happens.

That said, if I was a wine lover I''d prob drink a 1/2 glass maybe a few days a week but prob not daily. IMO, 10 months is not that long of a time to abstain and/or cut back on something you love (aka what if you had a sweet tooth but had gestational diabetes and could not eat sweets)...but do what makes you feel comfortable! I ate sushi a handful of times while preg because I just missed it SO much.

 

[fieryred33143]

Date: 6/27/2010 11:55:38 PM
Author: Mara
On the otherhand, my friend''s OB told her it was fine to have a beer a night while pregnant. Also my OB before the one I had most of my preg told me not to drink at all really.

My friend''s midwife told her to have a beer while she was in labor!

I believe the risk of FAS is there for really heavy drinkers. Now does that mean heavy drinking in one setting or everyday drinking, I don''t know.

 

[cara]

It is unethical to perform the study that would really answer the question you ask. What you really want to do is take a bunch of pregnant women and tell them to drink varying amounts of alcohol (Group A: no alcohol; Group B: 1 glass per day; Group C: 2 glasses per day, etc.) and then monitor the results. Obviously, this doesn't pass the ethics board There is some data out there, from less rigorous types of studies, and some of it suggests that bad effects from alcohol are not terribly well correlated to amount or timing in pregnancy of alcohol consumption - making it difficult to set a firm safe level or say 'after the first trimester is fine.' I think there may be a new study out showing low/moderate consumption is somewhat safe, but again none of these studies are really randomized/well-controlled studies. However that is the case for many drugs and pregnant women, its just that medicinal drugs generally have a medicinal benefit to weigh against the risks whereas alcohol is typically recreational.

The result is that different doctors (and particularly, doctors in different countries, with different legal environments and drinking cultures and levels of conservativeness) will interpret the available data differently. This is why you get all these different opinions on alcohol and pregnancy.

I have heard the following things:
Alcohol is worse for your baby than crack. (This from my then-med student husband after discussing such things in school.)
You are past organogenesis [in the first tri], have a drink! (from a neurologist, no less.)
No alcohol while pregnant - it is not worth the risk.
After the first trimester, moderate consumption (ie. 1-2 glasses/week) is okay.

Anyway, I personally would probably have been up for the irregular half-glass of alcohol while pregnant under the theory that how can a such a small amount really screw things up (and if human fetuses were that finicky how would we have survived ) BUT pregnancy totally turned me off the stuff. Between the heartburn, nausea, general abdominal discomfort and my new palate preferences, not much appeals to me drink-wise. I've had maybe 5 separate small sips thus far along and each time no desire to take another so I generally have stopped trying anything. I AM looking forward to the days when alcohol is appealing again (presumably when the baby is out)!

...so wolftress, maybe you will be so 'lucky' as to develop an alcohol-aversion while pregnant and render your question moot. Makes things simpler.

 

[swingirl]

Why on earth would anyone not be willing to give up alcohol for 9 months? Why take the chance? You aren''t going to die without wine at dinner.

 

[iota15]

I lived for a few months in a place where I often saw visibly pregnant women drinking and smoking. I wasn''t there long enough to see the product of such habits but the children there in general seemed fine but I understand mild FAS still produces cognitive deficits (even if not readily apparent from facial features).

The HUGE caveat here though is - regardless of what happens to most women who drink while pregnant (as would be found in a proper study), YOU only have one baby (or babies) in your body at one time. What if the study found 89% of women were fine with drinking several glasses of wine a night but 10% had mild cognitive problems, and 1% had severe problems. Will your one baby fall into that 1%? If it''s out there, it''s always possible.

But then, lots of things are bad for us and our feti. The question is whether, with a relatively known risk, it is acceptable for you.

 

[Pandora II]

There was a programme on about this recently in the UK and one of the things that they said was that even with small amounts of alcohol ''some'' babies can suffer bad effects due to being ultra-sensitive and there is no way of knowing which will be and which won''t.

I carried on eating anything I felt like while I was pregnant, plus I was taking a couple of meds into which the hospital and I had done huge amounts of research and for which the manufacturers had run pregnancy registers and so had valid research.

The two things I completely cut out were caffeine and alcohol. I had a small glass of champagne on our honeymoon when I was 11 weeks and that was it. For me it wasn''t worth the risk.

 

[wolftress]

Thanks for all the responses.

I am not pregnant and probably won''t be for another year or so, but seeing that article sparked my interest. I have a friend who didn''t realise she was pregnant until she was over three months into her pregnancy. She is very athletic and has always had irregular periods. She even ran a marathon the month she was due to give birth! I was really shocked to hear that in the first three months she was drinking quite large amounts of alcohol (2 glasses or so) about once a week. Luckily everything turned out fine and she has a gorgeous baby girl.

 

[kama_s]

Just a few key points I want to share. Will write more later tonight since I''m posting using my phone:

- FASD is a spectrum disorder. What that means is that it can range from slight cognitive issues to full blown FAS. Heavy alcohol exposure is definitely correlated with FAS, but there are no good studies to show what is the lowest threshold window that may cause issues at the lower end of the spectrum.

- Conducting studies on low alcohol consumption is diffiult because of two reasons: 1) like Cara mentioned, ethical considerations and 2) difficult to measure how much of the fatty acids ethyl esters (a biomarker for FASD) is due to alcohol and not merely diet.

Bottomline: there is NO established safe limit for alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Some evidence shows lower cognitive functioning with very mild alcohol consumption.

Professional advice: I do not recommend any alcohol exposure in pregnancy
Personal advice: 1/2 a drink a handful of times (not more than 3-4 times) during the course of your pregnancy should not cause any harm

FYI: to read more on this - www.faslink.org

My supervisor has done most of the groundbreaking research in this field. We were responsible for training most physicians/ob-gyn/paediatricians on FASD. If you google, most articles are by my supervisor.

 

[kama_s]

Date: 6/28/2010 7:37:11 AM
Author: wolftress
Thanks for all the responses.


I am not pregnant and probably won''t be for another year or so, but seeing that article sparked my interest. I have a friend who didn''t realise she was pregnant until she was over three months into her pregnancy. She is very athletic and has always had irregular periods. She even ran a marathon the month she was due to give birth! I was really shocked to hear that in the first three months she was drinking quite large amounts of alcohol (2 glasses or so) about once a week. Luckily everything turned out fine and she has a gorgeous baby girl.

Mild issues may take several years to identify - For instance, you can''t tell a child has slightly lower IQ until much later in life. Very often, they are mild enough to never be diagnosed. Which is why FASD is one ofthe most underreported disorders.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 6/28/2010 12:58:37 AM
Author: swingirl
Why on earth would anyone not be willing to give up alcohol for 9 months? Why take the chance? You aren''t going to die without wine at dinner.

ditto.

 

[janinegirly]

I personally did not drink during pregnancy and would not. However I also spent a fair amount of time in Europe where doctors have no problem with one glass a day.

I suggest going with what your doctor says or be more conservative. My own doctor said a glass here and there was fine. She also said sushi was fine and some pink beef. Other doctors say differently so I went with the most conservative approach. Personally I was not comfortable with ANY risk that might be en vogue now but not later. No regrets and would do the same thing again.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

When I was pregnant with DS I did not drink at all and I don''t plan on drinking now (I''m pregnant with #2). My doctor is on the conservative side and told me that a drink or two in the third trimester will probably not cause any issues, but that it is best to abstain.

 

[Circe]

Completely anecdotal: I just attended a wedding. I sat next to a nice pediatrician, and my husband sat next to his wife, a gynecologist, who happened to be in her second trimester. If *she* was willing to have a couple of glasses of wine during the night, I''m going to assume it''s not cause to panic.

P.S. - Wolftress, "quite large amounts of alcohol (2 glasses or so)" made me blink - once a week, that''s not exactly a binge!

 

[steph72276]

Like others have said, since the jury is out on the effects, why take the risk? 9 months is not that long to give it up...

 

[noelwr]

I just ask myself if the baby was here or already grown up a little, would I feed it alcohol? I mean whatever you drink/eat, your baby gets it, too. as I would never give a child alcohol, I also stay away from it during pregnancy.

however, I am hypocritical because I do occasionally eat smoked salmon and some pinkish meat. I also drink Coke because it''s one of the few liquids I can actually manage to swallow, but never more than 250 ml a day.

 

[lulu]

In the dark dark ages, when I was in utero, my mother told the doctor she was nervous. He told her to smoke and drink highballs to calm herself. She was also on a diet and only put on six pounds during the pregnancy. I came out at 6 lbs 3oz and I was very hungry. I seem to have turned out all right as did so many other baby boomers. I believe a glass of wine with dinner is okay.

 

[sbde]

Date: 6/28/2010 8:29:07 AM
Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 6/28/2010 12:58:37 AM
Author: swingirl
Why on earth would anyone not be willing to give up alcohol for 9 months? Why take the chance? You aren''t going to die without wine at dinner.

ditto.

thritto.

but then again, i''m the type to abstain from many many things during pregnancy that others wouldn''t have any issue with. i figure it''s just 9 mos - abstaining won''t kill me and it may just be better for my little baby; and that''s something i''m more than willing to make sacrifices for.

 

[fieryred33143]

I sincerely doubt that anyone who has an occasional drink while pregnant is doing so with the mindset that they wouldn''t care giving a drink to their baby. I do agree that 9 months isn''t a long time to hold off on most things while pregnant but I''m also not so conservative to give someone a side eye for having a drink while pregnant.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 6/28/2010 10:22:18 AM
Author: fiery
I sincerely doubt that anyone who has an occasional drink while pregnant is doing so with the mindset that they wouldn''t care giving a drink to their baby. I do agree that 9 months isn''t a long time to hold off on most things while pregnant but I''m also not so conservative to give someone a side eye for having a drink while pregnant.

Ditto.

 

[Sha]

I had a few sips of wiine in my second trimester, and about 1/4 glass about two times in the third trimester. I felt a bit more comfortable having a bit after my 1st trimester had passed. I did a lot of research on it too, and you're right, it's conflicting. The bottom line is that no amount of alcohol is proven safe during pregnancy....but then a lot of other sources say that a few drinks here and there won't hurt either. I guess it depends on what you're personally comfortable with.

 

[Mara]

Date: 6/28/2010 10:23:36 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Date: 6/28/2010 10:22:18 AM
Author: fiery
I sincerely doubt that anyone who has an occasional drink while pregnant is doing so with the mindset that they wouldn''t care giving a drink to their baby. I do agree that 9 months isn''t a long time to hold off on most things while pregnant but I''m also not so conservative to give someone a side eye for having a drink while pregnant.

Ditto.

Thritto. You get enough side eyes while preggo anyway. ''Does that coffee have CAFFEINE in it??''... Jeez.

Also in our BF class they noted that a drink every night was basically fine even if you are breast feeding. But I know other classes have stayed more conservatively. For me I tended to use the ''If I feel remotely tipsy, surely the kid will feel something too'' as a gauge.

I also have been to many other countries where people regularly smoke and drink while pregnant. To each their own...people should do what THEY feel comfortable with.

lulu i had to laugh when you said you came out hungry!! my friend''s husband''s mom DIETED while pregnant, eating mostly only salads and smoking the entire pregnancy. He''s incredibly smart and tall (sometimes people attribute smoking to stunted growth)...but he had horrible food allergies until he was almost 15. I personally attribute it to the fact he only got LETTUCE and smoke while in utero!!

 

[labellavita81]

Never, ever did I touch alcohol while pregnant. With all the conflicting advice regarding it, why would anyone take the chance? I am the same as you - love red wine and drink a few glasses a week (I am no longer pregnant). I think if you get pregnant and still feel like you cant live without alcohol there might be a problem there. Thats just my opinion though.

 

[TravelingGal]

I personally don''t care whether people drink or not. I think a very moderate amount probably is fine. Key word is "probably."

I gave up pretty much everything I wasn''t supposed to eat. If someone did open a really great bottle of wine, I took a taste...barely enough to swallow. But other than that, minus a few sips of champagne for my 1 year anniversary and teeny sips in my 3rd of wine if something was worth tasting, I didn''t. I gave up sushi (oddly, no craving), deli meat, iced teas, etc.

My own personal feeling was this: If I can''t give up simple things for 9 months, I was going to have a hell of a time understanding sacrifice for 18 years. I figured it was practice.

 

[labellavita81]

Date: 6/28/2010 12:58:37 AM
Author: swingirl
Why on earth would anyone not be willing to give up alcohol for 9 months? Why take the chance? You aren''t going to die without wine at dinner.

DITTO this!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Ditto Sha. I drank a half to whole glass of wine several times a week after 24 weeks after reading about some of the studies.

In my BFing class, the nurse said you could have 2 glasses at least 3 hours before BFing.

Here''s an interesting review of the studies by a professor at SUNY: http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/fetalalcoholsyndrome.html

"A large study examined 400,000 women in the U.S., all of whom had consumed alcohol during pregnancy. Not a single case of fetal alcohol syndrome occurred and no adverse effects on children were found when consumption was under 8.5 drinks per week. 3

A review of research studies found that fetal alcohol syndrome only occurs among alcoholics. The evidence is clear that there is no apparent risk to a child when the pregnant woman consumes no more than one drink per day. 4

A study of moderate drinking during pregnancy found no negative effects. The researchers suggested that one drink per day provides a significant margin of safety, although they did not encourage drinking during pregnancy. 5

A study of pregnancies in eight European countries found that consuming no more than one drink per day did not appear to have any effect on fetal growth. A follow-up of children at 18 months of age found that those from women who drank during pregnancy, even two drinks per day, scored higher in several areas of development. 6

An analysis of seven major medical research studies involving over 130,000 pregnancies suggests that consuming two to 14 drinks per week does not increase the risk of giving birth to a child with either malformations or fetal alcohol syndrome. 7

Negative effects appear to be related to relatively higher levels of consumption per occasion, and hence, to higher blood alcohol content levels. Thus, it appears to be very important never to consume more than one drink in any one day while pregnant. 8

The guidelines of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommend that "women should be careful about alcohol consumption in pregnancy" 9 and recommends as acceptable two drinks a couple of times each week. 10 These conclusions appear consistent with the research findings of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, a major science body in the U.S. 11

Similarly, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists concluded that "there is no evidence that an occasional drink is harmful. Women who drink heavily throughout pregnancy may have smaller babies with physical and mental handicaps, but women who drink moderately may have babies with no more problems than those women who drink rarely or not at all." 12

This group of medical specialists pointed out that "It''s hard to determine the amount and timing of alcohol consumption that puts the fetus at risk. One study shows that women who drank only occasionally and moderately (described in this particular study as between 1 and 45 drinks spaced out over a month) had babies with no more problems than those women who drank rarely or not at all. There were no differences either in size or number of babies'' handicaps between the women who drank moderately and those who abstained or drank likely." 13

The Harvard Women''s Health Watch advises pregnant women that "having more than one alcoholic drink per day puts the fetus at risk for various defects and disabilities." 14 Thus, it suggests that expectant women should limit themselves to one drink per day. The health publication emphasizes that one drink is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits or liquor.

There is even little evidence that occasional binge drinking during pregnancy seriously harms the fetus, according to an analysis of medical research published during the 35 year period between 1970 and 2005 involving over 3,500 articles. Binge drinking was defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks per occasion.

There was little evidence that binge drinking caused miscarriage, stillbirths, abnormal birthweight, or birth defects such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). However, there was some suggestion that it might impair normal neurodevelopment, although the effects were generally quite small, reported the researchers. 15

There is even evidence that light drinking during pregnancy may be beneficial to children. A study of 12,495 three-year-old children found that those born to mothers who drank light amounts of alcohol (beer, wine or spirits) during pregnancy had fewer conduct, emotional and peer problems than did those born to abstaining mothers or those who drank heavily while pregnant.

The research used a nationally representative sample of infants born in the United Kingdom and utilized the U.K. Millennium Cohort Study, a project following the health of children born between 2000 and 2002 in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Boys born to light drinkers had 40% fewer conduct problems, were 30% less likely to suffer hyperactivity, and received higher scores on tests of vocabulary and of ability to identify colors, shapes, letters and numbers than did those born to abstainers.

Girls born to light drinkers were 30 percent less likely to have emotional symptoms and peer problems compared with those born to abstainers during pregnancy.

Children born to heavy drinkers (two percent of the total mothers) were more likely to exhibit problems.

Lead researcher Dr. Yvonne Kelly said the study raises questions as to “whether the current push for policy to recommend complete abstinence during pregnancy is merited.” 16


I did a lot of research and a lot of abstaining during pregnancy, but this was an area where I felt comfortable having a relaxing glass of wine with dinner at a certain point in my pregnancy. I abstained for 5 months, so I certainly could have just gone another 4, but I was convinced that the type of drinking I was doing was not what was found to cause problems (as one of the studies that reported that Even Moderate Drinking Can Cause Defects! turned out to define moderate as "2 to 5 drinks per day" . . . am I the only person who doesn''t see how 5 drinks a day is "moderate" drinking, even for a non-pregnant woman, even for a man, etc.????).

 

[Bliss]

Hmmmm... I wouldn't give anyone a weird look if they were having a drink with dinner. People do what they think is right for them and I'd assume it was a special event like a birthday dinner. Heck, even I miss a glass of wine here and there.

For me personally, I am not planning on having any alcohol while pregnant. I know the baby would probably turn out OK, but my goal is not to just have a baby that's OK with 10 fingers and 10 toes. I want my baby to have the chance to be exceptional; and the last thing I'm going to do is dump something that kills brain cells in human adults into its fragile, still growing system. We big 'uns (LOL) can metabolize alcohol and caffeine, but fetuses have a much harder time. So just thinking that they're trapped in there with a higher concentration of alcohol for a longer period of time would make me abstain.

Also, we know that environmental factors have lasting effects on children. As long as they're in my body fighting to grow and to thrive, I'm going to try my hardest to be the best gatekeeper I can. I'm sure a glass here or there won't do anything. But something in me says, if it won't be *good* for the baby...why do it at all? I'm sure it's a very very small form of stress on a fetus in some shape or form. Maybe it won't even show up until later in life. But why take away IQ points, increase the risk of learning disorders or developmental issues if you can help it? A glass of wine here and there isn't that important to me to do that.

But I do...miss a chilled glass of wine now and then! Ah, the joys of pregnancy!

 

[KimberlyH]

i didn''t drink from the time i knew i was pregnant until i delivered. i did drink after baby was concieved. having had a miscarriage late in the first trimester made my second pregnancy feel so preecarious. who knows, though, i may have answered this question differently had i not had gestational diabetes, because as the pregnancy progressed i felt less unsure about how it would turn out.

i''m breast feeding and i have a drink with dinner fairly frequently (a beer or glass of wine). according to the breastfeeding class i attended and my lactation consultant there is no reason not to.