I Am Pregnant, But Give Me Another Drink

Something that drives me out of my mind is women that think it is ok to have “just one drink” while they are pregnant or while they are nursing. I mean really lady, do you think it is ok to give your baby that one drink? Why not just fill your newborns bottle with wine. Who knows, maybe they will sleep all night. Don’t worry about the development, I mean after all, your mother did it and you turned out fine. Aside from my personal feelings about that subject, here is a ‘little’ researching to back my disapproval. Do more research and find out what your doctor isn’t telling you when he says, “just one won’t hurt anything.”

Avoid drinking alcohol during your pregnancy.  Alcohol passes the through the placenta to your unborn child. Which means, when a pregnant woman drinks any alcohol, such as beer, wine, or mixed drinks, so does her baby. There are several problems drinking can cause during your pregnancy.  Some of which include but are not limited to higher rates of miscarriage, premature birth, complications during birth, and low birth weight. One disorder that is 100% preventable and directly related to drinking during your pregnancy is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FAS.

It is not known exactly how much alcohol can be consumed before causing FAS in your developing baby. FAS is not reversible and can cause lifelong problems. FAS is characterized by particular physical and mental/neurological defects-abnormal facial features, reduced or slowed physical growth, a small head, and slowed intellectual/behavioral development. Damage from alcohol can happen before a woman even knows she is pregnant. So if you are trying to get pregnant, stop drinking now.

Other problems from drinking may include mental retardation, poor motor skills or hand-eye coordination, severe behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and attention deficit, among others. Here is a list from the Center for Disease Control.

• Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum)
• Small head size
• Shorter-than-average height
• Low body weight
• Poor coordination
• Hyperactive behavior
• Difficulty paying attention
• Poor memory
• Difficulty in school (especially with math)
• Learning disabilities
• Speech and language delays
• Intellectual disability or low IQ
• Poor reasoning and judgment skills
• Sleep and sucking problems as a baby
• Vision or hearing problems
• Problems with the heart, kidney, or bones

There is no safe amount to drink during pregnancy. So help your baby out for life and don’t drink!

So, why not just wait until your little tyke is born and you aren’t nursing to have that “one glass” They will thank you for it when they are older!

Dee Stafford

~Dee Stafford is a freelance writer and the content contained here is her opinion from research.  Check her resources page for background data.