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AnnE-girl
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I'm not expecting my period until Friday or Saturday, but I've had a few odd things that could be really early pregnancy symptoms. Or just early, bad PMS. If I'm literally a week along, and not able to verify yet, it's still ok to have a glass of wine, right? It would be too early to really negatively affect a possible baby, right? We have a dinner for DH's work Wednesday night that will have wine at the table and his coworkers will definitely notice if I'm not partaking.

 

It's probably nothing. But I've been really cranky, bloated (but it's suddenly 90 degrees, which always makes me swell up), and I had a feeling like round ligament pain when I stood up earlier. DH is going to stop by the dollar store for tests when he can get away from work this week. I'll keep you posted.

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Yes, it's fine for you to have a glass of wine:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/study-no-connection-between-drinking-alcohol-early-in-pregnancy-and-birth-problems-201309106667

 

Hope you get the answer you want, whatever that may be!

Thanks! It's one of those things that I know rationally is probably fine, but the worry is still there. We're in the "technically trying to avoid, but it wouldn't be awful if it happened" stage. :-)

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As the mother of a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome it is a shock to read an encouragement to drink toward a woman who is possibly pregnant. Yes, there is a possibility that alcohol affects children in the early stages. I am very well-read on the subject and varying research and opinions. Please, please do not tell people it is ok based on a Harvard article or even your own OB's recommendation. Obstetricians do not specialize in juvenile disorders. Canada is actually far ahead of the US in understanding FAS. My own pediatrician, who is awesome, acknowledged that I likely know than she. These doctors are experts in their field, but not this specialized area. The same goes with many, many doctors in related fields like psychology and education. There is very little understanding of the cause and effect relationship.

 

That said, OP, if you had a glass of wine, please don't worry about it. Genetics and frequency of use do play a part in the affect alcohol can have on a child. If you are expecting, the baby is likely fine. I know this isn't a perfect analogy, but it is like driving a car with no seat belts on a crazy busy road in a foreign country and not wearing a seat belt. You might walk away from that ride just fine, but the next time you would be better off to ride in a car with a seatbelt. So what I am saying is, why take a chance of injury if you have the opportunity to choose otherwise?

 

All the best to you, and I hope your news goes the way you hope.

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Quote

 

 

What about occasional drinking in pregnancy?

Researchers don't know for sure what a few drinks over a short period early in pregnancy can do to a developing child. That's why the experts agree that once you've started trying for a baby or know you're pregnant, it's best to stop drinking alcohol. It hasn't been worked out what a safe level of drinking might be, or if there is a safe level. The NHMRC recommend that you give up drinking if you are planning a pregnancy. 


https://www.babycenter.com.au/a3542/alcohol-during-pregnancy#ixzz4j6J5mqvZ

Edited by Melissa in Australia
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I absolutely would not.

 

Yes, most babies will be fine.

 

Yes, there are probably other factors we haven't identified yet that could predict which babies might be seriously impacted and which will be fine.

 

...but I cannot see how a glass of wine could be worth the risk.

 

To me it is like driving a baby without a seat-belt.  Yes, most of the time it would turn out okay... but the potential for serious, irreparable harm is very, very real.

 

ETA: I have never parented, or even been close to, a child with FAS, so I have no personal experience... and I still find the risk unacceptable.

Edited by AVNB
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She doesn't want to have "a few drinks over a short period," even though there's no proof that would be harmful. She wants to sip on a glass of wine with dinner. 

 

There is absolutely no evidence that light drinking in pregnancy causes any harm. There's at least one study that shows no behavioral differences in 5-yr-old children whose mothers had one to two drinks per week or per occasion while pregnant: 

http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/drinking-alcohol-during-pregnancy#2

 

I absolutely get what a tragedy it is when children are affected for life by substance abuse while in the womb, but I also think that people should asses risk as sensibly as possible, and that the stress of trying to do everything absolutely right during pregnancy is also harmful. In my opinion, if light drinking during pregnancy had a notable negative effect, we would be aware of it. There are tons of data available on mothers who state that they drink on occasion while pregnant, and then the corresponding birth and infant data. 

 

Fetal alcohol syndrome is tragic, but it isn't related to sipping a glass of wine with dinner. 

 

 

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She doesn't want to have "a few drinks over a short period," even though there's no proof that would be harmful. She wants to sip on a glass of wine with dinner. 

 

There is absolutely no evidence that light drinking in pregnancy causes any harm. There's at least one study that shows no behavioral differences in 5-yr-old children whose mothers had one to two drinks per week or per occasion while pregnant: 

http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/drinking-alcohol-during-pregnancy#2

 

I absolutely get what a tragedy it is when children are affected for life by substance abuse while in the womb, but I also think that people should asses risk as sensibly as possible, and that the stress of trying to do everything absolutely right during pregnancy is also harmful. In my opinion, if light drinking during pregnancy had a notable negative effect, we would be aware of it. There are tons of data available on mothers who state that they drink on occasion while pregnant, and then the corresponding birth and infant data. 

 

Fetal alcohol syndrome is tragic, but it isn't related to sipping a glass of wine with dinner. 

so you would drink a known toxin that may have serious life long brain damage on your child just so you could have a night out?

 

so so sad

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To me it is like driving a baby without a seat-belt.  Yes, most of the time it would turn out okay... but the potential for serious, irreparable harm is very, very real.

 

 

 

To me, it is absolutely nothing like riding without a seat belt. The potential for harm in that case is both self-evident and thoroughly documented. 

 

The potential for harm from sipping a glass of wine is neither. There is zero documentation that any baby, ever, has been irreparably harmed because mom engaged in light drinking during pregnancy. The potential for serious, irreparable harm is not very, very real, because there is absolutely no evidence for it. 

 

Not drinking at all during pregnancy is certainly a valid choice, particularly if it makes one feel calmer and less stressed. I just don't think it's actually necessary, and that people who weigh the evidence (or lack thereof) and decide to have a drink are also making a valid choice. 

Edited by katilac
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To me, it is absolutely nothing like riding without a seat belt. The potential for harm in that case is both self-evident and thoroughly documented. 

 

The potential for harm from sipping a glass of wine is neither. There is zero documentation that any baby, ever, has been irreparably harmed because mom engaged in light drinking during pregnancy. The potential for serious, irreparable harm is not very, very real, because there is absolutely no evidence for it. 

 

Not drinking at all during pregnancy is certainly a valid choice, particularly if it makes one feel calmer and less stressed. I just don't think it's actually necessary, and that people who weigh the evidence (or lack thereof) and decide to have a drink are also making a valid choice. 

 

There have, indeed, been studies in which no harm was caused by moderate drinking - but there have been ones which show otherwise.  The harm caused by damaging levels of alcohol are also self-evident and thoroughly documented.  

 

What is less clear is what "damaging levels" are and *for whom*. 

 

Until we know that, the CDC, the Surgeon General, and American Academy of Pediatricians all advise that there is **no safe level of alcohol** during pregnancy.

 

Quotes from those agencies (links to sites below): "There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant. There is also no known safe time during pregnancy or safe type of alcohol.Ă¢â‚¬

and "Ă¢â‚¬Å“There is no safe amount of alcohol when a woman is pregnant. Evidence-based research has found that drinking even small amounts of alcohol while pregnant can increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, or sudden infant death syndrome.Ă¢â‚¬

 

And, from an article about a study published in the Lancet: "...the lead researcher of a large study conducted at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto is saying the message should be clear: Ă¢â‚¬Å“There is no safe amount of alcohol, no safe time and no safe type of alcohol to drink during pregnancy,Ă¢â‚¬ says Dr. Svetlana Popova, a senior scientist in social and epidemiological research at CAMH. In fact, if you want to become pregnant, Dr. Popova suggests that you completely avoid alcohol for at least two months before conception."

 

Please, everyone, *stop asserting the concerns expressed here are unreasonable and undocumented*  Choose your own risk comfort levels, but do not dismiss the concerns raised here.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/facts.html

 

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/documents/surgeongenbookmark.pdf

 

https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorders-toolkit/Pages/Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx#ques19

 

https://www.todaysparent.com/pregnancy/being-pregnant/a-new-study-on-drinking-during-pregnancy-draws-alarming-conclusions/

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so you would drink a known toxin that may have serious life long brain damage on your child just so you could have a night out?

 

so so sad

 

This is the kind of statement that makes science want to cry. 

 

A toxin is medically defined as a poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria. 

 

Can one get alcohol poisoning? Yes, of course, but alcohol is not toxic when used in moderation, and many things are toxic when taken in too-large quantities, including water. 

 

There is no evidence for the statement that light drinking by the mother may cause serious brain damage in the child. 

 

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Add me to the list of people who think you shouldn't drink if there is any possibility that you might be pregnant.

 

Would it harm the baby if you had the wine? I don't honestly know for sure, but there are too many conflicting opinions on the topic so I certainly wouldn't take a chance on having the wine just because I was worried about what the other people at the table at dinner would think about it if I didn't drink. Plenty of people don't drink under any circumstances, so I don't think it would be a big deal if you decided not to drink at this one event.

 

Basically, I'm saying that for me personally, it wouldn't be worth even a slight risk because it's such an easy risk to avoid. Your life isn't going to be better because you had a few glasses of wine, so why bother having them?

 

Obviously, only you can make the final decision on this, and it all comes down to how important it is for you to please the other people at the dinner. (It doesn't sound like you would care that much about the wine if you weren't concerned about others' comments about it, so that's why I'm assuming the wine isn't otherwise important to you.)

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This is the kind of statement that makes science want to cry. 

 

A toxin is medically defined as a poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria. 

 

Can one get alcohol poisoning? Yes, of course, but alcohol is not toxic when used in moderation, and many things are toxic when taken in too-large quantities, including water. 

 

There is no evidence for the statement that light drinking by the mother may cause serious brain damage in the child. 

 

Quote form the Australian Medical Advisory Board. 

 

Alcohol is a toxin. When you drink, it rapidly reaches your baby through your bloodstream and across the placenta.

 

https://www.babycenter.com.au/a3542/alcohol-during-pregnancy#ixzz4j6eoBThQ

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There have, indeed, been studies in which no harm was caused by moderate drinking - but there have been ones which show otherwise.  The harm caused by damaging levels of alcohol are also self-evident and thoroughly documented.  

 

<snip>

 

 

Please, everyone, *stop asserting the concerns expressed here are unreasonable and undocumented*  Choose your own risk comfort levels, but do not dismiss the concerns raised here.

 

 

The blasted forum ate my response; let's see if I can remember my own points: 

 

My wording was actually light drinking; even so, I don't see any studies in your list that actually address harm from light or moderate drinking. 

 

The doctor in the last link specifically states that it is binge drinking and heavy regular drinking that have evidence linking them to FASD, and also specifically states that this study did not look at amounts of alcohol consumed (in other words, it cannot address light or moderate drinking, because that information is not included). 

 

She does state that "even smaller amounts" than binge drinking or heavy regular drinking can cause damage, but 'less than absolutely way too much'  does not equal light or even moderate drinking in my book. She leaves it undefined, and does not cite any specific evidence.  

 

The last link does state that "even light to moderate amounts of alcohol can have adverse effects" but it does not give evidence for this, and does not name or link any studies. If you have this information, I'll definitely take a look at it. 

 

I am not dismissing anyone's concerns, and specifically stated that not drinking during pregnancy was a valid choice. I am asserting that that they are undocumented, because to my knowledge they are. 

Edited by katilac
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I'm not expecting my period until Friday or Saturday, but I've had a few odd things that could be really early pregnancy symptoms. Or just early, bad PMS. If I'm literally a week along, and not able to verify yet, it's still ok to have a glass of wine, right? It would be too early to really negatively affect a possible baby, right? We have a dinner for DH's work Wednesday night that will have wine at the table and his coworkers will definitely notice if I'm not partaking.

 

It's probably nothing. But I've been really cranky, bloated (but it's suddenly 90 degrees, which always makes me swell up), and I had a feeling like round ligament pain when I stood up earlier. DH is going to stop by the dollar store for tests when he can get away from work this week. I'll keep you posted.

 

Do you even want to drink or is this about avoiding, "why aren't you drinking?" looks/whispers?

 

Honestly, if you are nervous, just don't drink and let them stare. I am not drinking right now because of a medication. There are lots of reasons people don't drink.

 

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I'll side-step the main debate and say that it is pretty easy to put a glass of wine in front of yourself and wet your lips from time to time, get your DH to "taste" how good it is and down half the glass for you, and then leave it from there.  It's also easy to say you've just taken a headache medicine and the wine will re-awaken your migraine, or that you don't like alcohol when it's so hot/cold/humid/dry out, or that you spent the day working in the yard and feel too dehydrated for it, or simply to say nothing at all and order yourself some iced tea or what-have-you.  

 

If people seriously suspect pregnancy every time a woman chooses a non-alcoholic beverage, we as a society are so thoroughly messed up that I would not even give it another thought...  

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I was also of the mind that, if there could be any chance, I would just forego. If anything should go wrong with the baby, I did not want to wonder if it was because of my "harmless" glass of wine. Early pregnancy is also when the neural tube is beginning to develop, so that always scared me.

 

I just don't think it's worth it if I have any notion I could be pregnant.

 

I also never did te "pump and dump" thing while bfing. While I nursed a baby, I had no alcohol ever.

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I'm not one to be flippant about my children's health and safety, no matter how tiny and theoretical they may be. I'm talking about scientifically, at the stage of a possible embryo being implanted in the uterine lining for barely a week, is there enough sharing of the mother's blood supply that a small amount of alcohol actually passes to the baby? I'm not asking about, or considering, drinking throughout a possible pregnancy.

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I'll side-step the main debate and say that it is pretty easy to put a glass of wine in front of yourself and wet your lips from time to time, get your DH to "taste" how good it is and down half the glass for you, and then leave it from there. It's also easy to say you've just taken a headache medicine and the wine will re-awaken your migraine, or that you don't like alcohol when it's so hot/cold/humid/dry out, or that you spent the day working in the yard and feel too dehydrated for it, or simply to say nothing at all and order yourself some iced tea or what-have-you.

 

If people seriously suspect pregnancy every time a woman chooses a non-alcoholic beverage, we as a society are so thoroughly messed up that I would not even give it another thought... [/quote

 

Thanks for the suggestions. It's more that his coworkers know me well enough to know that I do enjoy having a drink or two on the very rare occasions that we go to grownup dinners, not a general cultural suspicion of a woman not drinking.

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I'm not one to be flippant about my children's health and safety, no matter how tiny and theoretical they may be. I'm talking about scientifically, at the stage of a possible embryo being implanted in the uterine lining for barely a week, is there enough sharing of the mother's blood supply that a small amount of alcohol actually passes to the baby? I'm not asking about, or considering, drinking throughout a possible pregnancy.

I think the bigger question is -- why does it matter so much to you?

 

It seems obvious that there is no absolute scientific proof one way or the other, so you might be taking a risk by drinking and you might not. But is it so important for you to drink at this one particular dinner that you would consider taking even a remote possibility of a risk to your baby's health, when it appears that you are already concerned about it?

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Thanks for the suggestions. It's more that his coworkers know me well enough to know that I do enjoy having a drink or two on the very rare occasions that we go to grownup dinners, not a general cultural suspicion of a woman not drinking.

But Monica and heartlikealion also gave you very valid and believable excuses. Monica said you could say you've had a headache and that's why you're not drinking and heartlikealion suggested that you say you're taking a medication and can't drink.

 

What I don't understand is why you're placing so much importance on what your dh's coworkers will think if you don't drink at one dinner. That makes no sense to me. Are they such horrible gossips that they'll immediately start spreading rumors that you're pregnant if you don't drink this one time? And why would you care if they did?

 

Use either Monica or heartlikealion's excuse if you're worried about what they will say. But really, what your dh's coworkers think shouldn't even be an issue here, and it certainly shouldn't rank above any concerns you might have about having a drink while you might be pregnant.

Edited by Catwoman
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Personally, I would call my OBGYN if I were you and just ask. He or she will have an opinion and that's where I would base my decision.

The amount of things "dangerous" for pregnant women these days caused mine to literally laugh out loud when we discussed some of them now listed in books. He was fine with me drinking a glass of wine when I wanted, as well as eating lunch meat, owning a cat, eating peanut butter, and a host of other things. He's been delivering babies for 40 years, so his opinion I trust and I followed HIS recommendations. I had a friend with a much younger OBGYN who said absolutely not- no wine, no lunch meat, no peanuts, don't pump gas into your own car, and many other things. She trusted her doctor and followed her orders. We both had healthy, intelligent kids and felt at peace with our decisions. And that's the way it should be. I'm not downplaying FAS. I'm saying source your decisions carefully.

All that to say- trust your doctor and what they tell you. Not people off the internet who are going to comb up whatever links that support their MO one way or another without presenting both sides of a medical discussion that is definitely not settled science. I am assuming you trust your doctor. Make use of the question line. It will put your mind at ease one way or another.

Edited by texasmom33
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I'm not one to be flippant about my children's health and safety, no matter how tiny and theoretical they may be. I'm talking about scientifically, at the stage of a possible embryo being implanted in the uterine lining for barely a week, is there enough sharing of the mother's blood supply that a small amount of alcohol actually passes to the baby? I'm not asking about, or considering, drinking throughout a possible pregnancy.

When I was trying to get pregnant my OBGYN told me u til I had missed my period.....there was no placenta yet and no sharing.

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You could order club soda with a lime at the bar in a lowball glass and it would look like any number of vodka drinks. Or just ask the bartender for some kind of pretend drink. :)

 

I had a drink or two before I knew I was pregnant with my last baby, and it worried me like crazy. I wasn't supposed to be able to get pregnant, so it wasn't something I risked on purpose. My OB and all my research said it was beyond fine at that stage.

 

Good luck!

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I would. I did! I have one drink a couple nights a week. Didn't change at all in pregnancy except for morning sickness. No study has ever shown any effect whatsoever at less than 14 drinks per week. I think it's ridiculous that people are trying to shame all mothers into giving up perfectly acceptable things that pose no risk in normal amounts. Like pregnancy isn't unpleasant enough already. (I have three boys, all very bright, drank lightly during all pregnancies.) But I am willing to accept more risk than most people today in most circumstances. My babies sleep on their tummies, for instance. I think our extreme risk aversion as a culture is unhealthy.

 

Of course the AAP says never ever. Who's more risk averse than a doctor at constant risk of being sued?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I had a friend with a much younger OBGYN who said absolutely not- no wine, no lunch meat, no peanuts, don't pump gas into your own car, and many other things.

Wait, pregnant women are not supposed to pump their own gas? The others I can sort of see the logic in, but the last I have never heard of and now need to know why on earth this is a thing.

 

OP - I would have the wine. I had a beer around the time that you're talking with my youngest because I had no intentions of getting pregnant and had no idea I was pregnant. She is as normal as a person can be.

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Wait, pregnant women are not supposed to pump their own gas? The others I can sort of see the logic in, but the last I have never heard of and now need to know why on earth this is a thing.

 

OP - I would have the wine. I had a beer around the time that you're talking with my youngest because I had no intentions of getting pregnant and had no idea I was pregnant. She is as normal as a person can be.

This was her doctors thing. The only time I had heard it before was a friend whose husband was a PhD in environmental science that I worked with at UT. He wouldn't let his wife touch a gas nozzle while pregnant either. I can't remember the term she used- it's been years ago. He had to him, sound logic on it as did other friends doctor. On a plus side they didn't have to worry about getting gas for nine months. Their husbands had to do it, so there was actually a benefit on that one. :)

 

ETA- I had to fill my own car up during every pregnancy. But I enjoyed turkey sandwiches and Pinot Grigio on occasion too, so I guess we can't have it all.

Edited by texasmom33
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But Monica and heartlikealion also gave you very valid and believable excuses. Monica said you could say you've had a headache and that's why you're not drinking and heartlikealion suggested that you say you're taking a medication and can't drink.

 

What I don't understand is why you're placing so much importance on what your dh's coworkers will think if you don't drink at one dinner. That makes no sense to me. Are they such horrible gossips that they'll immediately start spreading rumors that you're pregnant if you don't drink this one time? And why would you care if they did?

 

Use either Monica or heartlikealion's excuse if you're worried about what they will say. But really, what your dh's coworkers think shouldn't even be an issue here, and it certainly shouldn't rank above any concerns you might have about having a drink while you might be pregnant.

I agree with you, but I will say, it always was very annoying to me if I would bypass a drink and people would immediately think pregnancy. It's really nobody's beeswax if I want a glass or don't want a glass.

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FWIW, when I was in the very early stages of my first pregnancy, I skipped the wine at a dinner with friends without explaining why. Later, when we told our friends I was pregnant, they high-fived each other and said they'd guessed that night, but didn't want to say anything.

 

I don't have an opinion on whether the OP should or shouldn't drink, but I wouldn't take co-workers' comments into consideration. At various times in my life I've refused alcohol for various reasons. No big deal.

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I wouldn't because if I did I would spend the whole pregnancy worrying that it might have hurt my baby.

 

Because even tiny risks seem huge to me when I am pregnant.

 

This of course is more a commentary on my own psychology than on the actual level of risk.

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I remember being a child thinking why would anyone EVER have a drink of alcohol because it kills brain cells? It's an insanely stupid thing to even consider.

Then I grew up.

 

 

I worried when I was pregnant about a lot of things, but, an occassional small glass of wine........... nope .

 

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The effects of FAS go beyond intelligence and behavior. In fact, many kids with FAS score high in IQ. There can be unseen brain damage as well as damage to other organs in the body. FAS is often misdiagnosed as other problems, like SPD and ADHD because it doesn't cross parents' minds that alcohol could be a factor.

 

Again, an OB might not be the best source of information. Research into this disorder is being done, but understanding and knowledge are increasing slowly.

 

This information is not meant to shame, but to raise awareness. It is amazing that those who admit they have no experience with FAS are advising light to moderate drinking. Please do not pick and choose research to fit your opinion. I live with a child whose birth mom claims she was not drinking during pregnancy. I do not blame her for what happened, but I suspect she might mean she was not drinking heavily until after that time. This mentality of a little drinking is fine could be influencing that claim and complicating my child's medical care. She loved her child and wanted what was best for her, just as we all do.

 

The best thing is to either abstain or do extensive research of your own. I suspect most would find it easier to abstain.

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But wait a second. If even one glass of wine could be dangerous, even in the very earliest stages of pregnancy, why aren't all women of childbearing age who could get pregnant (basically anyone having intercourse with men) advised to abstain from all alcohol?

 

Not snark, I'm wondering about this now.

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This information is not meant to shame, but to raise awareness. It is amazing that those who admit they have no experience with FAS are advising light to moderate drinking. Please do not pick and choose research to fit your opinion.

.

Is there any research whatsoever showing that light drinking leads to ADHD? I've searched and never seen it, but I'm always willing to reconsider when there's new research.

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Ah, I'm sorry to have started all the  :boxing_smiley: .

 

I respect that people feel passionately about this. 

 

OP, if you're going to worry about it, I think zoobie's advice is good. Just order a fake drink.  :)

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I would. I did. I would again. I wouldn't give any thought or concern to having A glass of wine occasionally with my dinner while pregnant or while breastfeeding.

 

It's a beverage that's been common to the world in various forms for thousands of years. For most of history and still in many places in the world today, the wine was/is safer to drink than the water. Like most things, excess is unhealthy.

 

Eta: I don't feel strongly about this. I honestly do not care what another woman does and appreciate them minding their own business wrt to my decisions as well.

Edited by Murphy101
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But wait a second. If even one glass of wine could be dangerous, even in the very earliest stages of pregnancy, why aren't all women of childbearing age who could get pregnant (basically anyone having intercourse with men) advised to abstain from all alcohol?

 

Not snark, I'm wondering about this now.

Not to project upon anybody - this is simply what *I* did - when I was not on birth control and either TTC or open to conceiving, I did not drink any alcohol during that time.* And then when I was pg, and then when I was nursing, I did not drink a sip of alcohol whatsoever. If you're doing the math, you will guess I went several years without alcohol. I simply did not think it was worth wondering in the case something went wrong. And then, something *did* go wrong, my baby died, but I am glad it was clearly not because of drinking alcohol.

 

*I think there were a few times when I had my period and so, was reasonably certain I had not conceived, that I did imbibe.

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I was also of the mind that, if there could be any chance, I would just forego. If anything should go wrong with the baby, I did not want to wonder if it was because of my "harmless" glass of wine. Early pregnancy is also when the neural tube is beginning to develop, so that always scared me.

 

I just don't think it's worth it if I have any notion I could be pregnant.

 

I also never did te "pump and dump" thing while bfing. While I nursed a baby, I had no alcohol ever.

 

I didn't pump and dump - I just drank and nursed. The concentration of alcohol in breast milk is the same as the concentration in your blood stream - so if you're absolutely falling down drunk, it might get as high as one or two percent. At the levels of drinking I was actually doing (one with dinner)? Completely negligible. Pump and dump for alcohol is an unscientific moral ritual.

 

When I was pregnant I had about a quarter of a glass of wine at about eighteen weeks. That was as much as I was comfortable with. I can't imagine feeling unsafe with such a tiny amount, but I didn't make a habit of it either. In general I feel better safe than sorry given the unknowns in this area, but realistically, FAS seems to be associated with real abuse. Our society, with its Puritan heritage, has difficulty distinguishing use from abuse, and compared to other risk factors, particularly environmental ones, I think we zero in on alcohol for moral rather than scientific reasons because of its association with pleasure. Especially environmental factors associated with industrial capitalism - if there was a significant risk from gasoline fumes (I don't know, but it seems reasonable, that is nasty stuff), would we judge women who risked it the same way?

 

I wonder if people who feel this way refrain from wine at communion. (Which would not even be an option at my particular church, so it would mean being cut off from the sacrament.) Sometimes with a common cup, one ends up consuming a significant amount, though by some of the ideas expressed on this thread even the thimble-sized individual cups would be off-limits.

Edited by winterbaby
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But wait a second. If even one glass of wine could be dangerous, even in the very earliest stages of pregnancy, why aren't all women of childbearing age who could get pregnant (basically anyone having intercourse with men) advised to abstain from all alcohol?

 

Not snark, I'm wondering about this now.

Actually, that recommendation came out from the CDC months sgo and caused quite a stir. Many claimed that it was an attack on women's freedoms to make that recommendation. Obviously I disagree with that.

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