Pregnancy Taboo

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spozzybear
spozzybear Posts: 216 Member
in Chit-Chat
Hi guys,

Just wondering what everyone's views are on drinking alcohol and caffeine during pregnancy?

I am currently 8 weeks pregnant and haven't touched either since I found out I was expecting, but I must say it's not been easy.
I plan to continue on this road as I'm sure it will get easier, but was just curious to get other peoples' opinions on the subject.
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  • angieleighbyrd
    angieleighbyrd Posts: 989 Member
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    Caffeine in moderation is fine during pregnancy. Even and OB will tell you that.


    Alcohol???? NO! Never. :noway:
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,453 Member
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    I had my daughter 2 months ago. I drank coffee in moderation like 1 or 2 weak cups a day. I also had about 4 drinks - my birthday, Christmas, and New Years and she's totally fine. I wouldn't drink alcohol regularly but coffee in moderation is generally seen as ok.
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
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    I work in a liquor store, and it makes me twitch when I see a pregnant woman buying liquor. Maybe it's for her significant other, but it still makes me twitch.
  • CallmeFrida
    CallmeFrida Posts: 197 Member
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    well....I had a glass of wine here and there when I was preggo and had coffee every morning...my daughter is beautiful , smart and healthy as can be :smile: there was no complications on my delivery day and everything went awesome.

    You know how back in the day people didn't know smoking or alcohol or whatever was "bad" (which it really is if you do it every day and are addicted) well everything in moderation is fine.

    Our society now a days is very judgemental so don't feel bad or guilty if you want to enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, besides you need to relax and not be stressed out so if it's hard right now to let go of everything you can slow it down. It's better than stress

    good luck and congrats!

    P.S. had to edit some more real quick lol also my daughter is 2years old now and she was born 7 1/2lbs
  • VpinkLotus
    VpinkLotus Posts: 849 Member
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    This a very touchy topic. people get super angry about this so just be ready. I feel that the first (even second) tri you have to be very careful. But in the third when you are having sleep issues and such, (and when baby is already developed) I have learned through the years that most dr's say a glass of wine or half of one at the very end to help you sleep or relax isn't a big deal. A friend of mine threw a dinner party and her female pregnant OBGYN attended. She was 36 weeks preg. and she drank a glass of wine in front of everyone. It's a personal choice but I will admit I occasionally had wine in very small amounts at the very end of my last 2 pregnancies.

    ps - a good friend of mine is a doula and when women are having contractions early, the first thing she tells them to do is lie down and have a half a beer. I guess something in it calms early contractions. But if it it were bad for baby, would doulas reccomend it? prob not. Just Sayin'. Much like everything, a little bit is different than a whole lot...
  • RhineDHP
    RhineDHP Posts: 1,025 Member
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    Well I could understand it being hard to cut back on caffeine if you've had it regularly before getting pregnant, but you're saying its hard to stay away from alcohol?


    There are different opinions about alcohol and pregnancy, some doctors say that one glass every once in awhile is fine, and some say that abstaining cold turkey is the way to go.

    I guess, personally if I became pregnant I would ax both altogether. But then again I'm not much of a drink, alcohol OR caffeine drinks. But my sister is the opposite of me. When she got pregnant and stopped both cold turkey it was really hard for her for the first couple months (caffeine especially). But it does get better.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Caffeine in moderation is fine during pregnancy. Even and OB will tell you that.


    Alcohol???? NO! Never. :noway:

    ^this. an OB told me trying to quit caffeine was actually more stressful and worse for me and the baby as I was having a migraine during my amnio. so ask to the dr.
  • artickb22
    artickb22 Posts: 411 Member
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    My close friend was having such terrible anxiety during pregnanacy that her OBGYN told her to have a glass of wine when she would get too worked up (like 2-3 oz). The benefit of calm effect outweighed the risk. I would always talk to your doc first though because no two pregnancies are just alike.
  • extraordinary_machine
    extraordinary_machine Posts: 3,028 Member
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    In France many pregnant women have a glass of wine with dinner every night.
  • Improvised
    Improvised Posts: 925 Member
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    I personally don't drink alcohol, but I would especially would steer clear of alcohol. I have seen and lived with people who have had fetal alcohol syndrome and its nothing I would dare risk with my children.
    Not jumping on anyones case here, its just not something I would do myself.
  • belle_of_the_bar
    belle_of_the_bar Posts: 474 Member
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    I did quit alcohol completely while pregnant, but me and my caffiene are just too close. I did find a good decaf and made my coffee half and half though. Congrats and good luck!
  • spozzybear
    spozzybear Posts: 216 Member
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    :flowerforyou: Just to be clear, I'm certainly not looking for justification to drink here, I have no intention of drinking during my pregnancy (personal choice), I was just curious to hear other people's opinions and experiences. I'm not here to judge at all
  • rachaelk8
    rachaelk8 Posts: 5
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    Do your reading, know the risks and live with your choices.
    It your body and it will be your baby.
    Obviously its better to take the approach your body is a temple for two and you should respect it... the chemicals and crap should stay out. You only have to do it for 9 months and wouldn't you want to give you baby the best possible start?
  • VpinkLotus
    VpinkLotus Posts: 849 Member
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    Caffeine in moderation is fine during pregnancy. Even and OB will tell you that.


    Alcohol???? NO! Never. :noway:

    ^this. an OB told me trying to quit caffeine was actually more stressful and worse for me and the baby as I was having a migraine during my amnio. so ask to the dr.

    Yeah, I had actual like literal withdrawl from caffine when i tried to quit. Migraines, shakes, nausea and IN BED for two days like I was going to die. (it's a real addiction.) I settled on one cup of coffee per day and my O.B.'s response to that was..."okay, fine...but 2 if you oversleep." No lie.
  • lsjd2000
    lsjd2000 Posts: 287 Member
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    You will hear multiple things about what is or is not safe during pregnancy --the thing is every fetus can be affected differently to anything. Personally I had caffeine and ..gasp...lunch meat with all three pregnancies (well the first and third the 2nd I couldn't hold anything down for 30 of the 34 weeks that I carried him)
    As far as drinking ...I would say a big no ....mostly from working in a NICU for multiple years. I have seen babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) from moms who only had 1-2 drinks and fairly healthy babies from moms that drink more then they should have (even when not pregnant). For something that is preventable I say don't take the risk, Even later on in pregnancy the central nervous system is still developing (while not at as critical a stage as earlier in pregnancy its still being "built" so to speak) If you want to see a chart of when the different systems develop you can look here -- its a chart we used in a child development class I took to see when the fetus is affected by what the mom is taking in. Though you should always talk with your doctor and see what they say about what you can and shouldn't have.

    http://wikis.lib.ncsu.edu/images/0/0b/Criticalperiodshumandevelopment.jpg
  • VpinkLotus
    VpinkLotus Posts: 849 Member
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    Do your reading, know the risks and live with your choices.
    It your body and it will be your baby.
    Obviously its better to take the approach your body is a temple for two and you should respect it... the chemicals and crap should stay out. You only have to do it for 9 months and wouldn't you want to give you baby the best possible start?

    says someone ALWAYS whose never been pregnant.....one post and no pic? puleeze...
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,453 Member
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    You will hear multiple things about what is or is not safe during pregnancy --the thing is every fetus can be affected differently to anything. Personally I had caffeine and ..gasp...lunch meat with all three pregnancies (well the first and third the 2nd I couldn't hold anything down for 30 of the 34 weeks that I carried him)
    As far as drinking ...I would say a big no ....mostly from working in a NICU for multiple years. I have seen babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) from moms who only had 1-2 drinks and fairly healthy babies from moms that drink more then they should have (even when not pregnant). For something that is preventable I say don't take the risk, Even later on in pregnancy the central nervous system is still developing (while not at as critical a stage as earlier in pregnancy its still being "built" so to speak) If you want to see a chart of when the different systems develop you can look here -- its a chart we used in a child development class I took to see when the fetus is affected by what the mom is taking in. Though you should always talk with your doctor and see what they say about what you can and shouldn't have.

    http://wikis.lib.ncsu.edu/images/0/0b/Criticalperiodshumandevelopment.jpg

    And we're sure those women with FAS babies who said they only had 1-2 drinks were telling the truth... I doubt it. If 1 or 2 drinks did that then half the population of Europe would be FAS.
  • CallmeFrida
    CallmeFrida Posts: 197 Member
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    that's what I'm thinking too^^ 1-2 drinks wouldn't do all that...but than again every baby developes differently...i know I had 1-2 glasses of wine once in a while and none of that happened lol
  • Crazy4Healthy
    Crazy4Healthy Posts: 626 Member
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    I had an OB that said red wine can actually have benefits, definite moderation. Caffeine the same, I could typically feel the effects, baby would become quite active when I drank caffeine and I would drink it when baby was extremely quiet in the last trimester (when they don't have as much room to move) to get him\her to move (for peace of mind). :)
  • KevDaniel
    KevDaniel Posts: 449 Member
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    Caffeine in moderation is fine during pregnancy. Even and OB will tell you that.


    Alcohol???? NO! Never. :noway:

    Plenty of OB's will also tell you it is OK to have a drink here and there.http://www.theindychannel.com/lifestyle/health/drinking-during-pregnancy-ok-some-doctors-say

    That being said, I would do as little of all these things as much as possible, why risk it?

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