Drinking while pregnant

[Donna]

Gosh, I guess you can flame me if you want, but am I the only one here who things it's wrong to drink while pregnant? Even a glass?

Granted, i'm not a waitress in a restaurant serving a pregnant woman drinks, however i'm sure some restaurant down the line has been sued for serving liquor to a pregnant woman who has had a miscarriage or a child with brain damage.

Maybe it's the restaurant policy not to serve pregnant customers liquor?

No, you're certainly not alone in your beliefs regarding this subject. To me, it's no different than bringing your baby home from the hospital and celebrating by giving a sip of wine to the newborn! I happen to know a couple where the wife drank a few glasses of wine during her pregnancy (we were both at the same wedding) and her child was born with all kinds of problems, lived to be about 9 yrs old and died. No, it cannot be proven that drinking caused this but it cannot be disproven either. do YOU want to take that chance? i certainly would not. 9 months isn't THAT long in the whole scheme of things and a baby is certainly worth the sacrifice. I am not flaming at all, just stating my beliefs. Everyone is responsible for their own selves and fetus.
That being said, the waitress probably should have had someone else take over that table. i know for myself, I could not serve an obviously pregnant woman. Smoking is just as bad, if not worse. Heck, i didn't even drink caffeinated drinks with either of my kids! I couldn't wait to have some Dr. Pepper when i got home, lol.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Actually I had a friend whose doctor told her to continue smoking, but just cut back and eventually taper off. She smoked so much before her pregnancy that if she were to quite cold turkey, the withdrawal would have been worse for the baby than a few cigarettes. For the discalimer, I'm not a doctor, and I have no medical evidence backing that up, but thats what her doctor told her.

I know someone who was that way as well.

However that is different than telling a patient it is okay to take a few puffs a day. I'm sure in that patients case Nicotine withdrawal would have been pretty bad. At least that is what the lady I knew had said was the reason for cutting back and not going cold turkey.

 

[jodifla]

No, you're certainly not alone in your beliefs regarding this subject. To me, it's no different than bringing your baby home from the hospital and celebrating by giving a sip of wine to the newborn! I happen to know a couple where the wife drank a few glasses of wine during her pregnancy (we were both at the same wedding) and her child was born with all kinds of problems, lived to be about 9 yrs old and died. No, it cannot be proven that drinking caused this but it cannot be disproven either. do YOU want to take that chance? i certainly would not. 9 months isn't THAT long in the whole scheme of things and a baby is certainly worth the sacrifice. I am not flaming at all, just stating my beliefs. Everyone is responsible for their own selves and fetus.
That being said, the waitress probably should have had someone else take over that table. i know for myself, I could not serve an obviously pregnant woman. Smoking is just as bad, if not worse. Heck, i didn't even drink caffeinated drinks with either of my kids! I couldn't wait to have some Dr. Pepper when i got home, lol.

So, you're a bona fide member of the pregnancy police! Shame of you for suggesting that because that woman you knew had a few glasses of wine with her dinner, that she killed or damaged her child.

The truth is, no one knows what causes most birth defects.

And the generation before us drank and smoked during their pregnancies with doctor approval, and little problems.

 

[FSUGrad97]

So, you're a bona fide member of the pregnancy police! Shame of you for suggesting that because that woman you knew had a few glasses of wine with her dinner, that she killed or damaged her child.

First off, she never said that drinking resulted in the child's death.

And the generation before us drank and smoked during their pregnancies with doctor approval, and little problems.

Since this was the generation that felt it was somewhat healthy to smoke, excuse me if I don't buy your argument.

 

[scubamouse]

Another Russian adoptive mom here. We had the head of the leading US FAS research center review DS's medical files and she said 'this is not the face of FAS'. That's how worried we were about FAS.

That said, before I knew I was p/g with DD, I had a few drinks. Never drunk but a couple of beers or a glass of wine into week 5. (she was a happy suprise) When she was born I didn't count fingers or twos but looked for facial markers of FAS. For those that are in the know DD has a VERY deep philtrim, no eye folds and a super large head I worried the whole time I was p/g because of what I knew. It IS far more problematic for women to drink in the 1st trimester but even in the 3rd trimester it's not absolutely riskless

FAS and FAE last a lifetime. A quick trip around that website will scare you into not drinking while p/g.

http://www.come-over.to/fasstar/faspix/


The waitress was out of line but that's not a reason to be sanguine about the risks of drinking while p/g. Sure many kids who's moms drank came out fine but not all of them have happy outcomes.

 

[jodifla]

Another Russian adoptive mom here. We had the head of the leading US FAS research center review DS's medical files and she said 'this is not the face of FAS'. That's how worried we were about FAS.

That said, before I knew I was p/g with DD, I had a few drinks. Never drunk but a couple of beers or a glass of wine into week 5. (she was a happy suprise) When she was born I didn't count fingers or twos but looked for facial markers of FAS. For those that are in the know DD has a VERY deep philtrim, no eye folds and a super large head I worried the whole time I was p/g because of what I knew. It IS far more problematic for women to drink in the 1st trimester but even in the 3rd trimester it's not absolutely riskless

FAS and FAE last a lifetime. A quick trip around that website will scare you into not drinking while p/g.

http://www.come-over.to/fasstar/faspix/


The waitress was out of line but that's not a reason to be sanguine about the risks of drinking while p/g. Sure many kids who's moms drank came out fine but not all of them have happy outcomes.

Instead of a web site I can't verify, I go by experience....Almost all of my friends had an occasional glass of wine while they were pregnant, and no problems.

This is not to suggest you should drink while pregnant, but that statements like having a drink while pregnant is like coming home from the hospital and giving your newborn a drink are just insulting.

 

[Donna]

So, you're a bona fide member of the pregnancy police! Shame of you for suggesting that because that woman you knew had a few glasses of wine with her dinner, that she killed or damaged her child.

The truth is, no one knows what causes most birth defects.

And the generation before us drank and smoked during their pregnancies with doctor approval, and little problems.

Please reread my post...i never said this is what caused it or that "she killed her child"; do not put words in my mouth. I said it cannot be proven that it did. Believe me, she had more than a few stares that night. These people are friends of ours, what happened to them was terrible. I am saying if it were me, i would wonder what if it's something i caused.
Yes, a simple fact is drinking while pregnant is the very same as giving a child a drink. It crosses the placenta...not guessing here, it's a known medical fact. I said *I* myself would not take that chance, i was not condemning the OP or anyone else, just saying it's not what i would do. I knew i'd be flamed for putting it like that...it's just that the truth hurts and i understand that. What about doing cocaine while pregnant...i suppose thats ok too? Why not...it's the mother doing it right...not the baby?
Maybe this will help you understand:

"We have known for a long time that drinking heavily during pregnancy could lead to major impairments in growth, behavior, and cognitive function in children," said Jennifer Willford, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the study's first author. "This paper clearly shows that even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can have a significant impact on child development. ***

or this

"There is no safe level of drinking during pregnancy and there is no safe time to drink during pregnancy," said Willford. "Women need this information before pregnancy recognition and their first visit to an obstetrician so that they may make better choices about drinking if they are planning to become, or think that they may be, pregnant." ***

***http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/preg/a/blacer040316.htm

google "drinking while pregnant". I especially point out the one titled "drinking while pregnant can cause completely preventable birth defects". Nothing more needs to be said.


"

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Actually a mom cannot snort cocaine while pregnant...no more than she can when not pregnant. It is illegal.

Drinking is not illegal so these two actions cannot even remotely be compared.

Additionally--drinking heavily is not the same as one drink. While it is best to not drink at all during pregnancy--to prove that one drink actually resulted in a direct negative response by the baby resulting in harm--would be hard pressed.

Also--what 1 glass of wine does to a 300 pound person is a lot different than what it does to a 100 pound person. There is no way to test alcholol amounts and impact on pregnancy to determine what is safe which is why they suggest to not do it at all--or when they do it is in very minimal amounts.

 

[Aidensmom]

Additionally--drinking heavily is not the same as one drink. While it is best to not drink at all during pregnancy--to prove that one drink actually resulted in a direct negative response by the baby resulting in harm--would be hard pressed.

I think this is the point that a lot of people don't seem to see a distinction between, in ANY thread about alchohol on this board. One drink and drinking heavily are two COMPLETELY different things, when it comes to being pregnant, when it comes to driving, when it comes to life in general.

I don't think there is anyone on this thread that would say drinking heavily is good when you are pregnant. But I am sorry, the thought that one drink is going to have a profound lifelong effect on your unborn child is laughable.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't think there is anyone on this thread that would say drinking heavily is good when you are pregnant. But I am sorry, the thought that one drink is going to have a profound lifelong effect on your unborn child is laughable.

And I think that is why some OB's are okay with allowing a champagne toast or a toast at a wedding--in most cases it is beer or wine or champagne...not a martini or shots.

 

[kaabost]

To be honest, I wouldn't have served you either. I can't keep you from drinking but I can control what I do or don't do in reference to your baby. After spending time in a neurophysiology department reading quite a few peer reviewed scientific papers on this issue has brought me to the conclusion that I will not touch alcohol if I ever become pregnant. Realistically, a glass of wine once a week would have little effect. The thing is.....there is evidence that mild to moderate drinking increases the risk of a neurological problem.......and yes, this risk is greater if the the alcohol comes early in pregnancy. The thing that we all have to remember is that the more you drink, the more risk your baby is facing. This doesn't mean that your baby will have a neurological disorder if you drink a case of beer every night.....the baby could be fine...........but the risk of a neurological disorder is increased greatly. Conversely, many mothers who totally play by the rules give birth to babies with neurological disorders. I do think that your risk in incredibly low but not quite as low as someone who has had nothing to drink at all while pregnant.

 

[Galahad]

This is not to suggest you should drink while pregnant, but that statements like having a drink while pregnant is like coming home from the hospital and giving your newborn a drink are just insulting.

How can it be insulting to make a simple statement of fact? A mom-to-be having a glass of wine will cause some small amount of alcohol to pass to the baby - not much different that giving a baby a sip (as stated in the post) of wine after birth. It could be that neither is harmful, but it still is just a statement of fact.

 

[kaabost]

Oh, sorry, one more point. Alot of this research is relatively new. When our parents were pregnant, there wasn't any evidence that small doses of alcohol could be mildly dangerous to thier baby. Our parents didn't know better, but we should.

 

[tiggersmom2]

To be honest, I wouldn't have served you either. I can't keep you from drinking but I can control what I do or don't do in reference to your baby. After spending time in a neurophysiology department reading quite a few peer reviewed scientific papers on this issue has brought me to the conclusion that I will not touch alcohol if I ever become pregnant. Realistically, a glass of wine once a week would have little effect. The thing is.....there is evidence that mild to moderate drinking increases the risk of a neurological problem.......and yes, this risk is greater if the the alcohol comes early in pregnancy. The thing that we all have to remember is that the more you drink, the more risk your baby is facing. This doesn't mean that your baby will have a neurological disorder if you drink a case of beer every night.....the baby could be fine...........but the risk of a neurological disorder is increased greatly. Conversely, many mothers who totally play by the rules give birth to babies with neurological disorders. I do think that your risk in incredibly low but not quite as low as someone who has had nothing to drink at all while pregnant.

Honestly, it is none of your business what a pregnant woman puts in her body and I'm sure you wouldn't last long at the establishment if you decided to push your morality on others.

Also, if a woman is visibly pregnant it is usually a sure bet that she is OUT of her first trimester and quite possibly in the third. (I was 7 months before I showed) So what would your argument be for denying to serve her then?

 

[FSUGrad97]

How can it be insulting to make a simple statement of fact? A mom-to-be having a glass of wine will cause some small amount of alcohol to pass to the baby - not much different that giving a baby a sip (as stated in the post) of wine after birth. It could be that neither is harmful, but it still is just a statement of fact.

Exactly!

 

[tiggersmom2]

Oh, sorry, one more point. Alot of this research is relatively new. When our parents were pregnant, there wasn't any evidence that small doses of alcohol could be mildly dangerous to thier baby. Our parents didn't know better, but we should.

Please post a link that shows that SMALL amounts of alcohol are detrimental to the fetus.....

 

[jodifla]

Oh, sorry, one more point. Alot of this research is relatively new. When our parents were pregnant, there wasn't any evidence that small doses of alcohol could be mildly dangerous to thier baby. Our parents didn't know better, but we should.

Yes, it's new...and it doesn't really jive with what we already know from past experience.

How DID those of our generation do so well with mothers who drank?

 

[kaabost]

Please reread my post...i never said this is what caused it or that "she killed her child"; do not put words in my mouth. I said it cannot be proven that it did. Believe me, she had more than a few stares that night. These people are friends of ours, what happened to them was terrible. I am saying if it were me, i would wonder what if it's something i caused.
Yes, a simple fact is drinking while pregnant is the very same as giving a child a drink. It crosses the placenta...not guessing here, it's a known medical fact. I said *I* myself would not take that chance, i was not condemning the OP or anyone else, just saying it's not what i would do. I knew i'd be flamed for putting it like that...it's just that the truth hurts and i understand that. What about doing cocaine while pregnant...i suppose thats ok too? Why not...it's the mother doing it right...not the baby?
Maybe this will help you understand:

"We have known for a long time that drinking heavily during pregnancy could lead to major impairments in growth, behavior, and cognitive function in children," said Jennifer Willford, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and the study's first author. "This paper clearly shows that even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can have a significant impact on child development. ***

or this

"There is no safe level of drinking during pregnancy and there is no safe time to drink during pregnancy," said Willford. "Women need this information before pregnancy recognition and their first visit to an obstetrician so that they may make better choices about drinking if they are planning to become, or think that they may be, pregnant." ***

***http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/preg/a/blacer040316.htm

google "drinking while pregnant". I especially point out the one titled "drinking while pregnant can cause completely preventable birth defects". Nothing more needs to be said.


"

This fellow Diser already did post a link. Check it out for yourself. And to clarify, I wouldn't jump on my soapbox in restaurant. But I certainly wouldn't serve her alcohol. That is my business, not hers.

 

[Galahad]

Yes, it's new...and it doesn't really jive with what we already know from past experience.

How DID those of our generation do so well with mothers who drank?

The question is specious. It's like suggesting that all medical advancements can be rejected because at some point in the past a significant number of people didn't die from something we now endeavor to prevent.

 

[Galahad]

I repeat my earlier question - does the waitress deserve to loss her job for what she did?