A glass of wine whilst pregnant...your thoughts vs those of the Government.

[Conanette 10]

I've had a glass of champagne and a small glass of cider since finding out I was upduffed in October.

 

To be honest Cyc, I was feeling that grotty the first 12 weeks that alcohol was the last thing on my mind. Then after going three months without any, I've got used to ordering a soda and lime and driving when we're out. I've not really fancied a drink, nor have I missed it.

 

With regard to the banned foods list, I do think there's a lot on there that only carries a very small risk of harming the baby. That said, I've avoided it because if the worst were to happen, it would always be at the back of my mind.

 

I miss pate and brie, but 9 months in the big scheme of things is not a terribly long time. I can still eat plenty of nice foods. I'm looking forward to a decent steak once the baby's here too.

[luybell 10]

Hi - Hope you don't mind me being nosy but why aren't you eating steak? Is it because you like it rare? I really went off meat when pg. I kept thinking that I was eating flesh & it turned my stomach. I eat it sometimes now but not very often. The image has stayed with me.

[Skippy06 10]

I think reading through some of these posts the common theme is do what you feel is right.

 

My first pg ended in misscarage and we did everything right becuase of the second one I decided to do what felt comfortable as I was due to endure 10 months (yes they do tell lies with the 9 months) of tourture.

 

After I found out I was pg I went on a mates leaving do and fancied a glass of wine (noone would have belived the tablets bit) so I had one glass of red (which was like liquid gold).

 

I did drink during my pg not a lot but I would have about a pint of dry cider a week as I was pg during 2006 when we acctually had a summer. The glass was also full of ice so the drink was very watered down. I would look forward to that drink all day when it was really warm.

 

There nothing wrong with my daughter she is perfect in everyway so I guess you do what you want becuase lets face it they will be thinking of a way to mega tax alcohol and get rid of all the offeres you get in supermarkets.

[Guest]

Nappy compost?! So do you chunk the whole nappy in there, poo and everything? Now I would try something like that but my garden's too small and C&G Comfort-poo-filled-nappies honk like hell.

 

yep, I have biodegradable nappy sacks so when the bin is full, I just tip it into the composting bin (with worms). It takes 8 weeks or so to break down.

 

here's a link with more info http://www.ecobaby.net/ecobaby_news/news-esat_bt_exhibition01.htm

[honeyb35 10]

wow how interesting! do you need special equipment? Is it only the 'eco nappies' you can use?

[Guest]

wow how interesting! do you need special equipment? Is it only the 'eco nappies' you can use?

 

only eco nappies are biodegradable, and it certainly saves on the amount of rubbish going in the landfill. Plus the compost which is produced smell really sweet (and covers up the bad smell of the 'fresh' nappies) and its great to use on your garden.

[Mathom 10]

only eco nappies are biodegradable, and it certainly saves on the amount of rubbish going in the landfill. Plus the compost which is produced smell really sweet (and covers up the bad smell of the 'fresh' nappies) and its great to use on your garden.

 

That's a really good idea! So you don't have to faff with silly terry nappies nor do you get the whole guilt trip from disposables.

 

I also think it would be really good if places like the City Farm could do the composting - if you're going down with bottles for recycling and stuff you could easily take down a bag of used nappies too. And they'd get a lot of people using it as there are loads of little ones round here.

[Guest]

That's a really good idea! So you don't have to faff with silly terry nappies nor do you get the whole guilt trip from disposables.

 

I also think it would be really good if places like the City Farm could do the composting - if you're going down with bottles for recycling and stuff you could easily take down a bag of used nappies too. And they'd get a lot of people using it as there are loads of little ones round here.

 

 

thats a really good idea, if it wasn't for my parents having a big enough garden, i'd be stuck as I live in a flat!

[Yellowrose 10]

In early pregnancy I didnt feel like any drink at all, so I didnt. But during my first pregnancy, towards the end it was summer, hot, and I craved beer to quench my thirst. So I gave in and had an occasional shandy. It obviously had no ill effects because my first child is now 25 and fit, well and intelligent.

 

When I was pregnant I was told by a guy at work not to drink Coke because the caffeine would cause miscarriage. As it was in the 1980s and nothing much was documented about caffeine then, also because he was a Jehovahs Witness and against so many other things I ignored him. I have noticed recently that coffee is said to increase your chances of miscarriage, so I wonder if there was anything in it.

[bluecanary 13]

I've long held the opinion that the 'advice' circulated by the government errs far too much on the side of caution, and is probably at least in part, motivated by fear of litigation by those unable to moderate themselves - "I only drank 5 bottles of wine a week instead of 10, but my baby has abnormalities - the govt said it was fine as long as I didn't drink much" etc, etc. Remember that for several centuries, it was commonplace for everyone to drink ale or, if they could afford it, wine, because it was safer than drinking polluted water, and some how, the whole of western civilisation didn't die out!

 

Having said that, I suppose it's only natural for a woman to do all within her power to protect her unborn child - it's only a natural reaction to blame yourself if something goes wrong, so many people do their best to avoid all potential dangers. Personally, like Cyclone, I would prefer to look at the evidence and reasoning behind the official 'advice', then make an informed decision.

 

One thing - my interpretation of the no eggs and soft cheese thing was that it was not to stop the bacteria passing into the foetus's blood stream, but to lower the risk of the mother contracting a serious GI infection, which could potentially result in sever dehydration and harm the baby - did anyone else think this or have I just made this up?

[canuck 10]

Cyclone,

 

I'm not sure where you are getting your information -- but there are no scientific studies saying that there is a safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/22/drinking_made_it_all_up/

 

 

The fact is, it is entirely unknown whether there is a safe limit or not. Anecdotally we all know of people who seem to have loads to drink with no ill effects on the baby. But there is also quite an extensive amount of research suggesting that as little as a single drink can lead to problems, particularly during the first trimester.

 

The current medical consensus seems to be that it is not only quantity of alcohol that matters, but also when during the pregnancy, underlying genetics, luck, plus a whole host of other factors.

 

I'm not sure how familiar you are with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, but I'm a teacher who deals with it daily. It is absolutely crippling. Current estimates have 1 in 100 children in the UK affected (1 in 1000 with the more severe Fetal Alcohol Syndrome).

 

Until a study comes out that can convince me that there is a safe amount to drink (and by "study" I mean a dedicated peer reviewed research program, not a government panel that reviews existing studies), I think I'll stick with nothing. 9 months sober doesn't seem like too much of a price to pay for a 100% assurance of a healthy child. Particularly because my "one drink" often turns into "ahhh, just one more".

[Cyclone 10]

That link (to the Reg, an IT rag) is talking about the guidelines for number of units an adult can consume in a week.

There are studies about how alcohol affects developing babies, particularly foetal alcohol syndrome.

 

http://www.tripdatabase.com/spider.html?itemid=276481

 

http://www.rcog.org.uk/resources/Public/pdf/alcohol_pregnancy_rcog_statement5a.pdf

 

It's up to you, but if you're not basing it on government advice and you've not found or read any medical studies, then you're basing it on fear of the unknown or a whim.