with my first i drank hardly anything and had a small glass of wine every now and then during the last trimester, but on my current pregnancy wine and cider was my major craving which has been really tough, so i drank nothing during first trimester, but did allow myself small glasses of something once or twice a week after about 20 weeks if it got desperate!! i did try not to make it a weekly habit and have avoided it again from about 37 weeks on the run up to D-Day - which was yesterday and i am now really, REALLY looking forward to a nice glass of something when baby finally gets here!!! i do think it's best to avoid it completely during the first trimester when everything is developing, and if you can avoid it the rest of the time then great, but as long as you're sensible the rest of the time i think it's ok to have a little treat x
I too was a fairly regular drinker (not in huge quantities) and friends said that I would never last 9 months without a drink! The decision in the end was made for me as my nausea was so bad that I didn't feel like having an alcoholic drink until more than 4 months into my pregnancy (around Christmas). After that I only ever felt like having a small beer if I did drink anyway.
I think it's very narrow minded to say that pregnant women shouldn't drink at all. Because of a few irresponsible women who carry on binge drinking during pregnancy we are all told not to drink. These people will carry on binge drinking whatever the advice and I think most of us can be sensible about our drinking. I agree that a happy healthy Mum makes for a happy healthy baby. My daughter is now 3 and a half and is very happy, healthy and intelligent (according to others!).
I think as long as you're sensible then it's not really a problem. I'm in my 3rd trimester with my 2nd child and occasionally I do have a drink. Even then it's something like a shandy or a glass of wine with lemonade and after one glass I don't have any more. If I'm out with friends or if it's a special occasion I feel like I've been sociable but not gone too far. To be honest I can take it or leave it and not drinking at all doesn't bother me (I sometimes go for weeks or months without) but sometimes it is nice just to join in and be part of the crowd. I know a lot of people will point the finger and probably accuse me of being an unfit mother or something but hey I am an adult, I am capable of making my own decisions and I know my limits and when to stop. I did the same during my first pregnancy and have a very bright and healthy 2 year old and my current bump is doing very well.
And what about all the women who don't know that they're pregnant until they're actually giving birth? A lot of them have drank as usual without any harm coming to their babies.
A mum-of-two in Australia has contacted MFM and asked for us to share her story here with you on her behalf. She writes:
"My name is Anne and I live in Australia. I drank alcohol during my two pregnancies and both my children were very healthy children at birth. I was prescribed alcohol as a tocolytic* during my first pregnancy and henceforth believed the placenta to be a very formidable force. I have since learnt that any amount of alcohol can cause cellular changes and the only true statement is no alcohol equals no risk.
"My oldest son cried for months, did not meet milestones, failed to thrive for many months, had poor sucking reflex and was a very sickly baby. Now he is small for his genetic inheritance, has temporal lobe epilepsy and has had jaw and teeth problems as well as a tumour in his jaw. He can live independently, hold down a job and manage his money but he was prenatally exposed to alcohol and he did suffer some of the conditions and issues related to exposure pre-birth.
"My youngest son has a significant disability and has been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. He has had a terribly hard life with the option of suicide being his comfort if things get too hard. I don’t blame him at all. His life has been one ‘failure’ after another. Not failures to us but certainly in his perception within his reality they were failures.
"I would rather have had no alcohol for nine months than find out later that my son has to now go through his whole life with a preventable disability.
"I established the Russell Family Fetal Alcohol Disorders Association in 2007 in order to support other people and to lobby for change in Australia."
[*This means to prevent premature labour, slow down or stop contractions]
i had a little bit to drink during both my pregnancies, not loads or not very often. With both my 1st and 2nd i had a big night out before realising i was pregnant and drank a lot but after finding out i was pregnant i had a glass of wine or two every so often...at family events, xmas etc.... neither of my children suffered from this...in myopinion i think if anyone is going to have a illness/disability they are more than likly going to have it no matter what you do.
With my first son he was not active at all during the day whilst I was moving about but as soon as I led down at night he started jumping about. I was finding it very uncomfortable to sleep and my Doctor suggested having a small glass of alcohol to relax me and the baby. This worked great and I sailed through my pregnancy and did the same for my second and third with no problems at all. Nothing is bad for you if taken in moderation.
Replies
with my first i drank hardly anything and had a small glass of wine every now and then during the last trimester, but on my current pregnancy wine and cider was my major craving which has been really tough, so i drank nothing during first trimester, but did allow myself small glasses of something once or twice a week after about 20 weeks if it got desperate!! i did try not to make it a weekly habit and have avoided it again from about 37 weeks on the run up to D-Day - which was yesterday and i am now really, REALLY looking forward to a nice glass of something when baby finally gets here!!! i do think it's best to avoid it completely during the first trimester when everything is developing, and if you can avoid it the rest of the time then great, but as long as you're sensible the rest of the time i think it's ok to have a little treat x
I think it's very narrow minded to say that pregnant women shouldn't drink at all. Because of a few irresponsible women who carry on binge drinking during pregnancy we are all told not to drink. These people will carry on binge drinking whatever the advice and I think most of us can be sensible about our drinking. I agree that a happy healthy Mum makes for a happy healthy baby. My daughter is now 3 and a half and is very happy, healthy and intelligent (according to others!).
And what about all the women who don't know that they're pregnant until they're actually giving birth? A lot of them have drank as usual without any harm coming to their babies.
Hi mums and mums-to-be,
A mum-of-two in Australia has contacted MFM and asked for us to share her story here with you on her behalf. She writes:
"My name is Anne and I live in Australia. I drank alcohol during my two pregnancies and both my children were very healthy children at birth. I was prescribed alcohol as a tocolytic* during my first pregnancy and henceforth believed the placenta to be a very formidable force. I have since learnt that any amount of alcohol can cause cellular changes and the only true statement is no alcohol equals no risk.
"My oldest son cried for months, did not meet milestones, failed to thrive for many months, had poor sucking reflex and was a very sickly baby. Now he is small for his genetic inheritance, has temporal lobe epilepsy and has had jaw and teeth problems as well as a tumour in his jaw. He can live independently, hold down a job and manage his money but he was prenatally exposed to alcohol and he did suffer some of the conditions and issues related to exposure pre-birth.
"My youngest son has a significant disability and has been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. He has had a terribly hard life with the option of suicide being his comfort if things get too hard. I don’t blame him at all. His life has been one ‘failure’ after another. Not failures to us but certainly in his perception within his reality they were failures.
"I would rather have had no alcohol for nine months than find out later that my son has to now go through his whole life with a preventable disability.
"I established the Russell Family Fetal Alcohol Disorders Association in 2007 in order to support other people and to lobby for change in Australia."
[*This means to prevent premature labour, slow down or stop contractions]
i had a little bit to drink during both my pregnancies, not loads or not very often. With both my 1st and 2nd i had a big night out before realising i was pregnant and drank a lot but after finding out i was pregnant i had a glass of wine or two every so often...at family events, xmas etc.... neither of my children suffered from this...in myopinion i think if anyone is going to have a illness/disability they are more than likly going to have it no matter what you do.