Pregnancy And Alcohol: Majority Of Mommyish Readers Indulged While Pregs

A study came out last week showing that low to moderate drinking during pregnancy will not harm your baby. The news surprised many people, especially given that researchers defined low alcohol consumption as one to five drinks per week, and moderate consumption as five to eight drinks per week. That seems like a lot of alcohol as compared the occasional glass of wine but, then again, I’m just going by what was I’ve always been told.

We were curious to hear what you had to say on the matter. Turns out the majority of Mommyish readers (55%) indulged in the odd glass of wine or beer. Ten percent consumed 1-4 drinks per week – what researchers considered to be low alcohol consumption – and only 1.4% opted for more than that (5-8 drinks per week). None of you consumed more than nine drinks per week, which is a good thing since it’s been proven time and time again that excessive drinking while pregnant can harm your baby. Meanwhile, a third of readers erred on the side of caution and did not touch a drop of alcohol while pregnant.

It was interesting to hear what our readers had to say on the matter. For example, one reader named Janna said her midwife actually encouraged a glass of red wine each week once she hit the 24-week mark. Several readers pointed out that most OBs won’t ever tell their patients that any amount of alcohol is safe though, like most things, it’s about moderation more than anything else.

One reader named Shelly shared how her OB – and none the other OBs in the office where she works – was even remotely worried about the fact that she drank a beer a week during the last trimester during both pregnancies. “My OB told me, ‘We can’t say any amount of alcohol is safe, but if you’re craving beer, have a beer. Just keep it moderate,'” she explains. “It’s fine if you don’t want to risk it, but don’t judge others too harshly for having a single beer or glass of wine with dinner.”

(Photo: hartphotography/Shutterstock)