Ghostwritermummy and bump

Susanne Remic is a primary school teacher, freelance writer and parenting blogger. She writes at Ghostwritermummy and Maternity Matters and in between all of that she regularly wins mummy of the year awards for running around after her two children, aged six and 19 months. This is her pregnancy blog: an online diary of her third pregnancy as she strives to overcome two difficult births, one angel child and one awkward toddler. Join Susanne as she shares every step of her journey from bump to baby!

Drinking and pregnancy

By Susanne Remic on 15 Aug 2011 No comments

I’m guessing that since I currently have enough hormones to sink a ship raging through my poor body, I am entitled to a little rant. Please bear with me, normal service shall be resumed as soon as I get this off my chest...

I just need to say: women who drink excessively whilst pregnant are abusing their position and should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves!

I know that alcoholism is a disease and to be honest, I cannot really understand what that’s like. I’m not necessarily talking about those women (although once pregnant, they should be receiving help to stay away from the booze). I’m talking about the binge drinkers who know that they are doing harm to their unborn baby but still don’t want to give up their party lifestyle.

I started watching a programme called Pissed and Pregnant yesterday and in hindsight, this was a bad idea. Within three minutes my jaw was on the floor. One heavily pregnant woman’s opening line was ‘I’m more than an incubator. If I want to go out and drink shots, I will. No-one can stop me.’

Um, what about the tiny, defenceless life growing inside of you?

Another woman claimed that she only drank ‘hard stuff’ during the first seven weeks (you know, when all the cells are multiplying and vital organs are being formed) and now she sticks to alco-pops. I just cannot comprehend it.

I’m not going to go all saintly here, especially since pregnant women receive conflicting advice all the time from health professionals. When I was pregnant with my daughter I was told one or two drinks a week was fine. Now, it seems no drinks are preferable. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t be necking bottles of champagne and collapsing in the street like one of the ladies on this programme. We all know the risks... don’t we?

I’m not drinking at the moment because the thought of doing so makes me want to vomit. In fact, I want to make sure that my baby is as healthy as possible when he/she arrives so I probably won’t bother when- or if- the sickness subsides. I don’t miss it at all.

My children are the most precious things in my life. I’ve made small sacrifices and changes throughout all of my pregnancies. I always switch from skimmed milk to semi-skimmed, despite the fact that I hate the taste. I take vitamins, I drink decaf coffee and I stay away from pate and runny eggs. Isn’t that the least I can do for the bundle of organs and cells growing inside of me?

How these women can believe that they are doing no harm to their babies with their binge drinking is beyond me. I once worked with a child who had foetal alcohol syndrome and he was born with the most horrendous withdrawal symptoms imaginable. He now has life-long behaviour and learning difficulties. I wonder whether those cider drinking session were worth it?