Thinks like this freak me out..

MrsHudson2014 · February 2016

Saw this gem today -

https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/fasd/index.html

Now, I will by NO means be drinking now that I know I am pregnant, but this scares me. I had two drinks the night before my BFP, because I had gotten a BFN two days before. I had always read the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome happened if you drank pretty consistently - This article makes it sound like you can't do jack! I've also had ladies tell me that their OB's tell them they can have an occasional glass of champagne or wine for celebrations (my SIL did when she got married, and she was about 5 months at that point.)

I feel like some things are out there just to scare the hell out of pregnant women like us.

sparklegrump · February 2016

I'm sure the pearl clutchers will appear any minute now, but I'm of the belief (along with several medical professionals with whom I am acquainted) that a small glass of wine or even half a beer once in a while during a pregnancy is no big deal. The problem comes when people can't control themselves and forget about moderation.

Cue the exclamations about how I must be an alcoholic if I can't wait 9 months to have a drink, yada, yada.

And telling women not to drink during their childbearing years is ludicrous. Insane. P.S. I was correctly taking birth control and still got knocked up. So, there goes that suggestion.

skyemarie09 · February 2016

My sil was 2 or 3 months pregnant before she found out and she was drinking a lot before she found out and her baby was born healthy, on time and didn't have fas. She stopped drinking as soon as she found out, and I'm definitely not recommending what she did by any means, I'm just saying it does happen and people still have healthy babies.

moquat · February 2016

This is some fear mongering and straight up misogyny by the CDC. Drinking moderately, even while trying to conceive, should be at any adult human individual's discretion. Yes, there are people with addiction issues and also with metabolic traits that make their unborn kids more susceptible to the alcohol they drink, but that has more to do with individual people and their own traits than the fact that they are women of childbearing age. GRRRRRR

br0co1ii · February 2016

I was borderline drunk less than a week before my bfp. I wasn't worried then, and I refuse to let this nonsense article tell me otherwise. (That was the last time I'll be drinking until I'm no longer pregnant.) I definitely agree that a small glass of wine once in awhile is perfectly acceptable.
This article only succeeded in making me wonder if all of those anti-cdc people are actually right.

Blonde1817 · February 2016

The thing is, they have no evidence of the amount of alcohol it would take and to cause FASD, so they have to say that drinking any amount could potentially problematic. This does NOT mean they have proven that one drop of alcohol during pregnancy causes FASD. Also, people in general are not super good at figuring out what moderation means, so they have to be cautious. Personally, I think that these guidelines are extremely paternalistic and total fear-mongering. I mean, I am technically 5 weeks pregnant, but for two of those weeks I hadn't even ovulated yet, so there's no way that could've affected the baby. But I should have abstained then too? That doesn't even make sense. At the same time, I also understand that plenty of people out there are not as educated or as planned and ready for pregnancy as myself and other people I know. So you have to be careful because for some people, if you give and inch, they'll take a mile, which could be very harmful with alcohol during pregnancy.

aesthyerin · February 2016

I had wine the night before my bfp
drink til it's pink

bornmommy · February 2016

Check out Birth Anarchy's response to this - https://birthanarchy.com/women-urge-cdc-to-cease-recommendations-until-they-drunk-cry-and-apologize/

Also, check out the other pregnancy gurus of other nations. The poison skeleton only shows up on ours when it comes to drinking while pregnant. Every other developed nation says alcohol is okay in moderation. Many midwives in the US even suggest a glass of wine to relax in pregnancy and labor.

You're okay. Just curb the her ion habit

bornmommy · February 2016

@sparklegrump pearl clutchers. HA!

emmaaa · February 2016

Yeah, I was following "drink until it's pink" rule. I had two glasses of wine the night before my BFP and had drinks over the weekend.

PrimRoseMama · February 2016

I take no chances when it comes to alcohol. I have a "bonus" in that the very smell or sight of alcohol usually sends me dry heaving while pregnant. It is actually one of the first signs that I need to test is when I recoil in horror at the sight of beer or wine.

As far as what other pregnant ladies do-- not my body, my kid or my way. I personally think its not worth the risk. I do however, eat sushi, rare steak, drink coffee etc. So we all take risks. Its just about what each one is comfortable with. I was lurking June 2016 BMB and some of those girls are confessing to drinking on the regular and don't seem to worry about it. It made me kind of wonder about them, but again, different strokes for different folks. I can only hope that the nonchalance pays off and those that choose to drink while pregnant don't have any ill effects to their LO's later. I can only offer my FX that it truly is no big deal for them. For me, it would be a big deal.

I have limited my coffee and only eat the aforementioned steak, sushi and soft cheese from reputable sources. The whole being pregnant thing is all about risk management and what is right for me is only right for me. I do appreciate the wealth of data that supports my position not to drink though. I think data is important and pressing and its logical to listen to it.

PerkyErky · February 2016

Ds1 has FAS. His bio mom was not a binge drinker but drank early on in her pregnancy (she did a lot of other stuff as well even after he was born and there is a reason her rights were terminated). He has all the classic FAS physical features and the behavioral issues are starting to appear. There is full FAS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (requires the child to have physical features) and there is FASD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (has a spectrum similar to autism and kids can fall anywhere on the spectrum). There is also ARND, alcohol related neurodevelopmental disorder. The biggest issue with alcohol and fetus being exposed is that it alters the brain. Some brains are more severely affected than others. And because our brain controls everything, even minor damage can have lasting life long impacts.

Many children who have FASD are undiagnosed and end up with many other diagnoses that don't touch on alcohol use, ADHD/ADD, learning disabilities, ODD, anxiety, sensory seeking, etc. I am in no way saying that those diagnoses are only because of alcohol exposure in utero because plenty of kids also end up with those who were not exposed to alcohol in utero. However as a society we want to believe drinking socially is ok (and it is when not pregnant). There is a stigma that only alcoholic binge drinking mothers end up with children affected by alcohol. Sadly, that is not true. The population at highest risk for children somewhere on the FASD line are educated white women from late twenties to thirties. Even when a mother admits to drinking during pregnancy, drs are hesitant to even mention alcohol affected. Because "nice" women like that don't have children with FASD.

Having said all that, I believe the CDC article is extreme and over the top. It basically implies women of childbearing age should never drink "just in case" the become pregnant. I think women should absolutely not drink while pregnant and I don't think a drink here or there is harmless (my opinion and not shared by everyone). But women who are not pregnant, drink up! There is no known safe amount of alcohol while pregnant. But alcohol is such an ingrained part of our society that we want to say a little is still ok. I don't think I am a pearl clutcher, I know what the results of drinking while pregnant can be. I live with it everyday. I love a little boy who struggles so hard everyday over basic things and it was all 100% preventable.

mothernorth · February 2016

I don't really drink. One or two if we go out to eat, always a margarita

but I have had wine on my anniversary while I was pregnant with no issues other than heartburn. Now, I am not condoning regular drinking obviously, but one on the occasion? Go for it. My opinion is approved by MY OB so I'm keeping it!

mothernorth · February 2016

@sparklegrump ::claps::

lilylover27 · February 2016

@MrsHudson2014 I had the same fear! I had two glasses of wine two days before my BFP because I got a BFN when testing. I too also worried because of new articles like this but I just rational it with the fact I was technically not pregnant yet at that time. I think everything will be fine and I think it is absolutely ridiculous to say any woman who can possibly get pregnant should not drink at all. There is a lot of stigma over the female body and what we can and can't do with it.

mothernorth · February 2016

@sparklegrump ::claps::

sparklegrump · February 2016

I do need to add that I in no way think people who choose to abstain during pregnancy are prudes or whatever. I absolutely respect that choice. My issue comes when people hear that I had 2 glasses of wine (months apart) during one of my pregnancies and start to call me an alcoholic and an unfit mother.

I've never heard the statistic about educated moms being the most at risk. Could you provide a source for that?
@PerkyErky

PerkyErky · February 2016

@sparklegrump I will have to track it down. I am at work at the moment. I have seen it several times, but most recently at a conference about parenting children with FASD differently than neuro typical kids.

MrsHudson2014 · February 2016

bornmommy said:

Check out Birth Anarchy's response to this - https://birthanarchy.com/women-urge-cdc-to-cease-recommendations-until-they-drunk-cry-and-apologize/

Also, check out the other pregnancy gurus of other nations. The poison skeleton only shows up on ours when it comes to drinking while pregnant. Every other developed nation says alcohol is okay in moderation. Many midwives in the US even suggest a glass of wine to relax in pregnancy and labor.

You're okay. Just curb the her ion habit

Yeah, that Heroin has to go. XD

Thank you Ladies!

von1976 · February 2016

I was not expecting to be pregnant and had three drinks two days before we found out. I got pretty drunk off what I did not think was very much alcohol. It worries me, but I didn't know, and after three years of TTC, you can't exactly blame me for thinking it wouldn't happen.

I do hope and pray everything will be okay, but you never do know. Everything I have read has said that the baby is only a "ball of cells" at that point. No drinks since, other than a sip of hubby's beer when we were out to dinner. Won't be drinking during the pregnancy, even in moderation. I always said I would, but now that baby's here... it's too precious to gamble with.

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