Al-Kee-Hol and Baby

[natalie_1982]

Hi all, I just wondered if any of you are still drinking alcohol and if so, how much?

I know that the current reccommendation is to not drink alcohol at all, but I am a firm believer that everything is fine in moderation. I am having on average 2 glasses of red wine per week but due to an item on gmtv this week I now feel really guilty having just poured myself my Friday treat!

Anyway, I know that in my parents generation they didn't have the same hard and fast rules, and we all turned out ok (well....!) and I believe that as long as you take care of yourself and are sensible then a little wine now and then should be fine. I'd just be interested in your views.... Thanks x x

[Pippa68]

I just found it easier not to drink at all. That way I knew how many I had consumed (none, lol).

To me it was like drinking and driving..you are allowed one, but I would rather not!

[daffy654]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7039249.stm
Read this article I found this morning natalie,it is apparently ok according to some and not ok according to others. I drank occasionally in all 3 of my pregnancies and my kids didn't get foetal alcohol syndrome. I have met children who were born with it and its so sad to know it could have been avoided,all their mothers drank to excess though.

[smudge]

Like Pippa, I didn't drink alcohol when I was pregnant & preferred to err on the side of caution.

Although, going back quite a few years, my Mum & Granny both drank the odd Guinness when they were pregnant & both went on to have lots of healthy children between them.

Good luck in your pregnancy Nat.

[smudge]

P.S. Just found this:

http://pregnancychildbirth.suite101.com/articl e.cfm/drinking_while_pregnant_

[Psychick]

Im staying well away from alcohol. Its not because I think it shouldnt be touched during pregnancy but because I only like spirits and bottles which are a definate no no but also because I have become very cautious since being in hospital......... mostly water for me now :(

[Pippa68]

Well...I did have it said to me that anything I ate or drank, so did the baby!

I didn't like the idea of the baby having alcohol in any amount, so didn't drink. My mother swore by a can of Mackeson (a Stout, like Guinness) a day...but too much iron can be dangerous too, and it makes me terribly constipated!

[smudge]

My Mum & Granny also used to enjoy Mackeson (or a nice drop of stout as they used to call it) Pippa!

How times have changed, now we're warned of the dangers of things?

[sammy snake]

My mum drank and smoked in moderation during both her pregnancies and there is nothing wrong with me or my brother!

[Metz]

I had the odd guiness once every so often .. tasted vile so had it with blackcurrant ,just as vile but fruity LOL... stuck with lemonade mostly , i did have a couple of glasses of wine on my wedding day :o)

[alijangra]

I totally agree with pippa68 in that everything you consume, including cigarettes and alcohol, go into the blood stream which crosses the placenta into your tiny, developing babies bloodstream. Do you really want them to have nicotine and alcohol in there blood? Fair enough they dont come out with three eyes, two heads or anything quite so obvious but their tiny little livers and kidneys are being exposed to toxins before they are even born.

[jodie73]

I have a friend who thought it would be ok to have the odd drink when she was pregnant until she gave birth and was told her baby was brain damaged. The docs asked her if she had consumed any alcohol, she told the truth and they said it could be the reason. The worst thing ever was seeing what looked like a normal beautiful baby girl having fits every 60 seconds and going through pain. Unfortunatley this little baby died after a week as her brain and heart was put under too much pressure. It put me off drinking totally, but of course everybody's different.

[Hellyon]

I don't think there will ever be a final decider on this one. I had the occasional bottle of guiness when I was pregnant mainly because I had the most awful cold and couldn't take any drugs to assist with it, the guiness was comforting and helped me sleep so I figure was a better option than the alternative. My baby was fine.

[jodie73]

Everybody has different views on it but personally i would not touch it during pregnancy. It's not worth it. It's only nine months, not a lifetime, but if anything went wrong with my baby then i'd have a lifetime of guilt to live with.x