Is one beer OK once in a while when pregnant?

[Karen sn]

I think it is. My mom thinks my one beer will get the baby drunk. What say you?

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

I think it is. My mom thinks my one beer will get the baby drunk. What say you?

I usually wait until after the first trimester, but I'll split a beer with my husband every so often. Or pour a half glass of wine with dinner. Maybe 2-3 times a month? Any more than a half and I feel weird in my legs, but it's nice not to feel completely deprived.

Barb

[Mama Bear]

I have no idea whether or not it would get a baby drunk, but having read and watched kids with FAS -- sometimes it's about what hits at a particular moment, combined with environmental issues, maternal stress...

There's no way to know what caused Q's issues, but the particular stage of development at which he was affected coincides with his diagnosis and my world blowing up.

So: I'm a little tetchy about these things and just wouldn't do it. Of course, I don't drink anyway :D and avoid everything "suspicious" --even caffeine (most days), because I'm still nursing.

[Amy in Orlando]

I don't think it's a problem. I could never stand the smell of beer when pregnant. LOL - I love beer when I'm not pregnat. But I don't think one drink every now and then is dangerous. I know there are lots of people who will disagree, though.

[Whisperlily]

I saw a news report on this the other day. I thought it was interesting.

The report carefully followed the warning that alcohol and pregnancy are not advised at all... but it explored the fact that many women DO indulge in a glass now and then with no ill effects.

They showed several women who were pregnant, some drank one glass every day, some only one on special occasions, but most didn't drink at all.

I just wouldn't... but I don't like/so don't drink alcohol anyway. ;) But according to most OB doctors they interviewed, it's pretty common for a pregnant woman to drink a glass now and then and it doesn't cause any ill effects.

This is always the kind of issue to approach with caution. There are always those who push the limit no matter how far back from the danger point... so it's better to say none at all.

[Karen sn]

You mean all that crazy stress from the @$^%$#% and that %$%#@ may have affected his development?
If I remember - you were 5 mos?

[3littlekeets]

I am not a beer drinker, but during my pregnancies, I did have an occasional glass of wine. Never more than 1, but I am believer in moderation.

Ironically, when my mother was pregnant with me, her old Irish doctor insisted that a Guinness Extra Stout a day was HEALTHY for me and her. She forced herself to choke them down a few times, but just couldn't do it. To this day, I tease my sisters that it is the beer that made me smarter :lol::lol:

[Mrs Mungo]

I had two of my babies in Germany and the docs kept trying to talk me into drinking beer and kept reiterating that a glass of wine is fine. I think they thought Americans were freaks for thinking pregnant women shouldn't drink at all (just the vibe I got from my docs, no judgement on my part). I'm not that much of a drinker (despite my avatar!) so I didn't drink. I did drink probably a soda a day though, I'm a total soda addict.

[TCoppock]

I had an awful pregnancy with my DS so I walked on eggshells. No alcohol, no caffine, no processed meats, etc. I know I probable went WAY overboard being cautious but I wasn't about to do anything that put DS at risk. I will probably be just as careful if I ever get pregnant again but that is just me. I am a worrier so I would not advise anyone to drink but that is just me.

[gardenschooler]

I think one is probably fine, with food. But not around your mom!

[Tap, tap, tap]

If my future child was born with problems or a disability, would the fact that I drank XXX make me feel like I may have unnecessarily caused the problems?


I quit smoking, caffeine, alcohol, and using any cleaning chemicals while pg with my ds. He was born with major allergies/asthma and I would have absolutely blamed myself if I hadn't have quit.

I smoked for less than a month while I was pg, until the week I found out. Then I quit. If it effected his health, there was no way I could have known I was pg so I have no guilt about it. IF I had continued during my pgy...I would always wonder if it could have been prevented.

I error in favor of my child's health. We know a lot of alcohol can cause a lot of problems...so does a little cause a little bit of problems? What is the magic number? If you are totally stressed out (to the point where it could effect the baby) and need a little calm down...then I would have to weigh the risk/benefit.

[Colleen]

I did drink wine, and beer at times, during all five of my pregnancies. Not every day ~ particularly as I was often ill while pregnant, so keeping anything down was an issue. But certainly, I drank. Like Mrs. Mungo said, there's a different take on this in some other countries, too, and I did have my first while in Europe.

[Ottakee]

As a mom of a child with FAS I would stay away totally. Now, most likely it would not hurt but seeing my son's struggles, I would not want to take that chance.

[AmyinPA]

I've "followed" his advice ;) during all six pregnancies with no problems. But I would not drink in public...it would just open me up to public scutiny, kwim?

[Plaid Dad]

Obviously this is wholly hypothetical in my case, but I would not take the risk of drinking more than a sip of communion wine during pregnancy. What does your doctor advise?

[Sue G in PA]

Too dangerous for the developing baby. I wait until the last few weeks (37 +). My midwife usually recommends a small glass of wine and a hot bath to "relax" me when I get too anxious or can't sleep well. By this point, it won't harm the baby (development is complete). Drinking before this point would worry me. But, that's just me :)

[*anj*]

I never drank in the first trimester, but I did drink after that. As others have mentioned, it was an occasional serving of beer or wine. I think there is a huge difference between heavy drinking and enjoying a few servings of alcohol per week.

Anecdotal story:
My friend Pam is the youngest of six children. They were all born within 8 years and there was one set of twins. Her mother's doctor told her to be sure and have a glass of wine every night because she needed to relax. Her mom followed his orders and ended up with six Phi Beta Kappas, two of whom are Biologists. They are all very talented and highly intelligent, and good looking to boot!

Okay, so there you go. Drink a beer. It'll make your kids smarter! :tongue_smilie:

[Jenny in Atl]

I was told caffeine was far more dangerous (leading to miscarriages) vs. one glass of wine or beer (a day), let alone every so often. Recent studies seem to support this.

[Holly IN]

When I was pregnant...My ob said after 1st trimester a glass of wine every now and then is fine.

So I drank (seldom) wine probably 1-2 times a month.

Holly

[Tracey in TX]

Entire bottle of wine when I was pregnant with the triplets--before I knew I was pregnant. When talking to the OB, he said not to worry b/c it was "still in the cell division stage" ROFL!

I've had an occasional sip of wine or beer during the other two pregnancies, but not even an entire glass. Just enough to enjoy the taste, but not feel neglectful. (The wine incident while pg w/ triplets was a fluke--was horrified to find out I was pg when it happened. Never recommend that to anyone!)

If you do have a drink, don't do it near mom. Won't be enjoyable if she gives "the mom look" :tongue_smilie:

Have happy, healthy pregnancy,

[Canada_Mom]

Entire bottle of wine when I was pregnant with the triplets--before I knew I was pregnant.

So embarrassing to admit, but I did this too w/one of mine. The pg test came back negative and I was pretty bummed out so DH and I figured it was safe to enjoy some drinks. I don't think I've ever drank an entire bottle of wine to myself before. I have a high tolerance for alcohol so I wasn't staggering drunk or anything... but...

I was mortified!! when found out a few weeks later I was pg the whole time!!! I stressed the whole rest of the pg but baby turned out fine, healthy and I have to admit, one smart little cookie!

I have to agree with Tap... if at the end of the pg you learn your child is born with difficulties or disabilities, would you blame yourself? Some of these things are just unavoidable, no matter how hard you try. But if it's something you would blame yourself for or it would always bother you that MAYBE it was the beer that caused it, I'd skip the beer. A lifetime of guilt isn't worth the 2 oz of pleasure...

[Sarah CB]

[QUOTE=3littlekeets;108888]

Ironically, when my mother was pregnant with me, her old Irish doctor insisted that a Guinness Extra Stout a day was HEALTHY for me and her. [QUOTE]

I had my third child in England and this is what the midwives recommended when my iron was low. I think that Canada and the US sometimes fall to the paranoid side of being safe. Living in England taught me a lot about moderation.

Sarah

[Bess]

Wow, I am really shocked at the opinions expressed here! To say that other countries do it, therefore it is probably okay just isn't a safe answer for me! Look up FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome), and you might be surprised to find out the facts of drinking alcohol in pregnancy. Sure, your baby might not be affected....it all depends on how the individual baby metabolizes alcohol. I remember reading that there have been twins born to a mother who drank, one is fine, and the other has full blown FAS. It really just depends. That is why I would *never* take the chance. If alcohol drunk within a three day period in early development can change the entire facial features of a person (which it *does*), then I wouldn't trust it at all at any stage in pregnancy...obviously it gets to the baby. FAS is irreversable and is brain damage.

[Daisy]

I guess I just have the menality that if it's, "just a beer" why not just skip it for 9 months. I can't imagine how horrible I would feel if I did occasionally drink and something went wrong with the pregancy (even if unrelated). It just wouldn't be worth it to me.

[abbeyej]

Having known some FAS kids, the risk to me, however small, is absolutely not worth it.

The research I've seen is inconclusive -- it's clear that there isn't a particular quantity of alcohol or time during gestation when drinking causes FAS, and some women drink to great excess without any clear problems for their babies while others drink moderately with devastating consequences.

So I won't. I remember offending someone when I wouldn't drink champagne while pregnant with ds. I'm pretty confident it would have been fine to have that one drink, and I wouldn't blame someone else for doing it. ... But I didn't *need* the champagne, and mildly offending a host was of much lesser import to me than doing everything I could to protect my baby from one of the few things I *do* have control over.

[Peek a Boo]

Wow, I am really shocked at the opinions expressed here! To say that other countries do it, therefore it is probably okay just isn't a safe answer for me! Look up FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome), and you might be surprised to find out the facts of drinking alcohol in pregnancy. Sure, your baby might not be affected....it all depends on how the individual baby metabolizes alcohol. I remember reading that there have been twins born to a mother who drank, one is fine, and the other has full blown FAS. It really just depends. That is why I would *never* take the chance. If alcohol drunk within a three day period in early development can change the entire facial features of a person (which it *does*), then I wouldn't trust it at all at any stage in pregnancy...obviously it gets to the baby. FAS is irreversable and is brain damage.


well now Bess, the problem w/ your post is that alcohol drunk w/in that three days development period DOESN't guarantee the entire facial features will be changed. The study of teratogens is quite extensive, and as you mentioned, FAS is picky. It is not doomed to affect every child.

My answer isn't dependent upon "what other countries do" but --as you stated --upon *facts*.

http://people.uwec.edu/piercech/FAS/FAS...htm
"Risk factors important when assessing the effects of alcohol exposure on fetal brain development include maternal drinking patterns, differences in maternal metabolism, differences in genetic susceptibility, timing of the alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and variation in the vulnerability of different brain regions."

There are a lot of variables to consider when studying teratogens.

http://science.jrank.org/pages/2698/Fetal-Alcohol-Syndrome.html
"Although the prevalence of FAS is not known for certain, it is estimated that there are between 0.5 to three cases of FAS per 1,000 liveborns in most populations."

and I'd lay money that more than a few gals per thousand births are drinking alcohol during the first trimester. that doesn't mean that drinking alcohol is necessarily "ok", but neitehr is it an automatic FAS diagnosis if you drink a beer while pregnant.

My own advice would be to limit it as much as I could, esp during the first trimester. The best argument is that of all the things that MIGHT happen to your baby in utero, FAS is the one thing you CAN completely prevent :)
Your kid might have developmental problems, but it won't be because of FAS.

but I'd probably be one to drink some alcohol in public while pg in the third trimester just to point out the REAL facts about teratogens and development. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that just because something is a teratogen it's like feeding your kid a lethal dose of rat poison. That's not how most teratogens work [or more precisely, the most common ones: alcohol and supposedly caffeine].

I would advise a study on teratogens in context for those interested, not just a study of FAS.

[Claire]

I have to agree with abbeyej. If my baby ended up having problems, I would feel better knowing that alcohol could not have played a role simply because I hadn't had any during pregnancy. For me, better safe than wondering.....

[StaceyinLA]

have 4 very healthy children. This is not to say that it is always okay for everyone by any stretch.

I would wait until after the first trimester as well (though many women imbibe not even knowing they are pregnant early on - myself included), but then I'd drink a small glass a week with no worries.

In light of this discussion (but NOT necessarily pertaining to anyone here, just people I've met IRL), I always find it interesting to see how many women will not drink a drop, take a tylenol, dye their hair, etc. during pregnancy, but will go in labor and have every drug under the sun before delivery and never consider how THAT affects their babies. The difference between my one medicated baby (c-section) and my 3 natural babies was unreal! The medicated one was so much sleepier, less alert, etc. that first week, while the other 3 were born raring to go, nursing immediately, etc.

Oh well, it's just something that always intrigues me...

[Marie in Oh]

anyone here would drink enough alcohol to have it affect their unborn baby. We are talking about an occasional beer or glass of wine, maybe on a Friday night with dinner out with your husband, not several per day. The same with caffine. No one is talking about drinking a pot of coffee every day during pregnancy, but one cup, maybe every day, or just a few days a week.

Every OB I have had has said a cup of coffee a day and an occasional glass of wine during pregnancy is fine, and I have had 4 different OB's. There are new things all the time you aren't supposed to do when you are pregnant-- eat lunch meat, eat feta cheese and other soft cheeses, take hot baths, etc. I have done all these things while pregnant. Obviously, one should not do these things if they go against your druthers. But, if a person can in sound mind enjoy a glass of wine on their anniversary while expecting, I think that is the moderate approach.

[Valerie in Chicago]

gave me this advice when I asked about all of my favorite things:

caffeine: I could still have my morning tea. Switch to decaf after that.

sushi: It's ok if it's from a reputable place that I trust (the place we've been hitting every week for 8 years). But no shellfish.

alcohol: No. None. You're growing a brain. Why take a chance?

when I thought I needed a root canal: he said, "don't let them give you any bu*****t about painkillers, get the novacaine."

So he was ok with novacaine of all things (I ended up NOT needing the root canal, thank God), but said no to alcohol.

[PrairieAir]

I'm another one who indulged a bit too much one night before finding out I was pregnant. I haven't had Jim Beam since. I couldn't figure out why I felt so nauseous all the next day until I took a pregnancy test a few weeks later. Thank God our oldest son was fine. That was one of the few times in my life I've been drunk and it just happened to be at a particularly bad time.

I did drink an occasional wine cooler, glass of wine, or a few sips of dh's beer when I was pregnant with the other three. I'd say maybe an average of three drinks during each pregnancy and never enough to even feel tipsy. I don't believe such a small amount is a risk.

When I was nursing my oldest, a family friend who was very into health foods insisted that having an occasional beer was a good practice for nursing moms. She said it made the milk come in better or something. I'm not big on beer, so I never really followed her advice.