[Lo_and_Behold]

Clare's post got me thinking about how some people in other countries have totally different philosophies on drinking while pregnant than we do here in the US.
A lot of other countries, especially in Europe... Italy, France, etc. feel that it might be alright to have a glass of wine (usually red) while you're pregnant. However, here in the US, it's strictly forbidden & looked down upon. However, the US has one of the highest infant mortality rates for industrialized, developed nations. (If you've ever seen the Michael Moore documentary Sicko, it looks at healthcare in other countries: US, Canada, France, England, & even Cuba. Our's is pretty much the worst. Worse than Cuba.)

My dh's parents are off the boat from Portugal & they drink a lot of wine over there. I know they don't think anything of this. I'm not advocating it, but I just think it's interesting that we have such a hugely different opinion & yet everyone else's babies are healthier. (The Business of Being Born is another movie that states this).

What do you all think?

[samspain]

In Uk they advise you not too drink loads of alcohol, but they say that the occasional drink (I found a source that said up to 2 glasses of wine a week) is OK.
Here in Spain its very similar, that wine, especially red helps with digestion and avoids swollen legs by maintaining circulation. But I think as always its a question of moderation, and what you feel is best.
As my Mum said, everything she was told whilst pregnant is now forbidden: OK to smoke, babies sleep on their fronts, must be on solids at 4 months, and off breast milk by a maximum of 6 months etc.
The Dr even gave my mum Murphys (like guiness) on prescription when I was born as she had anaemia, and the goodness would flow through her milk!, and I´m fine. (thats debateable, but nothing major

[Clare]

It changes all the time in the UK, the current stance is that you shouldnt drink any alcohol but a few weeks prior to this research coming out they said it was ok to drink a couple of glasses a week.

My Mum was also told to drink Murphys when I was born!

[wishingxxx]

I dont drink very often anyway,but now and again i do enjoy a glass of wine with a meal.
I think that during pregnancy everything in moderation would be ok,i mean ,it cant be too bad,as long as youre not kicking the arse out of it.Id never look down on anyone having a glass of wine now and again when pregnant,but i think if i was to see someone drinking even a glass every day,id be a bit saddened.
Personally though,for me,i would like to think that i could go 9 months without having one drink.
I also heard that sweetheart stout is good for your baby,one glass a day.
I suppose that would be an aquired taste though lol.

[Celry]

Personally I think I'll avoid all alcohol in the first trimester. After that, I would have no problem having a small glass of wine occasionally. I think in moderation alcohol probably isn't going to do any harm.

[downunderchick]

I dont think I will drink at all while pregnant, not a big drinker anyway. there probably wouldnt be much harm don if a pregnant person had the occasional aloholic drink. What I really hate though ( a little off topic but I see it all th time) is when you see a baby in a pram and the parents are smoking and all the smoke is going over and into the pram. it really makes me sick, and I really do see it quite a lot!

[*becky*]

I think a drink of wine occassionally is fine. Like everyone else said - moderation.

I think I had about a half glass of wine my whole pregnancy with Bailey - it was at a wedding. Other then that, I really tried to drink tons of water.

I do know that there are several breastfeeding books out there that suggest drinking beer to help milk production. Luckily I didn't have any issues - I'm not a beer drinker!

[babybatax2]

When I was preg. a friend who is from Russia, says to have what ever you are craving. For her when she was pregnant with her son she craved beer. The doctor told her (in Russia) that her body is craving it so to have it. When she was telling me this I just looked at her with amazement thinking I must not be hearing her right. She drank a LOT of beer well pregnant, and her son is like 17 now and is fine. He had no defects from the alcohol at all.

As for me I will not be drinking when I am pregnant.

[lauren in hi]

I don't drink, so I wouldn't be drinking anyway, nor did I drink when I was pregnant w/ Abby.

However, I would think there is a point where it's too much...fetal alcohol syndrome is definitely real.

[jeanbean]

I'm not much of a drinker anyway.....so I probably won't have any while pregnant.

[SavaAngel]

My OB is my SIL's OB too, but he told her that as long as it wasn't excessive and only occassionaly she could have a little wine now and then. She is part of a wine tasting club and they met once a month while she was pregnant with her last child. She tasted a little but never very much. Her daughter came out perfectly fine.


That being said - I was way overdue with AJ and having really bad contractions that weren't doing anything and my OB told me I could have half a glass of red wine to help me relax and maybe get some sleep. I had maybe a 1/4 of a glass - I can't tell you if it helped - I was in so much pain otherwise.

[cazza]

Its looked down upon if you drink here

[Lo_and_Behold]

I'm not much of a drinker & neither is DH so I'm sure I won't be taking it up when I become pregnant, but I don't think a glass of wine would be out of the question, especially toward the end. My mom said she had a beer towards the end of her pregnancy with me. The killer for her were the two chocolate hot fudge sundaes a day LOL

[snsgirl336]

DH and I are not big drinkers, so in all likelihood I would not be drinking at all when I'm pregnant. I'm not a wine drinker at all either, so that wouldn't be a problem. My grandmother (straight off the boat from Italy) used to say that a glass a week would help a pregnant woman! All my relatives came out healthy, so who knows!

[MamaAnna]

Neither of us drinks, but if I did I would have stopped months ago when I gave up caffeine. I know they tell you a little is okay, it's the higher amounts that usually cause problems, but I couldn't live with myself if my baby was one of the rare exceptions and had problems because I couldn't say no to that cup of coffee or glass of wine. Especially with the risks of fetal alcohol syndrome which can be caused by even a small amount depending on genetics, there is just no way I would risk it. That's just my way of looking at it though.