Good Idea or Bad Idea: Drinking Wine While Pregnant

by 73

Have you ever seen a pregnant woman sip on a glass of wine at a restaurant and secretly passed judgment on her? Or have you ever been on the flip side and felt the evil stares of strangers while you enjoyed a glass of wine even though you were expecting? While obstetrician/gynecologists don't recommend drinking while pregnant, most agree that a few glasses of wine after your first trimester will not harm the baby.

So how do you feel about this taboo topic? Do you think it is a good idea or a bad idea for expecting mothers to enjoy a glass of wine once or twice a week?

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Love And SexDear PollPregnancyMotherhoodDrinking

73 Comments

I think some of you are exagerating. Drinking a glass of wine cannot hurt the baby. Many women don't know there pregnant before weeks even months and beforehand they drank. The baby is fine as a result too. I'm not implying to get drunk every night but one glass can't hurt. Our grandmother have done it, and it was fine. The real issue at hand is really not to spoil your children to the extend that they don't appreiciate anything and expect everything to be on a silver platter without efforts.
"That some alcohol can be protective against preterm birth is also supported by Dr. Martha Direnfeld of Haifa University who points out that when used properly, alcohol is known to stop unwanted uterine contractions, and thus has "saved many pregnancies that might otherwise have spontaneously aborted." More than this, Dr. Robert Sokol of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse in Detroit has shown that it is light drinkers and not abstainers who have the best chance of having a baby of optimal birth weight and in their book "Alcohol and the Fetus" and Doctors Henry Rosset and Lynn Wiener have presented data that shows that children of moderate drinkers tend to score highest on developmental tests at the age of 18 months."
Don't you guys know people who have drank throughout their pregnancies and had perfectly healthy babies? Almost ALL of my friends have children, almost ALL of them drank at least once in awhile during their pregnancies, and I have NEVER heard of an actual case of fetal alcohol syndrome. It's actually really rare. I personally think it's really up to the mother, and what their comfortable with.
Doctors can not honestly give you any straight answeres as to wether or not it is ok. Not DIFINITAVLY. So I say if you dont know if its good or bad and theres definatly no GOOD coming from it and the only potential is BAD then why the hell do it?? Do you really NEED to drink? Is it really worth it? Dont become a mother if your not willing to SACRIFICE!
ali321 ali321
I don't get why it matters if there's a special occasion. Does that somehow mean it won't harm the baby, but if you drink for no reason it will? Anyway I don't think it's worth it, but I don't drink much anyway. Anything that actually tastes like alcohol is gross to me. I would be way to nervous personally.
I am a diabetic so I'm used to the "you're not allowed that" treatment. And when I found out I was pregnant, it was the same thing. Don't eat fish, don't drink caffeine, don't use any type of artificial sweetener besides Splenda, and the list goes on and on. In my first trimester, I craved beer like crazy, but never gave in to that craving because I know that the first trimester is the most critical in development. I am now in my second trimester and I want wine. I wasn't a heavy drinker before, only a few a month, but now I am craving alcohol. There are so many different answers on the internet, mostly just opinions, NOT facts. I say that if you want a glass of wine, a beer, or another type of alcoholic beverage, have one. But only one, don't turn that one into 10. Alcohol is made for sipping, not gulping so the one glass should last for a little while anyhow. Most OBs will tell you that one glass is fine and will not hurt the baby. I wouldn't go out and get yourself a shot of 120 proof Old Grandad or anything like that, but something a little lighter should be fine. America is too freaked out my too little research. Just because they did a survey on heavy drinkers and the results were bad, don't make ALL pregnant women think that it will happen to them. Use your own judgement also. If you are having anxiety about drinking, don't do it. If you feel that one glass is fine, go for it. I will be partaking in an occasional glass of wine during the rest of my pregnancy, with no regrets. I'm sure it will make my mood swings a little more tolerable anyhow.
wow someone actually brought the bible into this...u do realize ppl only lived til their 30's (on average)...yea lets go by that
honestly if u cant go 9 months without alcohol maybe u should get some help for that...even if u have to question if its bad for ur child u prlly shouldnt do it...y take the risk?
I think this is a very personal issue. For me in my first pregnancy I didn't know I was pregnant until 9 weeks in and I was living my normal life, which included 2 or three drink a MONTH (mostly red wine with dinners) for a TOTAL of 4-8 drinks while pregnant. My 10 year old has several developmental delays all FAE related. I am now 7-1/2 months pregnant with my second. I haven't had any alcohol since before becoming pregnant (we were trying to concieve, so I played it safe). I am hoping for a health baby. I would not ever say that drinking while pregnant is a good idea, but I wouldn't judge someone who did. I would simply feel compassion for them if they had a child like my darling daughter, who struggle everyday, likely because of alcohol during the first trimester.
Crybabymommy Crybabymommy
"drinking itself is unhealthy and bad. so?" Actually drinking wine is not bad nor unhealthy. (Psalm 104:15)(1 Timothy 5:23) If that were the case Jesus would not have turned water into a wine when the wine ran out at a wedding feast.(John 2:1-12) In fact it was Jesus' first miracle. Getting drunk and binge drinking is unhealthy and unwise.
Crybabymommy Crybabymommy
I'm 6mths preggers, I haven't had a glass of wine for just that long as well. Though I think sometimes in my third trimester when I'm really big I'll have a warm bath and glass of red wine. Or when I'm going into labour and the nurse asks me if she could get me anything I might suggest a shot of Tequila. In ancient bible times with vineyards all around there are no scriptures saying that the pregnant woman should not consume wine. The bible does say to abstain from blood...good health to you. If it was a serious risk factor (the unborn baby being life according to the scriptures) Jehovah would have made it law for sure. Most of us were probably born here in North America and we have been conditioned to believe that wine is a big risk no no. While if we were born in raised in Europe such as France or Italy we would have grown up thinking or believing something completely different and we'd be drinking wine in some sidewalk cafe with our dinner. I vote go head, but it's at your own risk. I don't think we can pass judgement on people simply because we don't know where they are from and what there background is. Smoking THAT'S ROTTEN even if you are not pregnant. Drugs-shame on you. But wine...I don't know...wine is not a bad thing if we are not pregnant. Moderation is another key element...and is a word used frequently throughout the scriptures as well. How are we different then those who live in France or Italy, and how are we all that different from women from ancient bible times. We have lots of information about the development of our baby...decide for yourself really. Believe me, I want a glass of red wine really bad. I admire the Euro's who seem so much more free...but I was raised in Canada...I've been conditioned into being booze free...but I wish to just be free... I'm due in November. I can wait. That's my two cents!
also, wine thins the blood thus giving the baby more nutrients or rather larger quantities at a time.
fetal alcohol syndrome occurs in children who are born to mothers whom drank often and mostly in the first trimester. after the first trimester in is ok to have 1-2 8 oz glasses of wine a week.
I think that if you are not educated about this topic then you should not bother commenting! There is absolutely NO evidence that having two glassses of wine a week cause harmful effects to a fetus. Look at the research! There are people out there that will abuse alcohol if there were ever a "recommended" amount so that is why you will read that it's best to obstain. Only 25 percent of alcoholics (chronic drinkers) have children with harmful side effects including FAS. That's not pertaining to the women who drink occasionaly.. Why is that?? Oh I know, because there isn't a correlation between these women and babys with FAS. It's so annoying that people give pregnant women such a hard time when they have no idea what the facts are. It was fine 60 years ago and it is still fine.. It's just the country and time we live in that bored people must get so worked up about topics they know nothing about.
My mom smoked cigarettes (3 a day with a waterpik filter) and had 2 cocktails a week (daquiris, she craved them) with both my brother and I, and we are completely fine. We both were in accelerated classes and are both very creative people. While smoking and drinking regularly is obviously not the best choice, I think a glass of red wine every so often is fine. Hell, the hormones and chemicals in food are bound to be worse! Too much paranoia if you ask me. No kid got fetal alcohol syndrome from one glass of wine. Also, as far as drinking in the first trimester - lots of children were conceived while the mother (or the father!) were very drunk and many women don't know they are pregnant until 8 weeks along, at which point many of them have carried on as usual and that more than likely involved a few cocktails here and there. If all children exposed to booze in the womb had FAS, we'd have a lot of really messed up kids walking around. Babies are resilient. If they weren't, humankind would never survive.
I am pregnant with my forth child and having a glass of wine or two once and twice a week is fine, and actually probably good for you and the baby. Being pregnant can be rather boring and a little bit of wine and a laugh is good. All my children are perfectly healthy.
Here's a quote from a doc: "We have identified fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect, which is characterized by prenatal and postnatal growth deficiency, mental retardation, behavioral disturbances and an atypical facial appearance. Congenital heart defects and brain anomalies are common and other major congenital anomalies, such as spina bifida, limb defects and genitourinary defects are seen but less commonly. This syndrome occurs in 30 to 40 percent of women who are frank alcoholics, but, as little as three ounces of absolute alcohol per day during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol syndrome consequences. Lesser amounts of alcohol may be associated with a variety of less severe manifestations in children called fetal alcohol effects. Minor anomalies, moderate growth deficiency, mild mental deficits, and subtle behavioral abnormalities are seen more frequently among children of women who averaged more than two to four alcoholic drinks daily during pregnancy. One study reported that 30 percent of offspring exposed to 14 ounces of absolute alcohol or greater around the time of conception or 3.5 ounces or greater during pregnancy had impaired neurological functions. " Note that "absolute alcohol" is 100% alc., not the 7-14% in a glass of wine.
Lots of gut feelings and knee-jerk reactions here, but not a lot of facts. Where are the quoted studies? Under the banner of "why risk it?" why not add no driving, no use of cell phone, no microwaving, no time spent in sun, no unfiltered water, no flouride... where do you stop? FAS is connected (by studies) to fairly hard-core drinking. As soon as somebody here can link to an actual scientific study that links a glass of wine (and at what percentage: are we talking one of those crazy 15% Australian Shiraz or an 11% Pinot Grigio) to pre-natal damage, then we can have a discussion.
I believe that one glass of wine here and there is okay...whoever is commenting the FAS, saying that one glass of wine will cause it, is wrong. My OB, along with many others says it's fine, so until you are an OB, maybe just keep the comments to yourself.
calli gurl calli gurl
drinking itself is unhealthy and bad. so?
Smokey11 Smokey11
With my first child - I was really really careful...Then I got sick. I was very ill w/ gallstones and Pancreatitis. At around 28 weeks - I was in the hospital for a good week. Demerol and Gravol every 4 hours! Extreme Antibiotics! And they eventually had me scheduled for surgery! They were going to put me under and hack me up - take out my gallbladder - all while I was preggers! That made me change my mind a bit - as to how "Paranoid" we are. There were many nurses and dr's trying to give my demerol and morphine - even tho they weren't sure what was wrong w/ me! I refused (being preggers) But eventually - the pain was to great - and I had to give in! I'm not saying to dope yourself up w/ drugs and wine! But - really - there are ppl out there (sick ppl) whom are pregnant that go their entire pregnancy on morphine, or other such drugs.... Whether or not a glass of wine is good/bad or harmful. The shit we breath everyday or the crap that's in any sort of processed food - is just as harmful! It's all relative! SO - One could eat a handful of pizza-pops and cheeze whiz - or one could have a glass of wine! I'd pick the kid w/ the glass of wine over the Kraft one - in heartbeat!!!
BonjourChaton BonjourChaton
Its a bad idea. There is no reason that you NEED to drink any alcohol during your pregnancy, so just don't. Why do you need to have a glass of wine to celebrate a wedding or an anniversary? I didn't drink anything during my pregnancy because why risk it just for one glass of wine? I had a birthday and an anniversary during my pregnancy and I CRAVED beer for some reason, but I felt better about it because I waited. Better safe than sorry.
vmruby vmruby
bad idea......whether it's harmful or not.Im not really a drinker, although I do like a glass of wine every now and then but not while I was pregnant.
krisua krisua
Alcohol is alcohol.
Calimie Calimie
I said "better not risk it" but I'm pretty sure that a glass of wine as a special thing is not going to harm the baby. Of course, if it becomes a daily thing or you get drunk then it will be a problem but reall, wine? It's not that terrible. I wouldn't judge anyone who did it but I wouldn't do it myself.
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