On the new CDC announcement and drinking while pregnant

vinerie · February 2016

I am a big fan of Vox and their type of explanatory journalism. They have a piece up right now that tries to explain why the CDC recently told sexually active women not on bc to stop drinking period.

The article has good explanations of relevant studies about relationships between childhood health/aptitude and drinking, with links and such:

https://www.vox.com/2016/2/5/10923868/drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant

To sum it up, I would say the science is unsettled. There is research that suggests children of drinkers have higher/lower IQs compared with children of non-drinkers, depending on the study. And every study has its limitations.

Aaaand just for fun, are you drinking or abstaining? Why?

yogahh · February 2016

Read this yesterday, and thought it was interesting. Obviously, drinking during pregnancy can be/is harmful, and I am not doing it (even half of a NA beer scares me). But to put limited on ALL women that aren't pregnant but in child bearing years? A bit ridic if you ask me...
https://nypost.com/2016/02/04/uncle-sams-dont-drink-edict-for-american-women-is-idiotic/My favorite part of the article, and to sum up what I took away from it;

Taken to the next level, perhaps the CDC would like women of childbearing age to abstain from driving, too. After all, they could get in an accident. Or what if they play Pingpong and bump into the table?

What if, God forbid, they eat at Chipotle? Better the little ladies should sit on the couch and pop folic acid till menopause

laurenmdrn16 · February 2016

I agree that it is impossible to completely eliminate all risk. It would be crazy to ask all women who could potentially become pregnant to abstain from everything that could pose danger to a hypothetical fetus. If you are actively trying to get pregnant, then yes, you should probably abstain, but otherwise, a woman is a woman first and not a potential human incubator.

That said, I have not had a drink since I first suspected I was pregnant. As an interesting note, the Bible actually specifically mentions that Sampson's mother was commanded by God to abstain from alcohol and various "unclean" foods to ensure that we would be born with strength. So even in Biblical times, people knew of and were trying to educate pregnant woman about the risks of alcohol consumption in pregnancy.

kbrands7 · February 2016

I agree that a general recommendation on women is pretty ridiculous. Doesn't it make more sense to further combat rape culture and to make birth control more easily accessible/affordable?

In terms of drinking now, or drinking while trying to conceive, I have abstained and I did last time too. I feel safer with that choice, and I wanted my body in its healthiest form that I could manage to start my pregnancy. Especially since I was still bf for a while into this pregnancy, I didn't want to add anything that would interfere with my hydration or nutrient absorption while trying.

KidShrink · February 2016

As someone who went through two years of infertility before finally conceiving (with much medical intervention), believe me, even though I've never been a big drinker, there are some months where a little booze was necessary to keep my sanity. Completely unrealistic recommendation. Most people are a lot more careful, and that should be sufficient. Now if you drink considerable amounts knowing you could get/be pregnant, that's another story.

JennyS86 · February 2016

What is hard to do is test for alcohol use during pregnancy. While a urine drug test can be done during labor and check for everything from weed to heroin to opiates, a woman has to self-report alcohol use or have a child with significant FAS features to even be suspected.

The CDC would be better off teaching young men and women to drink moderately - the binge drinking culture affects men and women way more than the occasional glass of wine before a pregnancy. It starts an interesting conversation, but misses the mark in my opinion.

Personally, my morning sickness made me adverse to alcohol. Wine smells like vinegar to me, and I don't crave it at all these days. I will have a glass of wine or beer while nursing, so I'm not anti-alcohol. (also - never pump and dump - don't waste that milk! do a milk bath if you are wasted. we can get into this another time.)

lalala2004 · February 2016

I'm not really drinking. I'll have a sip here and there of someone else's wine or beer just to try it, and I've had a few non-alcoholic beers and glasses of wine (less than .5% alcohol in those).

I honestly think these new studies and recommendations are simply to combat the Expecting Better book. I think some women are taking her conclusions a little too far. I've seen people posting on other BMBs who seems to be having daily drinks, and not just wine, either. It's only 9 months, I don't see how it's so hard to give up something of no nutritional value for that long.

Now, saying all women of child-bearing age should abstain is taking it a bit far, but they did say it's only for those not on BC, of course. Too many situations of women not knowing they were pregnant, I guess...

saladflambe · February 2016

I'm abstaining... because I'm pregnant.

camillaandcarson · February 2016

I thought it was common knowledge if you drink while actively TTC or while pregnant; that is a risk. As with all risks, some people are willing to take those risks, some are not.

GoatSnakeMouse · February 2016

I found the CDC rec -- which is actually more progressive than the previous one, which was no drinking for women of childbearing age regardless of contraceptive use -- to be incredibly condescending. Also pretty heteronormative - as one of my lesbian friends said, "what? are they worried that drinking too much is going to make me straight?"

That said, I'm not drinking at all during pregnancy. Mostly because I don't want a GLASS of wine I want a BOTTLE, and just taking tiny sips would be worse torture for me than abstaining.

TheThornBird · February 2016

According to the CDC's ad, for women alcohol can cause injuries, violence, cancer, heart disease, STDs, and pregnancy. What the hell are these women drinking, and where can I get some? My booze never beats me up or gets up in my hoo-hah.....

I don't get why this ad is women-specific. All those possible effects apply to men, too. I get if they are trying to reduce drinking in pregnant women, but the ad is geared towards all women. Pretty sure men get heart disease, cancer, and STDs, too. And violence? Yup, makes total sense to blame the woman who drank too much, rather than the person who hurt her. It boggles my mind that I *still* hear people blame women for getting raped because "that's what happens when you get drunk!". Why doesn't the CDC put out an ad campaign about not raping or having sex with people too drunk to consent, if they are that worried about STDs and unwanted pregnancy?

I drank before I knew I was pregnant since it was an oops (and funnily enough, was the result of a happy hour that got a bit too happy). And I actually had a beer last night, spread out over a couple hours. Not the thing I'm most proud of in my life, but I had been having excruciating pelvic pain all week and wanted my muscles to relax a bit. I'm not too worried about it, and honestly I think the diets of many pregnant women are worse for a baby than one drink.

Merciel · February 2016

Yeah, it was the "violence/injuries" side effect that got me too, for those exact same reasons. Like, really? That's where we're going with this in 2016? Blaming women for drinking too much and thereby, what, causing their own domestic violence and date rapes? Wow.

As far as my own alcohol use, I was on team "drink until pink" and continued moderate alcohol consumption until I got a positive test (which happened pretty early since this was a planned pregnancy and, like every POAS addict on the TTC subforum, I was a junkie with an expensive daily habit). I figured, no harm no foul: nothing can happen until the blob implants, so based on SCIENCE! I ought to be pretty safe on that front.

Since that first faint line showed up, I haven't had anything to drink. I do still occasionally have a scoop of alcohol-flavored sorbet, because ain't nothing gonna take away my Capogiro mojito sorbet, but that's about as far as I'll go with it until the futurebaby arrives.

Pregghers · February 2016

I held off drinking in the two weeks before I was able to take the pregnancy test. My pregnancy tests were negative for two weeks, so I drank a little. A beer a night probably. Then, when I still didn't have a period I took one more test, and yep- pregnant. I haven't had a sip since, but I'm so worried about those two weeks when I did drink.
With that said, I have a rant about the CDC recommendations. 1 in 10 pregnant women reported drinking in pregnancy. 1 in 33 reported binge drinking during pregnancy. Yet fetal alcohol spectrum is only diagnosed in .5 to 1 per 1,000 births. It seems to me there should be more focus on not binge drinking for anyone (women and men) and especially pregnant women and less alarmist "No drinking for any woman!" This kind of recommendation loses credibility.
I'm also irritated with the CDC response to the back lash on this recommendation. They claim they are trying to "empower women to make their own decisions." Nothing about this recommendation empowers women.
Rant over. Thanks for listening, friends.

mumbolino · February 2016

https://birthanarchy.com/women-urge-cdc-to-cease-recommendations-until-they-drunk-cry-and-apologize/

This.

yogahh · February 2016

Cdc came out and "apologized" to those who took offense to the warnings.

jennifer lawrence reactions yeah whatever ok

proudparent2b · February 2016

I stopped drinking a month or two before becoming pregnant. I honestly laughed when I heard the CDC's recommendation because I personally don't believe in the use of BC pills (don't like screwing with my body's hormones) and there's no way on earth that I'm never drinking again until menopause. Of course, I do use other forms of bc when not trying to concieve, but seriously!

Pregghers · February 2016

@proudparent2b You raise another area in need of ranting. The CDC recommendation implies Birth control is only hormonal or IUD. This is a strange stance for an organization concerned greatly about preventing STDs. Was I enjoying past beers while actively using a condom? No. Does that mean I didn't use a condom when having intercourse? Of course it doesn't mean that. I really don't get how the Centers for DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION could blatantly ignore condoms as a valid form of birth control.

Sigh. I'm CDC funded so I really should probably stop ranting about them on public forums...

vinerie · February 2016

Pregghers said:

@proudparent2b You raise another area in need of ranting. The CDC recommendation implies Birth control is only hormonal or IUD. This is a strange stance for an organization concerned greatly about preventing STDs. Was I enjoying past beers while actively using a condom? No. Does that mean I didn't use a condom when having intercourse? Of course it doesn't mean that. I really don't get how the Centers for DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION could blatantly ignore condoms as a valid form of birth control.

Sigh. I'm CDC funded so I really should probably stop ranting about them on public forums...

I agree that the recommendation was completely tone-deaf in so many ways!

dshannah · February 2016

laurenmdrn16 said:

...A woman is a woman first and not a potential human incubator.

I feel like this cannot be said enough. Loudly, in the ears (and inboxes) of the CDC, preferably. But as much as possible, to everyone, everywhere.

drablnd · February 2016

I drank the night that LO was conceived but with my partner being a recovering alcoholic we both went strict no alcohol once we found out I was pregnant. Unfortunately I actually have co workers who promote having a drink while pregnant. One admitted to being drunk a couple times while pregnant. Cause even I'll admit to missing my white wine but I won't touch the stuff while I'm pregnant. This whole cdc business is crap. I'm sorry that I was in child bearing years, on hormonal bc, and still managed to get pregnant but I'm not going to blame alcohol for it

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