Pregnancy and alcohol

[wolftress]

Date: 6/29/2010 1:56:21 PM
Author: sbde
Just came across this on today''s BBC website..

Of course, the level of drinking we''ve been discussing here does not near what was tested in the study (pregnant women having more than 4 drinks a week), but I thought this was a timely article given our discussions here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10448273.stm

Pregnant drinking ''affects sperm''

Women who drink during pregnancy may be damaging the future fertility of their sons, research suggests.

Hmm, this is really interesting though probably quite hard to determine if alcohol was the sole contributing factor to these results.

 

[gailrmv]

I didn''t read all the replies, but I will say that I occasionally had a half glass of wine (or less) in the last half of my pregnancy. Really more like a few sips, but sometimes I just wanted to hold a glass and enjoy a small taste of wine. Perhaps this makes me a selfish risk taker, but I don''t really think so.

 

[ZestfullyBling]

Date: 6/27/2010 11:39:26 PM
Author: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.

I did drink very moderately while pregnant at end of 2nd trimester. i was 6months along i believe. Maybe about 1/2 glass of red wine 2-4 times a month or so.

Drinking wine daily...not quite sure about that.

 

[blushingbride]

Date: 6/29/2010 9:47:00 PM
Author: wolftress

Date: 6/29/2010 10:52:30 AM
Author: Blushing_B
My OB told me that there are so many things which they just don't have enough info on to prove whether they have strong negative effects on the fetus (wine, caffine, hair coloring, etc.). Basically, she told me that for those instances to do what my gut tells me. If you feel like you are regret something you did, ate or drank, then don't do it. That simple. If you know you'll have no regrets, then do it. I've been living by that during my pregnancy so far, but I also had a miscarriage so, I'm really not taking anything to chance.

Blushing, this would be a great barometer for pregnant women, except everyone has different 'gut feelings'. Some would think it's perfectly fine to be completely inebriated during pregnancy while others will abstain completely from almost everything under the sun.

I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage.

Wolfress - When my OB was discussing this with me, she wasn't saying to become completely inebriated. I was saying this in regards to having a drink here and there - not down a bottle of vodka. Same goes with caffine drinking - not to have a pot of coffee a day, but a cup a day. So, for those who want to do those things (in moderation) should do so if they won't have any regrets about it. Again, there's really not enough evidence to say that doing those things (drinking wine/caffine, hair coloring, eating lunch meat) in moderation will have harmful affects on the fetus.

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 7/1/2010 9:29:01 AM
Author: Blushing_B

Date: 6/29/2010 9:47:00 PM
Author: wolftress

Date: 6/29/2010 10:52:30 AM
Author: Blushing_B
My OB told me that there are so many things which they just don''t have enough info on to prove whether they have strong negative effects on the fetus (wine, caffine, hair coloring, etc.). Basically, she told me that for those instances to do what my gut tells me. If you feel like you are regret something you did, ate or drank, then don''t do it. That simple. If you know you''ll have no regrets, then do it. I''ve been living by that during my pregnancy so far, but I also had a miscarriage so, I''m really not taking anything to chance.

Blushing, this would be a great barometer for pregnant women, except everyone has different ''gut feelings''. Some would think it''s perfectly fine to be completely inebriated during pregnancy while others will abstain completely from almost everything under the sun.

I''m so sorry to hear about your miscarriage.

Wolfress - When my OB was discussing this with me, she wasn''t saying to become completely inebriated. I was saying this in regards to having a drink here and there - not down a bottle of vodka. Same goes with caffine drinking - not to have a pot of coffee a day, but a cup a day. So, for those who want to do those things (in moderation) should do so if they won''t have any regrets about it. Again, there''s really not enough evidence to say that doing those things (drinking wine/caffine, hair coloring, eating lunch meat) in moderation will have harmful affects on the fetus.

I agree BB! There are certain actions which are absolute no''s when preggo--getting wasted, drugs, cigarettes,etc. Then there''s the gray area which seems to be growing by the second. Just compare that gray list to what our own mothers'' followed. No cold cuts, no soft ice cream, no pink meats, no artifical sweetners, no caffeine, etc. When it comes to those options, it becomes an individual decision and personal. Meaning what you choose for yourself doesn''t mean you should judge what another chooses (ie no cause for stink eyes for the pregnant woman drinking a coffee!). For me I elminated everything in the gray area mostly for peace of mind. Because I tended to be paranoid and drive myself nuts when I slpped a few times (like when I made myself a lovely milkshake before I realized the vanilla had alchool, or worried about my sauce which had wine, or the time I ate a whole pink burger before realizng it was more pink thank not). It sounds silly now, but eliminating was so much better than worrying, going on google, and driving myself nuts!

 

[Mara]

wolftress that is exactly what my OB told me. basically just use your common sense (hopefully we all have it haha)... and everything in moderation. aka sushi... if you have been to the place countless times and never gotten sick, go there! but don''t try a NEW place while preggo. etc. i also still ate my steak medium, anything else would have disgusted me...BUTTTTT i actually hated meat until almost 3rd tri anyway so go figure.

and i lurve me some red meat typically.

and i was eating smoked salmon for 1/2 the first tri not realizing i shouldn''t, oops. there''s just too many things to keep track of seriously. and when preggo with ME my mom drank like a LITER of coke a day and did countless other things that in today''s world would be a no no. and look, i''m totally fine.

 

[vespergirl]

I am just now seeing this thread, but I wanted to say that I consumed small amounts of alcohol during both of my pregnancies, and both babies are healthy, bright, and thriving.

With my first, the pregnancy was unplanned, and because my periods are so irregular, I didn't even know that I was pregnant until 6 weeks along. During that first six weeks of my pregnancy I toured Europe where I drank an average of 2-3 drinks per night, used Retinol face cream, and took Ambien. I freaked out when I found out I was pregnant, but the dr. said that it would be fine, but that I should just avoid alcohol again until the last trimester. My family is from Europe, and so is my dr., and the alcohol recommendations are very different in Europe - they say that you can one one glass of wine per day. However, I avoided alcohol except for a glass of wine on my birthday when I was 6 months pregnant, and then about one glass of wine per week during the last trimester.

With my second baby who was planned, I avoided alcohol totally during the first trimester, and had maybe one glass of wine per month during the second trimester, and one glass of wine per week during the third trimester. Both babies were born perfect.

 

[miraclesrule]

I am not even going to go into the things I ingested during the first trimester before finding out I was pregnant, because I would sound like the most irresponsible party queen on the planet. But suffice it to say, that if I had believed that the consumption of all that "bad stuff" was going to screw up my baby, she should have been born with fins.

My daughter is perfectly healthy and thriving. In fact, I bet she will be of better health than my granddaughter, just because of the nature of our food supply.

There is nothing wrong with some glasses of wine or beer while pregnant. It's a collective neurosis among Americans. Asians will still have their Sake and Europeans their wine. We will go for ice cream because we can't have the wine. Maybe not the best alternative...yanno?

 

[ericad]

I chose to give up my wine and coffee when I was pregnant, but I never gave up any food items. I ate sushi and pate and aged cheeses (GAWD, I put blue cheese on EVERYTHING when I was pregnant, if I could have sat in a bathtub full of blue cheese dressing with a straw I would have done it!) and everything else. Do french women give up brie and pate? Nope. We are a culture of fanaticism when it comes to pregnancy restrictions, and I wouldn't judge a pregnant woman for drinking moderate amounts of wine. It's a personal choice one should make along with her doctor or midwife.