What's worse during pregnancy: soda or alcohol?

[phathui5]

I'm not talking about alcohol in excess, btw. I'm talking about a glass of wine, sangria or one beer.

Which do you think is worse?

Tell me why soda is bad (I've been drinking too much of it lately).

[happyfrog]

personally, i think if you need a drink/jolt of caffeine to survive the children, it can't be that bad. (said while sipping my HUGE mug of hot cocoa, lol)

i have liquor in my fridge, but it's for delivery day - I have LONG LONG labors and last pg, i NEEDED something to relax and since it was Sunday, no luck with liquor. I'm prepared for this labor now, lol.

As for liquor duirng pg as a 'regular' thing -well, that depends on wehre you live. USA strongly encourages NO drinking of any liquor during pg. If you live in Italy or other places, a glass of wine with dinner is perfectly acceptable. . .

so, you do what you feel is best.

As for me and my pg, if I *NEED* a coke, by golly, I'm gonna get one. I have two VERY exuberant children close in age and I haven't had more than 4 hours sleep TOTAL per night (it's always broken up d/t all night nursing and older child who doesn't sleep well) in over 4 years, so that's my view. Caffeine = survival. . . ..

bettyann
35 years old and too old for this baby stuff! I was 'supposed' to be done with having babies before I was 30. L-rd sure does have a sense of humor. . ..

and i'm sure there are many who would disagree with my opinion.

[phathui5]

Dh and I often joke that if we lived in the UK, drinking during pregnancy would be fine, because the air over there is different.

[50ftQueenie]

I vote alcohol. I work for an FASD research project, and I've spent plenty of time both with children who have been prenatally exposed and with women who are trying to stop drinking during their pregnancies.
The problem with the idea of drinking in "moderation" during pregnancy is that everyone's body handles alcohol differently. The way each person's body handles alcohol is dependant on a number of factors: weight, gender, tolerance, etc. You can't look at a person and tell how their body will tolerate alcohol during pregnancy. It is possible to have a glass of wine a day and produce a child with FASD. It is also possible to drink relatively heavily and have the child be fine. But you can't know until the baby is born. It's a crap shoot.
The project I work for also has a couple of sites in Europe. THere is an FASD problem among drinking mothers there, too, it just hasn't been studied that well yet. I can point your to studies on FASD prevelence in Italy, though. It does happen there.

[PiePie]

i have been drinking soda (no more than a can a day) during this pregnancy, and i have been feeling soooo disappointed in myself. i thought i would quit cold turkey, but it seems i cannot work without caffeine/sugar. :duck: :duck: i recently read the prenatal development chapter in what's going on in there?, by l. eliot. it is the most scientific thing i have read on what to avoid during pregnancy, and i highly recommend that chapter. it seems that i could be having a lot more caffeine without doing harm to the fetus. it also seems that alcohol even in moderation is worse than is conventionally believed -- it gives the baby, as an adult, as preference for the taste! (a new twist on the hereditary component of alcholism, huh?)

[XanaduMama]

I think an occasional glass of wine is fine, though personally I give it up during pg. Don't want it, during the 1st trimester, anyway! Soda is technically fine too (you need to consume a LOT of caffeine for it to affect the fetus), but it's SO FATTENING! You don't need all that sugar. And I definitely wouldn't drink the diet kind--those chemicals are super-nasty. Of course alcohol has too many empty calories too, so yes: go drink a glass of water! :wink

[grumpyshoegirl]

I went with alcohol. I know a little won't kill the baby, but there is caffeine-free soda on the market and as nasty as HFCS is, I don't think there's anything in it that will harm the baby. I'm paranoid about alcohol-- I wouldn't even drink the communion wine at church this morning.

[Individuation]

it also seems that alcohol even in moderation is worse than is conventionally believed -- it gives the baby, as an adult, as preference for the taste! (a new twist on the hereditary component of alcholism, huh?)

Totally OT, but a couple of really interesting studies have shown that actual alcoholics tend NOT to like the taste of alcohol, and that people who do have a preference for the taste are moderate drinkers. In other words, alcoholics are tossing it back for the effect it gives them, people who like the taste are sipping slowly.

I'm not saying you should try to breed a "moderate" drinker by imbibing while pregnant; obviously alcoholism is dependent on a LOT of factors. Still, when I know a bit of trivia, I have to share it... it's my way :duck: .

[MandarijnOrange]

I once did a search on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome on Wikipedia.org before I got pregnant because I was interested in reading more about it at the time. I had never seen the photos of the differences in the brain before and it just stopped me in my tracks. When I did get pregnant, I couldn't help but think of that image. I don't even eat stuff cooked with alcohol because I'm so paranoid. I think I'm like that previous poster that just wants one less thing to be worried about.

Warning! Image may be disturbing to some viewers!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FASbrains2.gif

[CrunchyParent]

I voted that water is the better choice because I think that it is, but if I had to vote for one as worse I think that alcohol is likely worse. It seems that over time we increasingly learn that it's worse during prregnancy than we previously thought. I expet that trend to continue.

[pianojazzgirl]

I voted that water is the better choice because I think that it is, but if I had to vote for one as worse I think that alcohol is likely worse. It seems that over time we increasingly learn that it's worse during prregnancy than we previously thought. I expet that trend to continue.

Pretty much exactly what I was going to say.

[pianojazzgirl]

BTW what does HFCS (referring to soda) mean???

[Ruthla]

Um, you forgot the "neither one is a big deal if consumed in moderation" option.

By "moderation" I'm thinking 2 servings of soda per day or one serving of alcohol once or twice a week.

I guess, by my own definition of "moderation' that alcohol is worse because I think of it being appropriate to have less frequently.


BTW, when pg I used to drink soda a couple of times a month and no more than 1oz of light wine per week.

[Ruthla]

BTW what does HFCS (referring to soda) mean???
high fructose corn syrup

[mothragirl]

Um, you forgot the "neither one is a big deal if consumed in moderation" option.

By "moderation" I'm thinking 2 servings of soda per day or one serving of alcohol once or twice a week.
.

i would also choose that.
BTW, a serving of soda is only 8 oz. a bottle of soda is 20 oz.

[melissakc]

I voted alcohol. How can soda be worse than alcohol for a fetus?

[mwherbs]

in European countries that previously did not look at FAS they have been studying it and are raising their concerns that there have been effects, in moderate use.
as for soda- empty calories - what natural food would provide only glucose and no vitamins or minerals? pre-disposes mom to UTIs , raises blood sugar- which in turn raises insulin levels- long term elevation in insulin levels leads to the form of diabetes that ignores insulin. the carbonation outgases through the lungs so is changing body chemistry in many ways and taxes systems that are already being taxed via pregnancy- also not electrolyte balanced so even when you think you are drinking a fluid it is dehydrating -- instead of hydrating if caffeine is in there then we are talking additionally dehydrating-- if you have low energy try some B vitamins and eating more often - if it increase UTI then you have the risk of preterm labor so that would be one risk
where are you getting nutrients to nourish your baby from? -- long term effects of high sugar exposure have not been studied on infants- Weston Price a long time ago pointed to some of the effects on bone structure and foods that are low in nutrients - sodas are even further down that road

[NightRose]

It's a decision that must be made by every mother as an individual as to their comfort level with their own pregnancies and children.
My personal opinion (however unpopular it may prove to be) is that pregnancy is only a temporary thing so I have no problem giving up things that are not so great for me during. I wouldn't give a baby alcohol or soda out of the womb, so why would I give it to them in? That is the consideration I give all things that enter my body during pregnancy. It's only 40 weeks, not a life sentence and those things will still be there waiting for me when I am done being pregnant if I truly want them. :duck:

[trmpetplaya]

It depends on the type of alcohol and the type of soda. You specified the HFCS type of soda and I would choose an organic glass of wine over anything with HFCS while pregnant any day. Most types of alcohol have nasty things in them and don't have to list the ingredients and I believe those types of alcohol are worse than soda...

I did vote that soda is worse basing it on a comparison between HFCS and organic wine :wink Just a couple-few times a week at most of course!

I wouldn't want to accustom my children to something like HFCS in the womb... it can be quite addictive and is bad stuff in general. Women have been drinking organic wine for thousands (millions?) of years and HFCS has only been around for, what, the last 50 or so? That's the other reason I have to go with soda being worse.

But... you really should mostly be drinking water! :loveeyes:

love and peace. :love

[Avocado]

My personal opinion (however unpopular it may prove to be) is that pregnancy is only a temporary thing so I have no problem giving up things that are not so great for me during. I wouldn't give a baby alcohol or soda out of the womb, so why would I give it to them in? That is the consideration I give all things that enter my body during pregnancy. It's only 40 weeks, not a life sentence and those things will still be there waiting for me when I am done being pregnant if I truly want them. :duck:

:yeah:

ITA...

I just wish I wasn't craving beer so much! Argh... just a few more months...

[eilonwy]

Okay, I voted soda, and this is why:

Soda is generally harder to stop drinking while you're pregnant, so you're more likely to get more of it's yuckier factors (i.e. empty calories, caffiene). Most responsible people who crave alcohol during pregnancy can have three ounces or so of red wine and feel like they've satisfied that craving. I'm not averse to having a beer or a glass of wine every now and again while I'm pregnant (after 14 weeks or, in my case, after the lvl 2 ultrasound). I know that I could drink half a beer and feel very satisfied and not have any desire for alcohol for another week at least.

Soda on the other hand is more insidious. It feels safer to people, because we're not as conditioned to think of it as dangerous. "Oh, one soda doesn't taste so bad, it doesn't feel so bad either..." and before you know it, you're drinking two cans a day and thinking "It's not so bad" or whatever. I've seen people drink gallons of soda during pregnancy. My mom has a horror story about a woman who drank cases of diet pepsi during her pregnancies which is seriously scary and inappropriate for the boards (imo).

FAS is quite a scary prospect, but the fact is people *know* about it. People *don't* know the truth about massive amounts of soda and/or artificial sweeteners during pregnancy (or ever) and that's kind of scary to me. Anything is probably fine in moderation, but soda scares me much more than the thought of a single margarita at a party or the occasional glass of wine.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Alcohol. I survived on sprite when i was pg both times since I will not drink anything with fake sugar and water always made me barf, and gatoraid gave me the worst heartburn imaginable. I avoided all pop with caffien so only the clear pops, like 7up, sprite, sams choice etc.

[glorified_rice]

I voted both, because I would personally avoid both during pregnancy. BTW, have any of you noticed that in Canada, soda has sugar instead of HFCS? I've also noticed that they use sugar in many of the other products that would have HFCS here in the US like barbecue sauce, etc...

[HeatherB]

I voted to just drink water. :wink

As someone said, soda seems less worrisome to most, and therefore may actually cause a bigger problem. One big issue I have with HFCS is that it makes your brain *think* you're hungrier than you are. So have a Coke, crave a Coke! That's even without the effect of caffeine, which can obviously be addictive.

Now, I also am okay with the idea of very occasionally having a soda when you need a boost of caffeine. For instance, I had to drive my sister to the airport one day, and had to talk the whole way because I was way tired. Coming home without adult company, I realized it was MUCH safer for me to have a soda from the Sonic on the way to the freeway than to risk being unable to pay attention on the road. (Having something to DO also helps me stay awake on the road - so not only did the sugar and caffeine help give me a 40 minute energy boost, but the ability to pick up a drink and take a sip while driving also helped.) I also had some soda the other day when I had a bunch of work to do and was absolutely bushed. But I don't keep it in the house and try very hard not to have it on any remotely regular basis. There have been times in my life when I was nearly addicited to Coke, and I have no interest in making it a habit of any sort again!

Alcohol scares me to death. I'm actually rather allergic to it (asthmatic reaction even with some cooked wine drinks - think Christmas), so I have no concern for ever having an addiction or even an interest in it. But I don't like its affect on people, and it can be difficult for people who are consuming it to judge what is "moderate" versus not. I'm not saying all people can't - but being an outside observer on any occasion there's alcohol, I see the effects very clearly. I'm very interested in what European nations will discover when they look into it more, as I hear them used as an excuse to its "safety" over and over again.

[mwherbs]

although alcohol has been around for a very long time- many long time taboos about pregnant women drinking it and another thing is it is a very seasonal thing in most places-- like here in the desert where I live there is a ceremony when the first monsoons hit the large fruiting cactus- from then on they ferment those fruits rather than try to dry them- once fermented ceremony... then no more- its gone.

[jandj+1]

you think you are drinking a fluid it is dehydrating -- instead of hydrating if caffeine is in there then we are talking additionally dehydrating


From everything I've read, this is a myth. See the following:

Water, Water Everywhere (http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/water-water-everywhere)
Caffeine and Dehydration: Myth or Fact? (http://ific.org/foodinsight/2002/ja/caffdehydnbfi402.cfm)
Caffeine (http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/caffeine.html)

I'm not disputing that caffeine is a drug and needs to be used in moderation if at all. However, the claims about caffeine's dehydrating characteristics do seem to be overblown.

[Plaid Leopard]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is how soda containing phosphoric acid actually leaches calcium and other nutrients from your body. So you are not just getting calories and no nutrients, but you are also losing nutrients.
That said, I've guzzled a pepsi while trying to stay awake while driving, and occasionally I will take a few sips of DH's soda, but I generally try to avoid it.
As far as alcohol, every once in a while I will have a small glasse of wine with meals while pregnant and I don't feel like I am taking much of a risk with that.

[Lady Lilya]

I knew I was pregnant shortly after Thanksgiving, but on Thanksgiving I already suspected. So, when I was visiting my family, I turned down alcohol and just drank water. It got everyone's attention and they started pressuring me about maybe being pregnant. I did NOT want to tell my family in the middle of the chaos of a gazillion relatives and friends, so I held off and didn't tell them on Christmas or New Years either. For Christmas, we were at my parents' again, and when I arrived the first thing I did was grab a glass and get some water. I carried it around with me, and whenever someone offered to fix me a drink, i just gestured towards it. Not technically lying, right? On New Years, we were with my in-laws, and they had gotten a bottle of champagne. I accepted the glass, and just wet my lips 3 times over the course of the night. I had warned my husband in advance that I might subtly switch out glasses with him when his was low, so that he would drink my share and nobody would notice I didn't drink it. Luckily, nobody else liked the champagne (his side of the family they all have sweet-tooths) and nobody else drank theirs either.

Personally, I think one sip of alcohol is less damaging to my body than one sip of soda. I have not had any soda in over 4 years, and you would have to offer me a large amount of money, at least in the 10s of thousands, for me to ever take a sip again. (During pregnancy, you would have to offer me in the hundreds of thousands.) Since I would not drink soda EVER, I definitely wouldn't drink it while pregnant. I think it would probably be a big shock to my system to intake that concentration of sugar so suddenly after years of getting my body accustomed to not having to produce much insulin. Having accidentally ingested sugar on occasion in these last 4 years, I know the effect it had on me. It was a cross between an extreme high and an extreme feeling of discomfort, that lasted about an hour before I had made enough insulin to get rid of it. But, this has the long term effect of increasing the amount of insulin regularly circulating in my body, which I don't want. Insulin is expensive (in terms of nutrients) for our bodies to produce, and has a general weakening effect on the whole body.

Alcohol doesn't have the same impact on my system in terms of digestive processes. The issue with alcohol is the blood-alcohol level and its effects on the developing baby. I would not want to mess with that. I think an occasional sip or even a few ounces is probably not enough to raise the blood alcohol level to a high enough point for a long enough period of time where it would do any damage to the baby. But, I still wouldn't take the chance.

So, I voted no to both.

[kittywitty]

Honestly, either in moderation is ok. And by alcohol moderation, I mean a 1/2 to 1 glass of wine max a day.

I do drink pop. Always swore I never would when pregnant. But I had such horrible low blood sugar and migraines when pg with ds and with this pregnancy, that it's the only thing that helps on those occasions. I drink maybe 2 pops a week if we eat out.

[milky_mama]

It's a decision that must be made by every mother as an individual as to their comfort level with their own pregnancies and children.
My personal opinion (however unpopular it may prove to be) is that pregnancy is only a temporary thing so I have no problem giving up things that are not so great for me during. I wouldn't give a baby alcohol or soda out of the womb, so why would I give it to them in? That is the consideration I give all things that enter my body during pregnancy. It's only 40 weeks, not a life sentence and those things will still be there waiting for me when I am done being pregnant if I truly want them. :duck:

:yeah: I also totally agree.

[mwherbs]

ok so here is an epidemologic study-- that has a bit of info that pertains

now I may have to clip this--

1: Eur. J. Cancer Prev. 2007 Feb;16(1):17-25.

Effects of lifestyle on the onset of puberty as determinant for breast cancer.

Vandeloo MJ, Bruckers LM, Janssens JP.

Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
magdavandeloo@scarlet.be

Breast cancer is more than ever the leading cause of death in women. In this
article, we investigate the influence of lifestyle factors, and in particular
nutrition (i.e. soft drinks), on physical development, puberty, breast growth and menarche to understand the potential impact of these environmental and lifestyle factors on the induction of breast cancer susceptibility. A questionnaire was obtained from 1146 girls of 10 schools in Belgian Limburg, attending the second year of secondary school. Their mean age was about 13 years. The analyses of the data were performed with 'survival analysis', in particular with the 'Cox regression' model for menarche. This project was conducted in the school year of 1999-2000. In the univariate and multivariate analysis investigating the most important variables of the period from birth to the age of menarche, there was clear evidence that lifestyle factors, including nutrition, have an effect on breast development and menarche. The following variables were significantly related to breast development and menarche: body mass index, drinking high-carbohydrate drinks, i.e. soft drinks, height of the father and the mother, weight of the mother at the start of pregnancy, history of mononucleosis, origin and education of the parents and physical activity. Lifestyle factors, including nutrition (i.e. soft drinks), affect the age at puberty and menarche. The same factors are known to be related to breast cancer risk. Better control of these variables during puberty might reduce breast cancer risk later in life.

PMID: 17220700 [Pubmed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Juvysen]

I would definitely vote alcohol as being worse. That said, I feel ok about having a half a glass once a week in the end of the 3rd trimester. At least by then the baby's big enough so he won't be getting quite as drunk.....

I would definitely stay away from soda w/aspartame, though! They scare me enough w/out exposing my fetus to it.

[jazzybaby9]

I've had maybe a few glasses of soda this ENTIRE pg. I don't crave it nor do I even want to taste it. I drink mainly water & juices...and since I'm in the third-tri I'm starting up on the RRL tea. I've had a few SIPS of my DP beer.....just for the taste, but nothing more.

Stick to water if you can! It's the best for you AND baby!:wink

[Mab]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is how soda containing phosphoric acid actually leaches calcium and other nutrients from your body. So you are not just getting calories and no nutrients, but you are also losing nutrients.


:yeah: I was going to write the same thing

[veganone]

I'm avoiding both, but I took cola syrup for m/s. I'm more worried about the chemicals in soda than the caffeine. I don't have an issue with a glass of wine or a beer once in a while if people choose to, but I haven't been. I feel like my body is more hers than mine right now, so I'm just giving myself what I would let my child have. Normally I am not super concerned with nutrition! If I'm out to dinner or somewhere I've been getting iced tea.

[Banana731]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is how soda containing phosphoric acid actually leaches calcium and other nutrients from your body. So you are not just getting calories and no nutrients, but you are also losing nutrients.
That said, I've guzzled a pepsi while trying to stay awake while driving, and occasionally I will take a few sips of DH's soda, but I generally try to avoid it.
As far as alcohol, every once in a while I will have a small glasse of wine with meals while pregnant and I don't feel like I am taking much of a risk with that.

I was going to say something about this. Drinking a lot of soda, even diet is not good for you. Some of the moms who get leg cramps do so for this reason. If you need caffeine to stay awake, drink coffee or tea, both of which have things that are actually good for you(antioxidants, for example.) I don't think caffeine is the issue with soda, it's the other stuff in it.

That being said, an occasional alcoholic drink, or soda(I mean the same occasionalism for both) seems fine to me.

[awallrising]

If we're voting on what to drink on a regular basis, it's water. That being said, soda on a regular basis is WORSE than moderate amounts of alcohol on occasion.

Soda is 100% garbage, HFCS, high acid content, empty calories, etc. If you want caffeine, you could make homemade Iced Tea which at least would give you the health benefits of tea while delivering a moderate amt of caffeine. A soda once in a while doesn't sound bad, but I wouldn't recommend drinking it everyday PG or not.

As for alcohol, I stayed away from it early in PG b/c I had no taste & my MWs said so. I've had a few glasses of wine (small ones, one at a sitting) & do not feel that it's of any concern for FAS. To me, all the hype about alcohol is for the non-thinking Mom who doesn't understand what a small glass in moderation means. Caffeine also used to be "evil" too & now they know it isn't in moderation. Back in the day, women would drink alcohol or caffeine to excess & their babes would suffer. Campaigns rarely suggest moderation.... complete elimination, I guess, is easier for the average mind to comprehend.

I honestly do not believe that the 6 (maybe) glasses of wine I've had in the past 6 mths did baby any harm at all. I think it's far worse to eat a diet of empty calories (e.g. soda) & unwholesome foods.

[2sweetboysmom]

Water...Drink water. But if you have a soda Have a little bit and REALLY enjoy it. I get a small cup, fill it to the top with ice and then add only as much Dr.Pepper as will fit...YUM!! But I stop there, no refills. (this is a 2Xmonth treat) I love Virgil's cream soda and cherrry soda. They are made with real stuf that I would have no worries about putting in my body, ie sugar not HFCS, and no artifical flavors or colors. They are expensive though so I still don't drink more than 1-2/12oz bottles per week.

I have no problem with the concept of alchohol in limited amnts in pregnancy, particularly to combat PTL. (I was introduced to this idea in Ina May Gaskin's books, it makes a lot of sense)

There is my $0.02

[sagira]

I'm a childbirth educator and I almost voted for soda as there is no "fetal soda syndrome" but there is fetal alcohol syndrome. It's just not worth the risk of even drinking alcohol in moderation.

As for soda, there are pregnant women who have a hard time giving it up, but the best answer is obviously water. Drink lots and lots of water. If you must have something else, have some herbal tea (chamomile, red leaf, green tea, etc.). Make sure they're all caffeine-free. Or have some almond or cow's milk in moderation.

[ghuaghua]

I voted 'theyre both terrible, go drink some water" but thats a little hypocritical of me because not only am I addicted to soda but I drink diet *gasp*
I was wondering if anyone on here would have some helpful info/tips on weaning myself from it. I've kicked caffeine successfully, but the diet factor is my problem. My midwife has told me to drink regular soda if I have to have one, but the sweetness is too overwhelming.

[mama k nj]

I voted "go drink some water" LOL

Soda = too much sugar or artificial sweeteners plus usually caffeine. I drank one on occasion while I was preggo though. I think it displaces the water you should be drinking as well, kwim?

As far as the alcohol goes, I had a sip or two of wine or beer on rare occasion but that's it. (and I do mean a SIP)
I used to work with adolescents who had fetal alcohol syndrome and in my child development classes I learned its one of the leading causes of cognitive impairment (what used to be called retarded, but that term is no longer used). So basically it scared me! We dont' know how much is safe and the "safe" amount could vary from woman to woman so it just wasn't worth it for me to have a drink.

ETA: To kick the soda habit/get more water I'd make "spritzers" with half 100% juice and half seltzer water. They are actuallly quite good! I'd also add lots of lemon or even a splash of juice or lemonade in a glass of water to make "flavored" water. I still do that when I'm having a hard time drinking enough water. ;)

[veganone]

I voted 'theyre both terrible, go drink some water" but thats a little hypocritical of me because not only am I addicted to soda but I drink diet *gasp*
I was wondering if anyone on here would have some helpful info/tips on weaning myself from it. I've kicked caffeine successfully, but the diet factor is my problem. My midwife has told me to drink regular soda if I have to have one, but the sweetness is too overwhelming.

Pepsi One has Splenda, which is much safer than asperteme (sp?)... That might be something to have instead of regular diet. I find the non-sweetened but fruit flavored bubbly water to be the best substitute. It's the carbonation that I really seem to crave the most. But, I admit that I am missing my diet Pepsi...

[weliveintheforest]

I wouldn't necessarily say soda is worse than alcohol but it is pretty bad.

[busybusymomma]

JMO... a glass of wine or beer (especially if Organic/sulfite-free) seems safer to me than cola- just because people are more inclined to worry about the safety of alcohol (ie. fetal alcohol syndrome) but they don't usually think twice of cola except in the context of caffeine. The wine/beer is a product of fermentation whereas the cola has to be manufacturered of strange ingredients. HFCS does not get pressed from corn ya know. ;)

I do feel pretty strongly about HFCS though, I have a 4yo who breaks out in hives, has screaming rages etc when he gets too much HFCS- which is really easy since it's in almost all non-Organic food. :irked:

[gratefulmum]

I say both, although "terrible" is a bit strong of a word for me. Obviously water first, but I'd say soda then alcohol. I definitely enjoy my glass of wine when not pg, but during pregnancy I completely dislike the taste of alcohol, while soda tastes yummy, fine. Seems to me my body may be telling me something there.