Drinking wine during pregnancy? ? Open forum if needed.

I'll make my self clear before I start.  I've never had a drink consciously during my pregnancy.  Meaning I had a drink when I was probably 3 wks (1 wk after conception according to the breakdown) pregnant but had NO idea I was actually pregnant.  So now to my question, has anyone or would anyone have some wine during their pregnancy? I'm not even sure if I would but, I have a lot of special occasions coming up (my birthday, our anniversary, thanksgiving, chirstmas) and I wondered if anyone had done it during their pregnancy now or in the past.

[DollChina]

I am over 37 weeks and have had maybe 3 glasses in total throughout my pregnancy.  I would have wine spritzers (half wine, half Sprite).  My doctor said it's ok but most of the time I wouldn't finish it because it doesn't taste all that good.

[toyml99]

I DRANK A BOTTLE OF WINE WHEN I WAS ONE TO TWO WEEKS PREGGO.  I HAD NO IDEA I WAS PREGGO.  I KNOW SOME DR.S SAY ITS OK BUT I JUST STUCK WITH NON ALCHOL GRAPE JUICE.

[deanne11]

I never did but my girlfriend drank like a fish the first 3 months of her pregnancy (not knowing she was pregnant - of course) and her little girl is now 6 almost 7 and a little genius....and when I say drank...there were times we were falling down drunk....everyone is different and their bodies are different so who knows...some people have very strong opinions on this subject.

I could never do it - but I had a very bad taste to even the smell of alcohol when I was pregnant.  Heck I was scared to drink while nursing too...Always did the pump and dump method so my baby wouldn't get any alcohol in her systems while feeding.

My DH mother drank with both him and his older sister...a few glasses of wine throughout her pregnancy...never a lot just on celebratory occasions.

[baby4Staci]

I was in the later part of my two week wait.. 10-18DPO and spent a week in key west.  WELL i dont know if you have ever been to key westFL but every other corner there is a bar.  haha.  Needless to say i enjoyed myself..  I found out when i got home that i was in fact, pregnant and i am currently 29 weeks with a very healthy baby.  Several people (my SIL) drank wine regularly throughout her pregnancy and my niece couldnt have been a more perfect baby.  I had a few sips of wine at a wedding a few weeks ago.. I think that being overly cautious about pregnancy is just as bad as not caring what you eat/drink.  Babies these days are being born bigger and bigger and having a lot more acid reflux and allergies.  Who knows.. Do what you are comfortable doing and if you drink enough wine to get a buzz.. stop.

[2wiceblessed]

I drank with my last son, it was really early, before I knew I was preg. I don't think anything is wrong with a glass of red wine on occassion. Dh and I had a huge argument over this topic. He monitors me like a hawk. He disagrees, and feels that even a sip is a problem.

[emmahope]

my doc said theories have changed recently in the uk, following the french attitude to drinking while pregnant. they use to say refrain completely but now the experts are saying 2 units a week. when i was pregnant prior to my m/c i couldn't face alchohol at all.

[Marcus's Mommy]

When I was pregnant with my DS I did have a couple of weddings and baptisms to go to.  Everyong was given a glass of champaigne to drink.  My glass had about 1-1/2 oz. I did drink it and I drank it over 5 hours. Everytime the waiter came I said I'm sipping very slowly and not to take it.  That was the only drinking I had over 9 months, 3 glasses. My son is perfect.  I think if it is after 3 months and you sip one small drink over many hours it will be okay but I wouldn't do a couple of beers or shots or something in a short time frame.

[petanka]

I am 29 weeks prego and I might of have 1 and half glass of wine so far. I have my B-shower this Sunday and I am planning to have a glass of red wine and I may have another during THG and X-mas. I am not promoting drinking at all, but I read and my Dr. told me that small glass of red wine now and then will not hurt anything. It is all up to you. Can you live with it or will you stress about it the rest of your prego?

[jackiemoo]

I don't think it wouold hurt to have a glass of wine on christmas day, but the xperts say refarin as they do not know the effects and long term effects. Also, everyone is different and it depends on how you metabolize the alcohol. If you want to be perfectly safe, I would say don't do it. After all, it is just one year of your life and there is nothing wrong with non-alcoholic beer or wine.

[AnnieBrooke]

I have not had any full glasses, but have had three sips at different times in my pregnancy, at those moments when my husband is trying a new kind of wine and tells me how great it tastes.  I figure our moms drank wine during pregnancy (maybe that explains our generation LOL) and so three tastes was not a biggie, and I did wait until the pregnancy was really on a solid footing (would not have done it my first trimester for any reason).  I'm not worried about it, considering that the docs have lightened up on this lately to the extent of permitting a single glass every now and then.  That said, I don't intend to do it again LOL guess I'm just superstitious.

[ember2282]

with the exception of the time before i knew i was pregnant (i found out almost right away though) i didn't mess around with alcohol at all during the first trimester. after that, i had a few tiny glasses of wine here and there...but every time i had a little wine, i would have MAJOR heartburn for hours afterwards. i decided that the potential risk to my babies plus the lovely heartburn weren't worth the glass of wine, and haven't had a drop in months. but i know plenty of people who have indulged in a glass of wine here and there thoughout their pregnancies and they all have lovely, healthy babies. i think the key here is to trust your instincts and always err on the side of caution. :o)

[Luv4aila]

I have read that you can drink up to two glasses a day of wine without negative effects during your entire pregnancy, seems like alot to me...but, If you think about it, there are ALOT of women who do not know they are preg until around 3 months and most people have a drink at least once in awhile. There would be more negative stories out there if it was that much of a problem I think. Wirh that said, one or two glasses of wine total during that short time span...I wouldn't worry

[gml24]

I thought it might be okay to have a glass of wine on my birthday, but I only ended up drinking like a quarter of a glass and I still felt queasy.  The problem for me is that my tolerance is so low that even a tiny glass can leave me feeling tipsy, and that doesn't feel right to me.  I probably would a couple times if it didn't leave me feeling sick :)

[jd1419]

When I was pg my doctor said a glass a wine with dinner once or twice a week was fine.  He said his wife had two glasses every Friday night when she was pg witht their children.

I didn't do it every week but every once in a while I would have a glass and usually mix it with sprite.

I did this also at my sister's wedding--had a glass of champagne and then 1 wine spritzer.

If it is the case where you don't want people knowing you are pg yet and wondering why you ar enot drinking--try cranberry juice and SPrite--it looks like a normal drink with none of the problems.

[Harley-girl]

I am 30 weeks and have had a total of 3 glasses of wine in this time frame. I will also probably have a glass at Thanksgiving. I do load my glass up with ice first though. My doctor said it is fine and even recommends a glass if braxton hicks are getting annoyong as it relaxes them.

[AnnieBrooke]

While the point is well taken that if there would be a problem, you might wonder if it was from the wine, I think there is a preponderance of recent medical information that makes a single glass of wine on occasion something that most doctors permit nowadays during pregnancy.  For me, that would still be a lot (probably too much) but it did help me relax to know that there is some new research and reasonableness out there.  I would let my own doctor be my guide on this.

[travelnurse74]

No offense coreysmom, but I find you post rude.  It is your opinion to state that you haven't drank anything while pregnant but demeaning other that had, is out of line. It isn't a control issue. Many posts said they did when they didn't know there were pregnant and other said one glass of wine or less.  Since my doctor, who has been an OB for 14yrs, tells me I can take up to 1 glass of wine every week or so, I will trust her.  Most red wine is actually very good for you and if you sip it and enjoy it, there is nothing wrong. My entire last pregnancy I may have had 3 glasses of wine total and my daughter is gifted.  To suggest someone's baby could be born with abnormalities from some sips of wine is out of line and no OB in the world would say that.

Also, having TTC#2 for 2yrs, I was informed by my OB and my RE the MOST important thing you can do to help your little baby to be is to treat your body right PRIOR to getting pregnant.  Personally I think these women drinking one or two glasses of wine during their WHOLE pregnancy wasn't as worse off as an avid smoker and drinker who became pregnant and stopped once they knew they were pregnant.

[coreysmom]

I am so sorry because I dont mean to sound rude but are you kidding me???? I would never drink when I was pregnant, what if something was wrong with the baby when it was born, wouldnt you blame your self? I was a smoker and drinker before I became pregnant and when I found out I was I was able to quit both the day I found out. It is only 9 months. Is it not worth waiting nine months to ensure that you did everything possiable to have a healthy baby? If nothing else at least you would not have to feel an regret because you needed to drink during the holidays. I am sorry if I am harsh. I see this question posted at least once aweek (right next to the ones were women are basically begging to get pregnant but can't. These woman would do anything to concieve (conceive)) and you have the miracle that most of us is waiting for, and you need an ocassional glass of wine.? It is silly to me. I think it is a self control issue myself

[ForeverRed1126]

I am going to repeat what I have already read here but I am also repeating my doctors.  Everyone's body does tolerate differently.  I was on prescription meds that I was told to quit right then and there when I found out I was preg.  I also had  been doing alot of drinking.  I have spent too many hours worrying about it.  I went to maternal fetal medicine to see if everything looked ok(3-D ultrasound)and baby looks great.  To  have fetal alchol syndrome a mother needs to drink heavily and throughout her whole pregnancy.   But there are fetal alchol effects that happen with an  unknown amount of alchol.  I have been told a glass of wine here and there is fine but seeing how much I was drinking early on best to refrain.  Coreysmom, I used to sound like  you, well I thought like you for my first two kids but until you are going through what someone else is, you really don't know how tough things can be.  thanks everyone.

[mumwith#4]

No body should be putting anyone down for the reasonable and concious choices that they make whilst they are pregnant. I think it's just as admirable for a woman to limit her alcohol intake (and believe me the number of glasses drunk by all the posters would definately be considered reasonable in a pregnancy) as it is for someone who used to smoke and drink to go cold turkey on the day they found out they were pg. This should not be a slinging match about who has done a better job at looking after their unborn child! I think we can see from the many posters on this forum that they have actually exercised control in their limitation of alcohol consumption so that was an unfair remark to make I thought.

On a personal note - I have been pregnant and breastfeeding at some point every year since Dec 2000 and am now nearly 17 weeks with baby #4. In that entire time - by choice - I have not had any alcohol. Not because I'm UNREAL at controlling myself but because I'm not interested in drinking it. I did enough partying and drinking (yes even sensible drinking) in my late teens and early-mid twenties that I can do without the alcohol at this stage in my life. If the medical profession at this stage is condoning a limited number of glasses of wine in a woman's pregnancy then I'm willing to accept that those who choose to drink reasonably are still following their doctors orders and still thinking about the well-beings of their babies. There is a big difference between the women that do this and the women that will continue to drink like a fish throughout their pregnancy. They are the ones that then put their unborn baby at the risk of FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome).

Here is an interesting website regarding that if you're interested in reseraching that further:
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Fetal+alcohol+syndrome

Please don't think I've posted that website here to make anyone feel bad - that's not my intention - just to inform those of how much alcohol it does take to cause these defects. And by the sounds of it, everyone here seems to be well within the acceptable amount of alcohol intake for their pregnancies - well done ladies I say!!!

[coreysmom]

Thanks for everyones post. I said I didnt mean to sound rude, this is my opion. My OB (Who has had her firm for 21 years told me she did not agree with any drinking while pregnant. I know the benefits of red wine for your heart (I am very well educated), but I can not see any benefit of even a few sips while pregnant,

[mumwith#4]

Hi - sorry if I also came across a little rude (damn pregnancy hormones!!!). I just wanted to add that one of the reasons I also choose not to drink at all is I don't see the point in having one glass here and there either. I used to like to drink socially (before I was a mum) and I don't think I used to stop at one glass. But when I became pregnant the first time that changed. Being on my fifth pregnancy (but with baby #4) I still feel the same but I don't see it's bad if others choose to drink moderately during their pregnancies. I'm sure there are a lot of doctors who will have differing views on this subject, but basically the fact is that there has not been enough evidence to suggest that moderate alochol consumption during pregnancy is harmful. So I guess it's just going to be a personal choice beyond that.

[kaimonk]

is there a difference if you chose to have a glass of white wine vs red?

[hkenny]

I am not a wine drinker, but do enjoy a beer and clam ( for those in the states who dont have clamato juice its great!! ) anyways my view is that its just not worth it. You can never really know if there was any ill harm done, no matter if your child comes out healthy or not. Thoughout ones life there are many things that can pop up well after childhood. Better safe than sorry, if you need a glass that bad, maybe you shouldnt be pregnant. I was a smoker before deciding to get pregnant and quit immediatly after having a talk with hubby about ttc. Wouldnt it have been selfish of me to continue?  The most importannt thing is a healthy baby. As mothers dont we have a responsibilty to do whatever we can to ensure that outcome.
Have fake wine, at christmas I had a non-acholic beer with clam and it was just fine.
I dont want to sound rude here at all but again I just dont see how its worth it.

[keagansmom]

well i am on my second pregnancy and I drank a couple of glasses of wine every now and then, and my son is very very smart. he is five and a half and top of his class. he has conversations like adults. so no mental disabilities. and he is very handsome. would love to show a pic. so no physical disabilities either. im pregnant with my second and drink a glass occasionally now. i believe it is ok. but use your own judgement. good luck to all the moms and moms to be. god bless.

[pregnant223212]

I've done research on this too and a lot of articles are now saying that a couple glasses of wine a week is actually better for the pregnancy.  so maybe the people saying it's not worth it to even drink one should consider the fact that maybe not drinking a glass here and there is actually going to make the pregnancy riskier.