[Lyss]

So, I'm still in the first tri - either 12w3d or 12w. And I really want a glass of wine.<br><br>
I've had two beers this pregnancy.<br><br>
I didn't drink at all with my DD, and maybe had 4-5 glasses of wine or beer when pregnant with DS. I see a lot of conflicting info, but a great deal of it says no alcohol at all in the first tri.<br><br>
This seems a little over-cautious to me. Really? A glass of wine is forbidden in the first tri?<br><br>
Anyone want to weigh in? I don't have a problem abstaining. I just think a glass of wine would taste good and be relaxing. I can't imagine it's worse than, say, a diet coke?

 

[changingseasons]

I've really been craving a glass of wine lately too, but I figured I would try and hold out until the 2nd tri. Not sure if there's any reason to...<br><br>
But it's strange- last pregnancy I couldn't STAND the smell of alcohol- that was pretty much the only food aversion I had. Couldn't be in the same room with it. This time a frosty beer or nice glass of pinot noir sound <b>delicious</b>. Actually, what I've been craving this past week is sushi, WITH a glass of wine. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br>
One of these days.... soon. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">

 

[Lyss]

I make sushi all the time, but I don't put raw fish in it. We like chicken with bbq sauce, some type of bacon (turkey/whatever), and whatever leftover veggies we have around the house. We ate it once a week for the last year, but I haven't been able to tolerate it since June. DD can't wait for school to start so she can have bbq chicken sushi in her lunchbox. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
I use the sushi rice recipe from thepioneerwoman.com

 

[gen_here]

I've never been a big drinker - and even not pregnant I can't finish a whole glass. But I've had 1/2 or 1/4 glasses in pregnancy before - usually late 2nd to 3rd trimester. Just because of my past pregnancy history, I'd personally wait until next trimester - but that's just me. I have friends/family that were pregnant while living in Europe, and wine with meals is very, very common... even for *gasp* pregnant women.

 

[StarCat]

DDCC- I'm such a mega wine drinker. I've had about 2-3 glasses total, actually 1/2 glasses up to about 6 wks. Now I'm almost 9 and can't stand the thought of it. I didn't have any with my first pregnancy (actually I had 1 cider at a pub in London at 11-12 wks) that was it. With #2 I had a glass of wine per week from about week 38-42! Personally, I think 1 glass of wine or 1 beer is really not that big of a deal (and at the end it helps!!) But I guess if it would weigh on someones conscience then it wouldn't be worth it.

 

[1bighappyfam]

Well the 1st trimester is a sensitive one with everything fully forming. No medical professional can say X amount is fine and won't cause any harm. Why? There is no safe way to test that out and some may take some leniency and RUN with it, kwim? So the best bet is to encourage women to abstain.<br><br>
I'm personally not freaky about having a glass of wine or beer later in pg. Food in the belly, drink slow, etc...<br><br>
While I wouldn't ever risk it I imagine problems come from habitual drinking in pg.

 

[jcregan]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/yeahthat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="yeah that"><br><br>
As a Biology Teacher I know some of the intricate steps going on in the first tri and even though there really is likely some low occasional level that would be relatively safe I just can't/won't do it.<br><br>
Later on I might (3rd tri) but still not much or often. I guess I find it is almost easier for me to just not do, I don't mind much so I guess why bother worrying about it.

 

[michanders4]

I thought about waiting until the second trimester too but I ended up having a glass at my anniversary dinner and a little here and there maybe twice. I'm pretty sure I did wait until 10 weeks as they say from 4-10 is when all the groundwork is being laid. You are pretty close at 12 weeks. Now i want some wine..maybe tonight (I'm 14w 2d).

 

[echospiritwarrior]

DDCC<br><br>
I certainly celebrated my second trimester with a beer! I actually had two that week. I don't worry so much after the first tri except how socially I feel like an outcast if I wanted to have a drink in public. I thought it was interesting that I wasn't even offered the champaign for toasting at the last engagement dinner I attended. No matter what the situation I would obviously ask a mama "would you care to partake?" <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked">

 

[grassisgreener1334]

For me, the thought of drinking any alcohol (whether I'm craving it or not) during any stage of pregnancy just feels wrong to me. Maybe I'm just heavily conditioned by the media or maybe there's something deeper there I'm picking up on, I'm not sure (probably a bit of both). I just don't see the point in consuming something that is purely for pleasure when it is a known toxin when there is a baby growing inside of you...seems selfish to me, really. I doubt there will ever be a thread in which pregnant women are chatting about how they're craving a cigarette and a few won't hurt. That's a bit ironic, if you think about it, because the damage alcohol can cause is often much greater than nicotine and tobacco. Not saying that smoking is okay, either, just pointing out something odd.<br><br>
There are lots of different ways to relax and take the edge off that doesn't involve potential harm for an unborn baby...why don't we focus on that instead?

 

[jcregan]

Like Ice Cream! =)<br><br>
Or a nice bath - that is my fav. Especially since I convinced DD she can't come in with me cause we won't both fit.

 

[Ola_]

Personally I'm not a big drinker in general, I might have a glass of wine per month or something like that. I don't really feel comfortable drinking alcohol during pregnancy and since I don't drink a lot that's not hard to do. But for some reason knowing that it's off limits is giving me alcohol cravings. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"> Yesterday I was thinking a nice glass of cold Bailey's irish liqueur would be so yummy! Must be that whole forbidden fruit thing.

 

[changingseasons]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>rainbow_mandala</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15799423"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I just don't see the point in consuming something that is purely for pleasure when it is a known toxin when there is a baby growing inside of you...seems selfish to me, really.</div>
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There are a lot of things that could fall into this category though. I mean really, unless you are THE picture of health and wellness, you're probably breaking your own rules.<br><br>
What about eating some ice cream or a snack with HFCS in it? Or some non-organic (GMO) corn chips? Or just non-organic food in general? Or grocery store meat or milk (fed grains, and given abx & steroids)? Or sleeping on a mattress full of PCB's? That's pretty selfish right, when you could really just sleep on the floor?<br><br>
I'm not advocating for people to go out and booze it up.... but if you are comfortable with it, I think it's fine in moderation- just like anything else. There really isn't any way to abstain from EVERYTHING harmful during pregnancy, and you'll make yourself crazy if you tried to. And I don't think that makes you a selfish person.

 

[grassisgreener1334]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>changingseasons</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15799684"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">There are a lot of things that could fall into this category though. I mean really, unless you are THE picture of health and wellness, you're probably breaking your own rules.<br><br>
What about eating some ice cream or a snack with HFCS in it? Or some non-organic (GMO) corn chips? Or just non-organic food in general? Or grocery store meat or milk (fed grains, and given abx & steroids)? Or sleeping on a mattress full of PCB's? That's pretty selfish right, when you could really just sleep on the floor?<br><br>
I'm not advocating for people to go out and booze it up.... but if you are comfortable with it, I think it's fine in moderation- just like anything else. There really isn't any way to abstain from EVERYTHING harmful during pregnancy, and you'll make yourself crazy if you tried to. And I don't think that makes you a selfish person.</div>
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I actually am pretty anal about what I eat and my mattress is organic, but I understand your point. I know that the odds of having a few glasses of wine while pregnant probably won't cause any real harm, but why would you do that when you could be consuming things that are actually good for yourself and the baby? It just seems illogical to me, especially on a board that's all about being natural and healthy.

 

[changingseasons]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>rainbow_mandala</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15799719"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I actually am pretty anal about what I eat and my mattress is organic, but I understand your point. I know that the odds of having a few glasses of wine while pregnant probably won't cause any real harm, but why would you do that when you could be consuming things that are actually good for yourself and the baby? It just seems illogical to me, especially on a board that's all about being natural and healthy.</div>
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<br>
I'm actually really anal about what I eat and put on my body as well, but I can guarantee you that I have chemical exposure from things in my house and environment.<br><br>
And who is saying that a <span style="text-decoration:underline;">moderate</span> amount of wine during pregnancy is UNhealthy? There are many people that would support the fact that a small amount of wine is actually good for you, pregnant or not. I didn't have even a sip of anything alcoholic during my last pregnancy. But I'm looking forward to a glass of wine here and there with this pregnancy, and I don't think that is selfish.

 

[katroshka]

I wouldn't drink during the first trimester at all, and will wait until I'm at least 1/2 way through the second trimester. After that, I think moderate amounts of beer or wine is fine. I have a good friend who was just telling me that she drank a glass of wine every night while she was pregnant... not sure, but I'm assuming she meant after first trimester. Her doctor said it was fine, and her 3 kids are healthy and sharp as tacks.<br><br>
When I was pregnant with my second daughter and I would start getting some pretty hefty contractions waaaay before I was supposed to, my midwife told me to drink half a beer or 1/3 glass of wine, then go lay down for an hour. It stopped the contractions every time, wish I had known that before being put on bed rest for 2.5 months with my first.<br><br>
At the moment (14 weeks) I don't want to drink at all, though the smell of alcohol isn't making me gag like it was a couple of weeks ago. That kind of makes me think my body still doesn't want me to drink, but it isn't as bad as it was then.

 

[grassisgreener1334]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>changingseasons</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15799802"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I'm actually really anal about what I eat and put on my body as well, but I can guarantee you that I have chemical exposure from things in my house and environment.<br><br>
And who is saying that a <span style="text-decoration:underline;">moderate</span> amount of wine during pregnancy is UNhealthy? There are many people that would support the fact that a small amount of wine is actually good for you, pregnant or not. I didn't have even a sip of anything alcoholic during my last pregnancy. But I'm looking forward to a glass of wine here and there with this pregnancy, and I don't think that is selfish.</div>
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Chemical exposure is something we can't really prevent...we can do some things that help, but not everything. Drinking alcohol is something that is 100% preventable, that was my point.<br><br>
I've heard that, too, about red wine, but from what I've heard it has more to do with the antioxidants present than anything else. It certainly doesn't have anything to do with the alcohol content. If you can find a study that shows that the alcohol content is actually beneficial then I'd love to see that. You can get plenty of antioxidants from other foods...<br><br>
I don't mean to be so fiesty about this, I'm just very passionate about health and it disturbs me to see pregnant women talking about this like it's no big deal, like they're talking about the weather or going for a walk.

 

[grassisgreener1334]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>katroshka</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15800002"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I wouldn't drink during the first trimester at all, and will wait until I'm at least 1/2 way through the second trimester. After that, I think moderate amounts of beer or wine is fine. I have a good friend who was just telling me that she drank a glass of wine every night while she was pregnant... not sure, but I'm assuming she meant after first trimester. Her doctor said it was fine, and her 3 kids are healthy and sharp as tacks.<br><br>
When I was pregnant with my second daughter and I would start getting some pretty hefty contractions waaaay before I was supposed to, my midwife told me to drink half a beer or 1/3 glass of wine, then go lay down for an hour. It stopped the contractions every time, wish I had known that before being put on bed rest for 2.5 months with my first.<br><br>
At the moment (14 weeks) I don't want to drink at all, though the smell of alcohol isn't making me gag like it was a couple of weeks ago. That kind of makes me think my body still doesn't want me to drink, but it isn't as bad as it was then.</div>
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People have done all sorts of things while pregnant and their babies turned out just fine. That still doesn't mean it was a good thing to do, for the mother or the child. There have been enough studies done on the effects of alcohol both on adults and on unborn babies that it doesn't make sense to me that just because some kids turn out okay that somehow makes it an alright thing to do. Another example would be my ex's mother. She smoked while pregnant with each of her 4 children and I'm not talking about a cigarette every once in awhile, I'm talking about half a pack to a pack a day. They all turned out just fine, no major issues. That still doesn't make it okay to smoke while pregnant, imo.<br><br>
I've heard about doctors and midwives suggesting that pregnant women drink some wine to help stop labor and to help relax or whatever, but they do not know everything. There are also plenty of other ways to help yourself relax and to calm contractions down.

 

[Lyss]

I had given away all of our pregnancy books after my DS was born, so I turned to google for info and do understand the importance of abstaining in the first tri. I did have a couple beers early on, but after having now 6 weeks of spotting, bleeding, cramping (another red bleed this morning after brown clots on Tuesday and an A++ ultrasound on Monday showing the SCH was resolving quickly), I find myself extremely irritated at having to make all the preparations and sacrifices for a healthy pregnancy and at the same time understanding how delicate it is. That is just me, and just this pregnancy.<br><br>
I am 1st-gen Greek-American on one side, and in Greece, wine goes with every dinner, pregnant or no. And so does dirty, nasty (delicious) soft cheese that's not particularly well-refrigerated or pasteurized. I was talking to my stepmom, who still lives there and had 2 kids, and I was telling her we abstain from unpasteurized feta during pregnancy as well as heating up the sandwich meat, etc. for listeria.<br><br>
She agreed with the lunchmeat, but was appalled and perplexed at the idea of the soft cheeses.<br><br>
I understand it's all about minimizing the risks, and I understand that the risks are higher in the first tri. And that we all probably know people who drank and smoked and ate cold ham sandwiches and feta and sushi that had healthy babies. Hell, people do crystal meth when they're pregnant! Crack! I have a friend that adopted a baby whose mother had a crystal meth addiction and indulged during pregnancy, and she's a fine, healthy school-aged child, but that DOES NOT mean it's a good idea.<br><br>
I guess part of it, for me, too, is that I have now have had 5 bleeds this pregnancy. Having a glass of wine (which I didn't last night, although I REALLY wanted to) would kind of be a nice way of saying, F you, universe. For making me crazy and worried and making me miss almost the whole last summer before my oldest starts school by being too sick and then by having a ruptured membrane right over my cervix for a pregnancy I didn't even *want* but now find myself excited about to go to the beach run around with my kids at the park like I had planned to all year and then saying when I'm sad and frustrated I can't even have a glass of wine. /endrant

 

[segrau]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>rainbow_mandala</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15799423"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I doubt there will ever be a thread in which pregnant women are chatting about how they're craving a cigarette and a few won't hurt. That's a bit ironic, if you think about it, because the damage alcohol can cause is often much greater than nicotine and tobacco. Not saying that smoking is okay, either, just pointing out something odd.</div>
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That's actually 100% wrong. Multiple studies have proven that even a small amount of nicotine is harmful, whereas all the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome studies are on babies whose mothers were alcoholics. In Europe, no one thinks twice about having a glass of wine with dinner during pregnancy, even in the first trimester. I self-limited to one glass of wine/one beer per week while pg with DS, but that was mostly because of American reaction to drinking while pregnant. We've gone WAY overboard in this country. They don't have these problems in Europe, except with alcoholics, yet we Americans think we know better and can improve on moderation. My midwife's advice was, "If you can feel the effects of the alcohol, so can the baby. Limit yourself to that."<br><br>
There are many documented benefits to drinking in moderation, and NO studies on moderate to light drinking during pregnancy. I think in this country we allow ourselves to worry unnecessarily over things that are unproven.<br><br>
Now, I'm off to go enjoy some salmon sashimi for lunch!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">