Did anyone else drink a small amount while pregnant?

[Anonymous]

I’ve had about a 1/3 glass of wine (sipped very slowly, with food) on about five occasions over the first and second trimester. I’m about halfway now. How guilty should I feel about this?

[Anonymous]

Why?

[Anonymous]

No. I dont drink normally and definitely wouldnt risk anything while pregnant. Why did you?

[Anonymous]

I drank similar amounts throughout my pregnancy — sips of my DH’s beer or a little half glass of champagne on New Years. There is no evidence tiny amounts of alcohol have any impact on a fetus. Doctors will say “we can’t tell you any amount of alcohol is safe” because there are no formal studies (because how would you run that study), but there are zero cases of fetal alcohol syndrome caused by a very occasional sip of wine. You are fine and should not feel guilty at all.

[Anonymous]

No but don't drink caffeine.

[Anonymous]

I do. There was no guidance telling women not to drink until the 80s. My mom told me that she and everyone she knew drank while pregnant. When they say there’s no evidence of a safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant, it’s because they’re being overly cautious and can’t/won’t pursue studies to figure it out. Pregnancy is so so hard. If a glass of wine here or there makes it easier, so be it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No but don't drink caffeine.

Small amounts of caffeine are fine. My doctor encouraged me to drink caffeinated soda to treat occasional headaches because my migraine medication was not safe for pregnancy. I wouldn’t drink a fully caffeinated coffee every day, but a lower dose of caffeine now and then is totally ok.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t drink during my pregnancies. If you think pregnancy is hard, brace yourself for parenting.

I basically gave up wine in my late 20s when the breast cancer link was noted. Between cancer and arsenic, it was easy to ditch wine. Now I only drink high quality imports on very special occasions.

You know that what you invest goes to the baby. If you’re cool with wine, okay...you do you. But don’t you think it’s weird to obsess over other things you’ll eat or drink then? Seems weird to be cool with wine imho.

[Anonymous]

Not guilty at all! I didn’t so much the first half of pregnancy bc I didn’t feel well, but did the second half. When pregnAnt with one kid I was about four months along abs went to a wedding at a world famous restaurant. I asked them to pour me small amounts of the wine tasting with my rare meat (I wasn’t about to ask them to cook it well done at a place like that). Both my kids are high functioning (and the one I was pregnant with at the wedding is now a foodie)!

[Anonymous]

Nope. I’m a drinker but I didn’t drink at all during my 3 pregnancies, although I really wanted to with my 3rd as it was summer and HOT. Still, I figured if i couldn’t sacrifice for my kids then I really had a problem.

[Anonymous]

No alcohol either time but one big cup of coffee a day the second time around

[Anonymous]

Absolutely NOT. But you do you.

[Anonymous]

I drank a similar amount during each pregnancy. No guilt, no regrets.

[Anonymous]

I drank small amounts like that. You're fine, but people will tell you you are evil/terrible mom/terrible person so this is really a terrible place to ask.

[Anonymous]

Yup, half a drink probably a half dozen times in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. There is no evidence based reason not to, and I felt that a half glass was very conservative.