I'm not a 'drinker'. We don't even have anything in the house, unless you count cough syrup?
It's not that I don't appreciate the occasional beer..... I just don't go looking for it? If a friend is serving it, I 'might' have one, or I might choose coffee instead.
Did I drink during my pregnancy? Not at all with my first. One drink with my 2nd at a huge family function/celebration (it was a glass of half beer, half gingerale).
I think what is key to note that anything in excess is BAD. Also, the rare single glass of beer or wine is not going to hurt a pregnancy. In fact, mother's with trouble lactating are urged to have the occasional beer.
GETTING drunk or drinking on a daily basis is ENTIRELY another story.
Heck, there are other things that can be worse, like many meds taken daily... you'd be surprised at how many things sold over the counter are unsafe.
Do I smoke? YES, like a chimney. Have I tried quitting? MANY MANY times and I'm a downright scarey nightmarish screaming lunatic with I do.
I 'tried' quitting with my first pregnancy, my blood pressure shot sky-high with the stress and doctor told me to cut down instead as my blood pressure was more dangerous than having 6 ciggies a day.
Is this controversial? Yes, but so are the fumes being spit out of cars, busses, trains, trucks and manufacturing plants. They're not so great for us either (and don't get me going on pollution :lol: ).
I'm not excusing it though. PLEASE don't misunderstand. It's a nasty habit, and I WILL quit... I keep trying....
Did I smoke during my 2nd pregnancy? Yes.
Did I smoke while nursing? Wellllll not while they were attached to my chest, that's for sure. I'm not in the habit of smoking in the same room as my children.
And while I commit the 'sin' of smoking during pregnancy etc... I have seen other moms who DON'T smoke take less care of themselves than I did, eating crap and junk instead of the healthy food their babies needed, or limiting what they ate because they didn't want to get fat
BUT both my girls are the healthiest lil critters you ever did see. Neither have asthma or allergies or anything. Neither ever got 'mega' sick, never have needed to go to the hospital (unless you count ear infections my eldest had while in daycare).
They were both healthy sizes too, one got stuck on the way out. THAT was not fun:irked: :cry: .
ALSO it depends on the smoker. Some smokers skip meals and this is what brings about ultra tiny babies with health issues. I am not one of those. I LOVE my food, though you wouldn't know it by the size of me, and I can pack it away. I blame my hollow leg:lol: .
So, if I saw a pregnant woman with a group of family or friends at a special function, enjoying one solitary drink. I would not give her
"the look".
If I saw a pregnant woman enjoying a game of pool in a bar (that was me LOL not so easy, gotta tell ya) while sipping what looked like a mixed drink (it was a soda mixed with grapefruit juice and grenadine) I would not make assumptions.
