Is it safe to drink during pregnancy?
Every week there seem to be different reports on whether or not it's safe to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Some reports say a small glass of wine a day is fine, others say have no booze at all. In October experts said that even moderate drinking during pregnancy could produce 'problem children'. Now, a study claims the opposite, that binge drinking may have no effect on an unborn child at all. So who are we to believe? Here's what one mum of three says...
Julia Shaw, 42, mum to Callum 14, Jake, 10 and Kyle, seven from Surrey says:
The advice has changed every time I've had a baby
'I can't believe the latest study out on binge drinking being OK in pregnancy. Doctors seem to change their minds all the time on how much you should drink when you're pregnant. It's so confusing that in the end you have no confidence in what anyone tells you on the subject. Who can you believe?
When I had my first son, 14 years ago, the experts told me categorically not to drink when I was pregnant, so I didn't touch a drop. But when I was pregnant with my second boy, 10 years ago, my doctor told me it was fine to have 'the occasional glass of wine.' So I did. I never drank much. I certainly didn't binge drink - you don't really feel like downing bottles of wine when you're pregnant - but I did have a glass of wine with dinner sometimes, or one drink when I went out with friends. Then again, when I had my youngest son 7 years ago, they were saying not to drink any alcohol again.
Friends of mine that have just had babies drank throughout their pregnancies. But my best friend, who's six months pregnant, was just told that even the tiniest amount of alcohol could affect her baby's brain. She's been drinking very occasionally throughout her pregnancy and is really worried now that her baby will be brain damaged. I just don't understand why medical opinion varies so much.
If doctors are now saying that it's actually OK to binge drink during pregnancy, none of us need have worried. They're saying that there's little evidence that pregnant women who have five or more alcoholic drinks in one session will harm their babies! Five or more drinks! That's a lot of booze.
We all know that consistent heavy drinking can affect our baby's growth and brain development, but no-one had ever said that it was fine to binge drink. Apparently further research is needed, but meanwhile the Department of Health are advising that women trying to conceive or pregnant women should still stay off the booze. So advice is still really confusing.
I normally like a drink, but I'm glad that I cut right back during my pregnancies. Surely drinking heavily, even if it is just occasionally, must affect your baby's developing brain? My advice would be to ignore what all the scary reports say and use your common sense. We know that if we eat a healthy diet it will benefit our baby, and that your baby can pick up on your emotions even, so surely pouring booze down our throats will affect them adversely?
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By Rob Mansfield
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Marisa Dunn, about 1 year
Yes i agree, the experts are always changing the advice they give. I personaly would look at it like this, if i drink and it has an effect on my brain then how much more of an effect will it have on my developing fetus? It has been found that women who drink to excess when pregnant can cause 'Fetal Alcohol Syndrome' which can have implications on the mental and physical development of the fetus and shows in the facial features of babies. However their are those who do drink and go on to have healthy babies, i also wonder if a very good diet also plays an important part of lessening the effects of alcohol, i myself will endeaver to look into this. As a mum myself when pregnant i didn't smoke or drink and if pregnant again i still would not because at the back of my mind would be the health of my baby. As of yet experts are still out over the debate in occasional drinking.
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