Cosmos after conception?

When a women is expecting it is her full responsibility to do everything she can to protect the child; therefore, I believe that when a pregnant woman is drinking, smoking, not taking her vitamins, or running a marathon, etc, it is simply irresponsible.

When I see a woman doing these “irresponsible” things I automatically consider it shameful and am always a little shocked.

But then again, I don't drink or smoke.

I take my vitamins.

I'm not running a marathon anytime soon.

Regardless... it is simply–my opinion.

My mother was told by her doctor to drink red wine while pregnant with me; she'd become very anemic, and it's a great source of iron.

I'd really doubt that a pregnant woman having one drink would really hurt anything, but if I were pregnant, I doubt I would ever order one for fear of being judged.

I have had sips of my husband's wine while pregnant. But it was always in public and I would not drink more, only for fear of the disdain of strangers, not because I thought half a glass (or even a full glass) would hurt the baby. I have been told from relatively reliable sources that in terms of danger to the baby, eating cold cuts is much more dangerous than having a glass of wine. Yet how many people would give a pregnant mother dirty looks for eating a turkey sandwich?

When I was pregnant I heard about being able to have a glass of wine on a special occasion every once in a while, so I asked my doc about it. She told me that I could if I wanted to, but I was floored when she confirmed what I heard. I thought it was total bull.
I can totally understand the whole "I need a drink" ordeal or even a smoke, but I just never could bring myself to do either of those while I was pregnant. I quit smoking and I waited untill I was done breastfeeding before I (finally) had that drink I wanted.
I just figured its my duty to protect my baby and I didn't want to give her anything (directly or indirectly) that is not meant for her. It had nothing to do with what other people thought of me, I just thought that since there is no medical reason for me to have any alcohol I wouldn't have any. If you do decide to tip a few back when expecting, that's your choice but don't be surprised to see people giving you dirty looks...

I didn't have any alcohol while pregnant or nursing, but that was partially because it didn't appeal to me. I don't think an occasional glass of wine would be harmful. I think eating fried foods, smoking, and/or not exercising are more harmful than the occasional sip or glass of wine.

We are a country of paranoids. I appreciate advise and information from the medical community. I do not appreciate judgment from society.

I am glad that I was pregnant back in the sixties. It wasn't an issue. I drank wine every day. My daughter is doing just fine at 40! I never took vitamins either.

My girlfriend is pregnant and has avoided any drinking while pregnant, though she has been told that a glass of wine every once in a while will not hurt. I think we both worry about the outside chance that it may, and there is always the social stigma of drinking while pregnant.

I am 13 weeks preganant and I quit smoking when I found out I was pregnant. Obviously, I didn't even have the occasional drink that I used to have either-I am not a drinker but I enjoy a glass of wine now and again. With the holidays coming up, I am saving myself for one small glass of wine at dinner during Thanksgiving and maybe the same at christmas but that's it. It does make me feel a little guilty but I know I will not be hurting anything especially since by then, my baby's organs and internal systems will be formed by then. I wouldn't drink even a sip in public for fear of condemnation but that's just me.

In response to previous poster AHB, I agree that it is irresponsible to drink, smoke, and not take care of yourself during pregnancy. However, part of not taking care of yourself is not exercising. If you were a marathoner or runner before getting pregnant, there is no reason why you can't continue running during pregnancy. In fact, my doc told me she had a patient who ran a marathon at 7 months and encourages pregnant women to keep doing what they've been doing in terms of exercise if they are not high risk or have other problems. As for drinking, while a glass or two may not hurt the baby, why even take the risk? Just my two cents.

Why would anyone take a chance – even if it was a small chance – of hurting their unborn child in some way? I don't understand this line of thinking and for me, I actually stopped drinking a couple months before we even started trying to get pregnant. My husband also didn't drink during the timeframe when I was ovulating so we could give our baby the best possible chance of being healthy.

At the end of the day, we don't really know all of the effects our environment and choices may have on our unborn children. I was always so concerned about whether certain things were "safe" for me to take or use during pregnancy. I decided to make sacrifices knowing that I tried my best and even if it only resulted in a small difference that I would probably never be able to confirm – lets say a couple more points added to an IQ – then it was worth it in the long run of my child's life.

I am the adoptive parent of a child with Fetal Alcohol Exposure. Although he does not have the characteristic facial features associated with the more severe Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, my beautiful son is developmentally and behaviorally challenged, undersized and underweight. He has the mentality of a 6 year old. At 62 pounds, he looks more like a 6 year old than the 11 year old boy that he is.

How much alcohol his biological mother consumed is not known. What IS known is that my son will forever struggle academically, and most likely behaviorally as a direct result of her actions.

Just because a woman chooses to have a drink while pregnant does not make her irresponsible nor is it shameful. Judging people like that annoy me.

If the mother is drinking one drink after another, abusing alcohol then there is cause for concern but a drink is not a big deal so say many, many studies and very few dispute that a drink on ocassion is unharmful.

This is an issue for a woman to weigh with her doctor. Women who are at higher risk or have a baby that is already at a higher risk for stress would probably do better to avoid alcohol or any behavior that would add more stress.

I am 3 months pregnant now and I would not touch aglass of wine no matter if i was in public or not. I think its a slippery slope and if something is deemed dangerous then 1 is too much, i for one never want to live with a "what IF" i didnt' have those drinks, then would my baby have been healthy? I want to KNOW i did everything under th sun possible to protect my child from what I can, its just common sense to me.

Women in Europe don't even bat an eye when they continue to have their glass of wine with dinner each night while pregnant. So I honestly don't think a tiny bit here and there hurts.

When I was pregnant I was very avoidant of anything that could even possibly hurt the baby, but that's because I was just obsessive about it. I wouldn't even eat lunchmeat because of listeria, which really is so rare there's only like 1000 cases a year nationwide. But I did have 1/4 glass of wine on one occasion, and a sip or 2 of my husband's drink when he ordered something I hadn't had before.

When I found out I was pregnant I was training for a marathon. I did some reseach and asked my doctor if I could continue and she said yes. I ended up walking (not running) a half-marathon at 24 weeks. I feel as though the excersize has completely helped make my pregnancy a breeze. I feel fit and have a ton of energy. In fact, I'm planning on doing a 5K "jog" in the next few weeks (pre-approved from my doctor). As far as drinking...I've had a few "half glasses" of wine now that I'm in my third trimester. Again, my doctor gave me the go ahead. I felt a little guilty at first, but then I thought about how the doctor had given me the go-ahead to take Benadryl. I doubt a half glass of wine is any worse than a Benadryl.

I'm 17 weeks pregnant as we speak, and will not drink alcohol. (I WILL smell it though when I have a craving, its wierd what your body does to you).
My doctor told me to avoid it, for it is unknown exactly how much or how little is safe to consume while expecting. I would rather be safe and protect my child than have a drink. Motherhood begins at conception, and not drinking is the first step to becoming a good mother.

The idea that a woman cannot abstain from all alcohol for such a short period of her life is ridiculous and selfish. I have a 2 year old son and I am 5 months pregnant. I wouldn't dare drink any amount of alcohol during my pregnancies as the mere thought of even a tiny % of risk is enough to give me pause. I also follow my doctor's guidelines on not eating risky foods and I always take my vitamins. I just don't understand the mindset of the women who "really need a drink" or just need to smoke....irresponsible and selfish women...clearly they lack the maternal instinct.

I didn't drink either during my two pregnancies, or while nursing, as I don't think it's worth the risk. If there is a possibility that I could hurt the person who will be living in a body made from some of my choices, then it's not that long of a time to wait to have a drink compared to my child's health.

Absolutely not a good idea! As a health care professional I think it's irresponsible to suggest it's even remotely okay for women to drink any amount of alcohol while pregnant. I think it's opens up a door for those who still thinks it's okay to smoke and do drugs while pegnant.

My mother had terrible contractions when she was pregnant with my younger sister and her doctor encouraged her to have 1 drink or 1 shot to calm her down, which seemed to have been fine, my sister is wonderful! I do think moderation is the key though.

Running a marathon pregnant for a marathon runner would be no different than a walk around the block for most women. It's all about what your body is used to doing. Drinking is a little different but not much. A glass or two of wine would not hurt the baby. Some women need to learn to make reasonable decisions and stop letting the over cautious be their guide.

Personally I'd rather play it safe and not drink. I think that in the highly polluted environment that most of us live in today, – plus all the radiation, and dangerous food additives, I'd go with the less chances of harm, the better.

I've read the research papers – there are many, and few show any real negative effecs from having one drink occasionally while pregnant. This is especially true for later pregnancy. The time in pregnancy when alcohol is most likely to cause any damage is from the third week to the middle of the third month, when the nervous system is forming. However, since pregnancy shifts a woman's liver into overdrive anyway, one drink is metabolized quite quickly and is not problematic. Fetal alcohol syndrome results when the pregnant woman consumes many drinks – 5 or more a day every day. If I get pregnant, I do not plan to cut wine from my diet. I won't have more than one glass a day (and I rarely do that anyway) but I will still have the occasional wine with my dinner. As a research scientist I know that I've got the facts, and I also know that my liver is very healthy and will take care of me and any potential offspring.

I don't believe one or two drinks would harm a child, however, I would rather be safe than sorry. My child's health is not something I'm willing to take a risk on.

There are some things that we just don't know in what amounts will cause harm. Look at smoking: One person can smoke all of their life and not have any problems; someone else can smoke for ten years and die of lung cancer.

When a woman is pregnant, she should do everything possible to ensure that her child has a shot at its optimum potential. We just don't know in what amounts things like alcohol, cigarettes or drugs will cause issues. Additionally, some of those issues could be slight enough to not be noticed in the first few years, but enough to cause the child pain when he/she is older.

Should a woman smoke ten cigarettes a day/drink 1-2 glasses of wine a week? In my opinion, absolutely not. Sure, you could do everything right and not have problems, but you could also do something that can harm your child's health or intelligence. Why would anyone do that?

If a woman can't go nine months without a drink to protect the health of her unborn child, then maybe she should reexamine her reasons for "needing" a drink.

it has been my experience that women who can't do simple things for nine months like avoid alcohol, avoid soft cheeses and sushi...don't eat rare hamburgers...are the most selfish mother's too, motherhood is about putting the needs of another human being above your own for a little while...it begins before your child arrives, if you think "you need a drink" when your pregnant, just wait until you have all of those same life stressors plus a newborn to take care of. will you need a drink when you are breastfeeding? if you "need a drink" when you are pregnant...a drink is likely the last thing you need.

I think our society has become more paranoid than ever. There is always a new report out saying something is bad for us, and then a few years later it is suddenly OK but in moderation.

Wine is so intertwined with our human history that it makes one wonder about those times when we didn't have clean running water straight from the kitchen tap...what did people drink back then? Could it be that we drank wine?

If that was the case then surely, there were quite a few pregnant women in those days who drank beverages that were probably alcoholic. Obviously, it can't have been that bad or most of us wouldn't even exist today. In my opinion there are much more harmful things to worry about than drinking a small glass of wine once or twice a week.

I have no doubt 1 or 2 drinks per week won't hurt a fetus however, once a doctor "condones" 1 or 2 drinks per week it may very quickly become skewed by faulty logic such as body weight, after eating, time factors, etc... Any human being will always rationalize their actions to themselves and others yet giving they "Ok" to the patient to "freelance" with alcohol use will rapidly degrade into "self-medication" with the lady as the victim. I always go by the Golden Rule "When in doubt, cut it out!!!" thereby I feel a zero-tolerance alcohol policy for pregnancies is the best policy.

I have three kids. All three are in th Gifted and Talented Program in our district. I drank one glass of wine almost every night with all three. No one has a learning disability, ADHD, or emotional problems. Notice I said one drink.

My personal belief is to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. I would have felt horrible if my children had to suffer from a syndrome that I could easily have prevented. If you really need to relax after a bad day, get a massage or some other stress relieving messure.
I've worked in neonatology a Level III NICU. as a R.N. for 16+ years. We have not been seeing FAS @ least not diagnosing it by discharge as much as blatant drug withdrawal. We see a lot of babies withdrawing from narcotics which some women may be using as a substitute for alcohol.

What the h%*& is wrong with people that they cannot put aside alcohol for 9 months? Truth be told they do not know at what point in pregnancy alcohol will affect a baby. It might just be for a few days or a few hours in fetal development. Does a woman, as a mother want to take that risk? Even if it is a minimal risk of a minimal impact. It might not even be an effect we would notice, perhaps a child has an IQ of 100 instead of 110. Perhaps they suffer from some mild malady that they would not have if mom hadn’t had that drink. How selfish of women who choose to take a drink now and again. I honestly think that is more selfish then the woman who drinks heavily or uses drugs through out her preganancy at least she has an adiction to lay part of the blame on but a woman who chooses to have the occasional drink during her pregnancy is just doing it out of one reason, she is a selfish shrew. My Goddess are we as a people so self centered that we cannot do with out something as simple as a drink for the benefit of our children? I have two beautiful children and from the moment I even suspected I might be pregnant with them I stopped drinking and doing anything else that might cause them harm. It was a simple choice. My children come first. Stop being so selfish and put down that drink for 9 months then you can swill your own brain and not your childs.

I think that the people who have responded to this are horribly judgemental, and are the types of people I would not spend my valuable time around and certainly not pay any attention to what their opinion on drinking while pregnant is. Although there are conflicting beliefs out there, some doctors DO actually advise pregnant women to drink a glass of wine in the evening during the third trimester. Especially if they are at risk of not carrying the baby to term. My sister drank in moderation with all three of her children, and two of them are in advanced classes at school and have no ill effects from her drinking. Her third child is not school aged, but very intelligent and completely without any signs of problems as the result of drinking while pregnant. I did not drink much while pregnant, because I have to take several medications thatmight interact with the alcohol.

Marie T. > your mention of drug withdrawal raisies questions as well. Should people stop taking all of their presecription medications when becoming pregnant (meaning those that are not classified as dangerous to the fetus)? I have poor joints in my hips causing my sciatic nerve to become inflamed quite often, and I did take my narcotic pain medication while I was pregnant. My now 3 1/2 year old is in preschool and from what her teachers tell me, she is far more advanced in her learning that other children in her class. I also had to take anti-anxiety drugs as I have a non-agaoaphobic panic disorder. Obviously those did not take any toll on my child's health, either. Becaue of any female problems, I had a hysterectomy in 2006, however, if I could have more children, I would not stop taking my medication, and if I wanted a glass of wine I would certainly drink it.

The worst part about his entire article, is the number of people who responded that are severely prejudiced. They are judging other people by their actions that they (and ONLY they) are responsible for. When going out to dinner with my pregnant sister who ordered wine while obviously pregnant, I saw MANY people looking at her with udder disgust and disapproval at her. In my opinion that is the same as looking down their noses at people who are not as well of as they are or acting like they are better than others because of their race. The people who should be ashamed here are the people JUDGING PEOPLE THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT instead of the drinking moms.

Scientists fail to look at history. For centuries, even millenia, pregnant women drank beer or wine as a regular part of their normal diet – yet still managed to produce normal human beings and even great scholars, artists, and philosphers.

The medical community too often makes absolute pronouncements – then five or ten years later, they make the exact opposite pronouncement – with equal vigor and omniscient certainty. I was badgered into taking hormone replacement drugs by a doctor who said I would crumble into dust if I did not. Six months later, I was told that I had to stop or risk cancer.

Women (and men) have to look at all the medical information and make their own common sense decisions. But above all, they should not be intimidated by other people's judgmental reactions.

I had a glass of wine every now and then with all three of my pregnancies; which, according to my physician, was perfectly safe. All three of my children were very healthy at birth and still are very healthy, have each been diagnosed with highly gifted intelligence, and are well-behaved.

However, I do agree with Michelle in that we don't know in what amounts a body will be affected. What didn't affect my children may affect another's children. I believe it is all in genetic make up.

I just wanna throw this in here too, don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet:

What you do prior to conception matters as well. If you smoke and drink immediately prior to or even during conception, that can also affect the fetus. That's why when I get married, I'm definitely going to plan ahead before having a baby. I never have and never will ever smoke, but I do drink socially so I want to be sure to quit far enough in advance to ensure that there will be no negative affects. I'm not against the 1 glass of wine while pregnant thing, but I mean everyone is different.. it's important to talk to a doctor first.

Also, I work out religiously and do not intend to stop when I get pregnant... just alter how I go about it, according to a doctor's recommendations.

I turned 21 when I was pregnant. I had a very big lunch, and ordered a small glass of red wine and drank it over an hour. Also sometimes (about once every 2 weeks), I'd have the first (small) sip of my husband's beer. It didn't seem to have any effect on my wonderful son. Next time around I probably won't drink at all, because although I don't believe a small amount poses much risk, I am sure it would be easy to fall into the trap of drinking too much. Why risk it?

Most people here are making their comments based on what they think is best for the children, which is a good thing no matter how you look at it.

However, the "slippery slope" argument is inherently flawed. It is NOT the job of the government or of scientists to prevent people from skewing the word "moderation". It's personal responsibility and accountability. The same people who would skew "moderation" to mean drinking whenever they wanted, would probably drink more than they should during pregnancy regardless of what a scientist told them.

And remember, alcoholism is an addiction, and it has very serious withdrawal effects. I'm an RN and I deal with people going through alcohol withdrawal on a regular basis. The same as other addictions, selfishness isn't the only explanation. A woman who drinks more than she should during pregnancy needs help, not judgment.

there's the other aspect: i'm naturally clumsy, and this is amplified by the loose joints and off-balance belly of pregnancy. i'd be afraid even a little alcohol would make me even more clumsy and likely to injure myself. i've already sprained an ankle!

I am positive the Da Vinci's mother, Aristotle's mother, James Joyce's mother, Sarkozy's mother ... all had a little wine with their pregnancy and look how their children turned out. Other things that came out of this British study: the children of mothers who has 1-2 drinks per week while pregnant had LESS behavioral problems, and less incidences of anxiety and depression. Why? Because the mothers were so relaxed. Americans are very judgmental about these health guidelines. Americans can do well by looking to older cultures - Japan, France, Sweden, Italy - and following their recommended guidelines. I'm pregnant and eating sushi - judge me if you want, but I'm happy and getting a ton of omegas 3s.

I'm 36 weeks along and have thought I could use a drink several times so far. At one point I decided to have a sip of my husband's drink but the smell alone made me ill. I'm still avoiding it but I don't really believe an occasional drink will harm the baby.

I will start trying to get pregnant in the next couple of months; so I am writing my comments with a glass of wine in one hand. I plan to stop drinking alcohol, coffee, and tea in the next couple of day because I believe that I should give my future child the best chance possible to come into this world healthy. This means eating right, taking my vitamins, folic acid etc.

I think engaging in known activiites that can be potential dangerous to your unborn child is neglect.

I am 7 months pregnant and I was a social smoker prior to finding out I was expecting. The moment I found out I quite smoking and didn’t even think about drinking alcohol. The desire for it went away totally. As some other posters have stated, I would not engage in any of that risky behavior simply because there is a chance that it could cause problems.

I think that it’s really awful that a mother would do something so unnecessary that has the potential to harm her unborn child. There are enough dangers that expecting mothers cannot avoid, so why add to it?

I had an occasional sip of my husband's beer when I was pregnant last year. I would have had an occasional glass of wine (or more likely 1/4 or 1/2 glass) if it weren't for the social stigma. From all the studies I'm aware of, it seems completely implausible to me that small quantities of alcohol would hurt a baby, and it's paternalistic to think that no woman can have an occasional drink without sliding down the "slippery slope." The near-ban on alcohol in pregnancy seems arbitrary to me–it seems far more likely that babies are impacted by all the crappy food we eat in America (including artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and highly processed ingredients), all the toxins we're exposed to, poor indoor air quality, etc. Certain things are obviously well-established to cause problems, such as smoking and drug use, and should be avoided entirely. For all the rest, all the "unknowns," we should let each woman make her own decisions about how to handle her exposure. Most woman want the best for their babies, and it's unfair and simplistic to judge just because one particular possible risk gets more public attention.

When I am not pregnant, i occassionally drink wine about two glasses a month. When i became pregnant with my first child, I didn't have the urge to drink, but now I'm pregnant with my second, I have a strong urge to drink beer every now and then, so I would dilute 12 oz of beer with juice and drink it over the cause of 2 weeks . What i crave is the bitter taste of the beer not the alcohol. I had a talk with my doctor and my husband, and they both came up with a brilliant idea. Buy a non-alcoholic beer which only has a trace of alcohol (about 0.001...). There's more alcohol in the cold and flu syrups most pregnant women take when they are pregnant, than the glass of wine they drink occassionally.

Why chance it? Have there honestly been enough studies to confirm that a drink a month or a week will not harm the baby? And who would be stupid enough to volunteer their unborn child for this experiment? I think that if a woman can not abstain from alcohol for 9 months just to be on the safe side, she has bigger problems than she is willing to admit. As a parent, we give up a lot. I do it gladly b/c I love my son. Though he was not planned, as soon as I found out I was pregnant all desire for any alcohol was gone because I was no longer just one person. I could not care less what a study says. Women have different body types and tolerances, which can in turn affect the baby at various stages in the pregnancy differently from case to case. We already know the baby gets what we eat first, which is why we need more vitamins during pregnancy.

Alcohol is evil, that's all there is to it =P I have had personal family experiences with it that were scary to deal with, so I think its just bad in general. I think the most responsible thing to do for a mother to do, is to face reality and deal with it in a responsible and sober manner. Afterall, it's no longer just about her anymore, it's about the child. Better safe than sorry.

I really don't think that having a drink every now and then is harmful for a baby. I work as a nurse for a ob/gyne and hear doctors tell their patients it is totally ok, but up to them. A responsible amount of wine is fine. What is not ok is to drink beer/hard liquor every night that is totally irresponsible and could harm your baby. I think people are too paranoid and judgmental and need to calm down!

I think that everyone should ask there moms if they drank, when they were prego...Im sure they did and ask your self are you fine? So im sure its not a huge deal to have a lil drink or 2 while being pregnant?
so dont be so quick to judge cause people im sure your parents did it while they were pregnant with you....

I drank one glass of red wine every two weeks... during my last three months of pregnancy. I wouldn't chance it during the first trimester. It's all about moderation. I have a happy healthy three-year-old.

I"m 39 and have had 2 miscarriages since we started trying 6 months ago. The first 2 times I did everything right....getting a good night's sleep, no caffeine, no alcohol at all for 2 weeks prior to ovulation...& it didn't work out. This third try, I am having wine with dinner, running, & just living my life. My Dr. says that sometimes we don't have control over the conception, but once the fertilied egg is implanted, then we need to be more careful. I'm worried that it may take much longer than we thought to have a baby & it made me realize that it isn't healthy to completely change my life while I'm waiting to see if we're pregnant. I'm going with the European way this time and having wine once in a while until we find out if we're pregnant. Once it's confirmed, there's no question that I won't have a drop of alcohol until the baby's baptism!