Doctor said okay to drink? Huh???

globalwife · December 2010

Today I went to the doctor because I am traveling to an Caribbean island for the next 11 nights. I'm only 4 weeks and 6 days pg. Note, even though I am from the US, I live in a different country but one with great healthcare. I didn't even bring up the subject but the doctor told me that while on vacation if I want to drink a bit, it is fine and won't do any harm. He basically encouraged me to have some champagne on NYE and to try out the new beers that I would be around. He said there is no harm in having a cocktail while on the beach. I was shocked! He did go on to say that very heavy drinking could be a problem but no harm in light drinking. A simple google search of "ok to drink while pregnant" brings up articles and blogs that all seem to agree with this. What do you think? Has your doctor/midwife told you something similar?

erbear · December 2010

My doc and my sister (she's an ob) both said a drink or two a week was totally fine BUT NOT in the first trimester. That's crazy and I've never heard that it's ok then. I would not drink in the first trimester...too much vital-organ development going on.

brobbins05 · December 2010

I am not an expert, but I guess I just figure I want to be as safe as I possibly can. if there's any risk, any at all, why put yourself and your baby at risk? I am not a big drinker, so I could care less if I drink for the next nine months... I just figure the sacrifice is totally worth peace of mind, from my perspective.

globetrotting7 · December 2010

Hey, it's up to you... I think it's funny some people freak out about ham and feta, won't dye their hair but will swing back a beer or wine claiming it's beneficial for baby. I choose not to drink or sample any alcohol to minimize the harm to my baby.God forbid anything went wrong. If a glass of wine gets me tipsy, I can imagine how my baby would feel after having that amount in its tiny body.

magdalina.h · December 2010

some drs say it's okay to drink. Mine doesn't agree with that

forensicmama · December 2010

erbear:
My doc and my sister (she's an ob) both said a drink or two a week was totally fine BUT NOT in the first trimester. That's crazy and I've never heard that it's ok then. I would not drink in the first trimester...too much vital-organ development going on.

Agreed. I'd avoid it at any time during pregnancy, but ESPECIALLY in the first trimester for this very reason.

Heather & Nayt · December 2010

My doctor ok-ed a glass of wine or two when I was KU last time. I think I had 1/4 of a glass every other night for about 2 weeks and then it made me sick again. This time around even the smell of any sort of drink is nauseating. I want a good glass of wine, bought it, and took one sip and got sick. But all of this was 2nd tri plus. I wouldn't even think of drinking in 1st tri. But that is my own personal feeling.

Amymichelle925 · December 2010

My Dr is of the opinion that it's not a big deal to have a drink every now and again and that it's consistent, heavy drinking or binge drinking that can cause problems. With that said she by no means encourages drinking. My last OB said a drink here and there is perfectly fine, just wait until the 2nd tri.

I had one glass of wine on my 30th bday (during my 2nd tri) when I was pg with DS.

sarahcarter@me.com · December 2010

Ok, so I am in your situation! I am in the Caribbean on vacation...not as long, but still. My doc is one of the TOP reproductive endo's in the Nation. He says, "there is NO research to suggest that a beer or two a day in early pregnancy is dangerous." He actually wrote me a script to drink a beer or two each day while on vacation. While he does not promote more than that, or even after vacation, I think it's fine. I am a clinical speech-language pathologist, and I have done studies. The children who are born to moms' who had small amounts of alcohol were fine. In fact, those born to moms' who had zero alcohol......their babies, especially boys, were more likely to have hyperactivity. I DO NOT CONDONE DRINKING WHILE PREGNANT, but, I do think that a few drinks here and there is fine. Europeans have a MUCH smaller morbidity rate. Everyone is so paranoid and I think that the more relaxed you are, baby is too!

Galaxy8227 · December 2010

My mom said she drank during both time she was PG ( me and my younger brother). Not heavily but occasionally with no problems. I personally don't want to tempt fate so I figure I'll avoid it but many people do have it and nothing happens

MissLinz · December 2010

erbear:
My doc and my sister (she's an ob) both said a drink or two a week was totally fine BUT NOT in the first trimester. That's crazy and I've never heard that it's ok then. I would not drink in the first trimester...too much vital-organ development going on.

this!

jenmarshall88 · December 2010

I was told by my doctor that the beginning weeks of the pregnancy is ok to drink and smoke, it's the later months(around the beg. of your second trimester) where you will worry about your child really getting some damage from it. I think a glass of champagne on NYE is okay but only if you really want to. As for me, I plan to not have a drink my entire pregnancy because I want to do the best I can for my child, alcohol is hardly a sacrifice in the scheme of things. I was actually given a case of sparkling cider and grapejuice from my parents for christmas

Duckieer · December 2010

I just graduated from nursing school and they taught us in class that there is no "safe" level of alcohol. Drinking while pregnant can lead to FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) and while this usually only occurs when the mother is a heavy drinker for the duration of her pregnancy, FAS is a spectrum disorder which can lead up to physical abnormalities but in it's less severe cases causes behavioral problems and is thought to be linked with increased risk of ADHD and ADD. There is no specific "test" to test for FAS and there are so many variables that could affect the baby that they don't really know for sure. (We had a nurse who had been doing research on the topic for several years come and speak to us about it.)

I don't think that one drink (or a few) will hurt you or the baby, but at the same time women tend to be so cautious about everything else (i.e. face wash, eating fish, hot baths, etc) and anything that could increase the risk of their being problems with the baby or with the pregnancy that I would not recommend it.

laurel-poppy · December 2010

I also read about studies that said occasional drinking (one drink a week) was safe. I'm going to ask my midwife about it at my next visit.

Having said that I would be hesitant to drink durning the 1st trimester. The embryo is living off an egg sac for the first 6 weeks to technically whatever you drink doesn't get passed to lo, but I didn't drink anyway.

SoxFan777 · December 2010

I had a sip of my husband's wine on both Christmas Eve and Christmas, and I'll probably have a sip of his Champagne on New Year's Eve, but not more than that. I like to taste it, but I don't have a "need" to have a whole glass or anything. Just my opinion.

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