I am pregnant and have been told I can have wine on occasion. Why not beer? Just curious...?

Question

I am 8 months pregnant and sometimes I really crave an ice cold beer! Oh well...

:)

I have not had a drop of anything and I do not plan on doing so. But, I was told it was PERFECTLY healthy to drink a glass of wine when pregnant.

I was told this by my OB/GYN doctor.

I am just curious and looking for an educated explaintation on the difference. Again, I am not going to drink anything! I just wanted to know the difference for the sake of knowledge...

People... Please do not answer if you are just going to tell me not to drink! I am not going to drink! I am just asking a medical / nutrition question.

Answer 1

It's not a good idea to take alcohol whilst pregnant.

However, in reality, having a shandy, or a small glass of wine, or stout (eg Guiness) won't do any harm, so long as it's ONLY one, and no more than once a week.

If you do drink (or smoke) through your pregnancy, the chances are that everything will still be absolutely fine. There is more chance of you losing your baby by getting hit by a car whilst crossing the street.

However, if there are any complications during the birth, it is an idea not to admit to having drunk or smoked, because then the doctors just blame anything that goes wrong on smoking or drinking, instead of looking into the real cause. I know this for a fact, as I work in a hospital.

Answer 2

it's not a matter of wine, or beer. It's a matter of alcohol. Wine is about 12 percent alcohol, and beer is about 4 percent, so one glass of wine, or one (taller) glass of beer contain about the same alcohol. Similarly, if you were drinking Bailey's (which seems to be popular with girls), a small glass (usual portion) of that would have about as much alcohol as a glass of wine.

in Europe most doctors still tend to say that a glass here and there, on occasion, probably does not hurt the baby. You can have a slight negative on the baby (tough to prove), but you could also have a slight positive if the mother feels more relaxed?

This is in contrast to the US where the zero-alcohol policy has been quite strict. But now European doctors seem to be going more the US way.

Hope this helps

a

Answer 3

I was told that even having a shot or two of hard liqour every now and then won't hurt the baby... wanna know how many people got pi$$ed at me because they bought me a shot and I never drank the shot?

I quit drinking the instant I found out I was pregnant and never had a drink until 3 weeks after I delivered. I couldn't imagine drinking alcohol while pregnant, let alone take a tylenol. But yes, I craved alcohol like crazy.

You can hold off one more month girl! Trust me, you can!

Answer 4

What you need to know:
Drinking alcohol while you are pregnant can cause your baby to be born with both physical and mental birth defects. The most serious concern is a condition called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation.

No one knows exactly how much alcohol a woman has to drink to cause birth defects in her baby. That level may differ from woman to woman. So experts agree that the best thing to do is not to drink alcohol at all while you are pregnant—that includes beer, wine, wine coolers and liquor.

If a woman takes an occasional drink before she knows she is pregnant, it probably won't harm her baby. But she should stop drinking alcohol as soon as she thinks she may be pregnant.

In February 2005, Dr. Richard H. Carmona, surgeon general of the United States, warned pregnant women and women who may become pregnant about the risks of alcohol during pregnancy.

What you can do:
Stay away from alcohol while you are pregnant. If you find it hard to say no, avoid parties, bars and other places where people are drinking alcohol.

If you have a problem stopping, get help. There is no more important time to stop than when you are pregnant.

Answer 5

the same is actually said about beer, that you can have some on occasion. i'm also pregnant, (5 1/2 months), for the second time, but i just choose to stay away from anything that is said to be potentianly harmful, like alcohol, caffine and most fish. it's a small price to pay to be able to be on the safe side. besides, you only have a month to go. you can last.

Answer 6

I am not advising you drink any alcohol while pregnant. But in Germany they brew a beer specifically for pregnant women. Regardless of the type of alcoholic drink, they can all potentially hurt your baby. There are plenty low alcohol/no alcohol beers available to stave off your cravings until your baby is born and weaned...try some of them.

Answer 7

wine is the safest variant, provided it's a good (preferably red) wine. other alcohol drinks can harm or at least make u feel bad (they affect u much more in pregnancy, so a few sips is enough)
anyways, it's not a long way to go for u. soon u will be able to enjoy what u like.

Answer 8

Killing may be an exaggeration. But affecting the child's development is a real possibility.
Yesterday my wife was sitting at a cafe waiting for me, and a smoking pregnant woman apparently gave her hell because she thought my wife was looking at her husband. Misplaced priorities, me thinks.

Answer 9

Alcohol will affect yuor baby and can cause brain damage. Why risk that when the birth is so near. You want a healthy baby and you won't get that if you drink alcohol.

Answer 10

because doctors live in an elite high society, where beer is considered a drunk's beverage.

but one beer is considered the same as one glass of wine or one shot of whiskey.

oh and have fun with that deformed baby.