I ate massive bowls of Cocopops and drank Ribena for the first few weeks of both of my pregnancies - I must have craved sugar. Mr M went pale for years after if I eyed the sugary cereal aisle in the supermarket .
It's totally outrageous, particularly as there isn't a good evidence base that alcohol (except in huge quantities combined with other issues) actually is harmful.
If your back's against the wall, turn around and write on it.
France has just launched a campaign that 0 alcohol is the only safe amount during pregnancy. I certainly don't think essentially criminalising any consumption whatsoever is the answer, but the reaction seemed to be split approximately into
40% I never drank a drop / I supported my wife and reduced my consumption when she it gave up completely.
20% That's a bit strong, obviously pregnant women shouldn't drink, but a sip of champagne at a wedding isn't going to be harmful
40% I drank wine regularly throughout my pregnancy and my baby is fine / I smoked throughout my pregnancy and my doctor told me it was better for my blood pressure to carry on rather than to give up / I smoked weed all the time and my baby is fine.
Apparently FAS is the leading cause of non-genetic mental disability, but not being able to test where the safe limit for occasional consumption is isn't a good enough reason to turn into the Stasi.
I didn't ask or expect S to give up drinking but I went APESHIT when early in my pregnancy, when I felt dreadful but it was too early to publicly announce, we went to a wedding and he got twatted while I sat miserably in the corner. He was much more restrained after. And drove every time we went out once I could drink again for some time, which was fine with me.
I am tending towards some sort of conspiracy theory involving Gilead-style outcomes with this one. I mean, obviously women will lie about it all. How many babies are conceived after few drinks too many, anyway? So if the info is to be of any use at all, it will have to be verified in some way, and Christ knows what that could entail.
It is not clear what will be done with the info, but actual cases where woman and babies need help with alcohol in pregnancy will be subsumed into needless speculation about those who had the odd drink in the first few weeks (ie pretty much everyone). Women will be scared to 'admit' the truth if they drink more than the odd glass, and it will all cost a fortune, whilst alcohol services are starved of funds.
I could be over-reacting and missing something, but it makes me feel very uneasy.
Was it Luce who had T not drink her favourite beer while she was pregnant? I always liked that as an approach. I didn’t mind not drinking and didn’t have a favourite thing like that so it didn’t bother me for C to continue as normal, but like smal I would’ve strongly objected to him getting totally pissed. We also had things even out naturally on the other side with driving.
I’ve seen the BPAS posts objecting to these guidelines and hoping very much their voice will be heard. It already makes me extremely uncomfortable that women who smoke are asked/expected to do those puff test things - does that still happen?
Leap wrote: ↑Fri Sep 25, 2020 4:24 pm
It already makes me extremely uncomfortable that women who smoke are asked/expected to do those puff test things - does that still happen?
Yes, it does happen. I’m a non-smoker but had to do the puff test thing at my booking in appointment. In my first pregnancy I didn’t have to do it at all - different NHS trust.
I was LIVID when they did that to me. It was after a general health discussion and I was not told what it was for so I assumed it was a check of my asthma until the patronising as fuck midwife said I was a good girl and it had confirmed I didn't smoke (as I had already told them). I could not and still can not believe they carried out a medical test without my informed consent and wish I had complained. I had a major falling out with my husband that night too when he couldn't understand why I was angry. He understood by the time I was done. I'm angry again now just thinking about it.
I was amazed how obsessed they were with smoking while I was pregnant. Do you smoke? No. Does your partner? No. Does anyone in the household? No. Any grandparents or frequent visitors? No. I must have been quizzed on it at least 3 times. God knows how much quizzing there is if you answer yes.
. 
