alcohol?

[chelseaneddie]

Does anyone know if Dr's are still saying a glass of wine weekly is okay while pregnant? Just a question because I know mine says no alcohol...

[vbilger]

My dr told me to have red wine when I wanted it (obviously within reason), and of course just a glass each time. He said the stress of wanting it and not having it was way worse than what the alcohol content of one glass would do to the baby. He also recommended it to help me sleep and deal with anxiety and bh contractions. Honestly though, since he gave me "permission", I've only wanted it twice (I'm 27 weeks now), so I've only had 2 glasses.

[honeydew21]

I had HORRIBLE cravings for margaritas and red wine when I was pregnant with my boys.

As much as I wanted just the tiniest sip, I opted not to just to be on the safe side.

[Mommyjeep11]

My dr says no. So I just open the bottle and smell it hana. I'm not a big drinker maybe go through a whole bottle a year but I have realllly been wanting some lately which is weird.

[chelseaneddie]

Even before getting pregnant I wasn't a drinker. Never drank to get drunk. I wont drink while pregnant anyway not worth the risk. I was just wondering what everybody was being told. My friend is Italian and she did drink some during pregnancy.

[MsKitty84]

I've only had "cravings" when I have to sit and watch other people drink. It's really not the booze so much as feeling left out. Stock up on something fun. Try  a caffeine-free full-sugar soda -- cherry 7-Up, Sprite, root beer, ginger ale, Orange Crush, Squirt, etc. Get sparkling cider, flavored sparkling waters, yummy herbal teas (mint and lemon-ginger help with nausea and gas!) or lemonade.
Mix a non-alcoholic punch that looks like sangria. Get the fixings for virgin drinks like Shirley Temples or Rob Roys, virgin Bloody Mary, etc. It'll help a lot.

Here's Kimberly Kennedy's recipe for a single-serving "baby bellini." All ingredients should be chilled.
Put a tablespoon of peach concentrate in the bottom of a champagne glass, add sparkling cider till two-thirds full. Drop in a couple fresh raspberries, swirl and enjoy!

[cminamyer]

For both of my previous pregnancies I have not had a drop to drink...not sure if my OB would have been ok with one glass or not...I just didn't because it wasn't a big deal to me. I've never been a drinker.

But this pregnancy I am seeing a midwife and was shocked when she recommended half a glass of red wine for frequent braxton hicks contractions. I have yet to try this but thought it was interesting. I agree with Ms Kitty...there are many cultures that have drank regularly during pregnancy and everything turned out fine...most European cultures will have wine for dinner...the deference is they do not drink to get drunk or even in large quantities.

[MsKitty84]

Two more reasons to reduce or eliminate alcohol during pregnancy: Stress, hormones and mood swings all make it easy for you to find yourself going overboard at a party, even when you start out with the best intentions. That's especially true if your friends or family don't know about your pregnancy and keep refilling or overfilling your glass.

For many women, drinking is also associated with other unhealthy behaviors like smoking, drug abuse, fighting or unprotected sex. Avoiding the alcohol helps you avoid being exposed to or participating in these other harmful activities.

[MsKitty84]

I am a social drinker but went cold-turkey the second I got a positive pregnancy test, in addition to taking vitamins and reducing caffeine. I probably won't make a big deal of having half a glass of wine once or twice during the holidays.

This is still a subject of raging debate within the medical community. I've heard of doctors recommending red wine in small amounts for certain medical conditions while pregnant. The big problem for drinking during pregnancy is dosage. Not everyone knows how to accurately tell what "one drink" is when they pour it, or to have the self-control to stop. Like Ashelen said, doctors are not completely certain how much is safe, so most just tell you no. The panic over fetal alcohol syndrome is highly exaggerated but the risk of causing damage while drinking is very real -- I've seen children with this condition, and you really don't want it.

Where everyone agrees is that binge-drinking is a definite no-no, and that's where your risk is greatest. A study last year reported in Discovery found that very light drinking during pregnancy is likely not as harmful as once thought, which makes sense considering the whole of human history -- there are many cultures worldwide where alcoholic beverages were historically the norm for everyone because water was not safe to drink. The study actually concluded that consumption as often as twice a week could be considered safe.
http://news.discovery.com/human/alcohol-drinking-pregnant-women.html

Also, keep in mind that not all alcohol is created equal -- actual alcohol content varies quite a bit. Hard A -- whiskey, tequila or other liquor -- is much more dangerous than beer or wine (and wine/wine coolers have quite a range).

However, alcohol tends to contain a lot of sugar, and to be mixed with sugary drinks like cola or juice. If your doctor has advised you to cut back on sugar, this is another reason to avoid or cut back on it.

[chelseaneddie]

I'm not a huge drinker when I'm not pregnant either. I have been craving even just a half glass after dinner. I've stayed away so far and will probley continue to do so. Maybe some carbonated drink.....

[macynsmama]

Your Dr is right, even one drink can cause FAS(Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) and your child would have lifelong problems if born with FAS

[Ashelen]

Well most doctors will say No alcohol. some doctors will say that one glass of red wine ON OCCASION (not really once a week, but maybe closer to twice a month) is good for circulation and NOT known to cause harm.

The reality of it is....they know that alcohol causes FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)...they do NOT know the safe cut-off. Most women avoid it because of this. Yes, one glass of one could be just fine, so if you feel like the benefits outweigh the risk, you're a grown woman and can make that choice.

But since your doctor is saying no, I would trust my doctor and not drink it. I've known women who have had red wine occasionally throughout pregnancy with no ill effects, but their doctors were OK with and knew about it. I'm not a drinker even when I'm not pregnant (alcoholism in the family) but the ONLY time I ever crave wine is when I'm pregnant, and so far out of 3 pregnancies I haven't drank just because they don't have statistics on the risks.