Kate Hudson, who's six months pregnant with Muse singer Matt Bellamy's child, is under fire after recently being spotted sipping a glass of red wine while out to dinner in Argentina this past weekend.
Now, to be completely honest, I'm not yet a mom, and I'm not currently pregnant. But having read up on the topic, I'm pretty sure I know where I stand on this heated debate: Team It's No Big Deal. When I do get pregnant, hopefully sometime in the not too distant future, I could definitely see myself having a small glass of wine here and there throughout the nine months. Of course I'm not talkin' the same bottle of red/bottle of white BYOB dinners my boyfriend and I currently indulge in every other weekend. Just the occasional, once in a blue moon glass.
But I understand that there are those who vehemently disagree. Who feel it's better to abstain completely than worry about causing any potential harm to the baby. And I totally get it. Out of factors moms-to-be can control that may influence the health of their baby, putting off that glass of wine for nine months could be something that's kind of a no-brainer ...
But I really feel like it's a matter of personal comfort and choice. Like Kate recently said on a BBC talk show, "People tell you so much (about being pregnant) it drives me nuts."
I'll bet! If everyone tries to tell me their opinion on what I can or can't do when I'm pregnant one day, I will also be annoyed. When it comes to many aspects of pregnancy and health, there don't always seem to be one-size-fits-all answers.
Sure, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists believes that abstaining is the best way to go. But in Europe, the conventional advice for women who want to drink during pregnancy is one or two servings once or twice a week. Even that seems like more than I personally would be comfortable with. But hey, their birth defect rates are actually lower than those here in America. What's more, recent research, involving a long-term study of over 11,000 children, found no evidence of harm from a couple drinks a week (!) during pregnancy.
Clearly, there's research to back up either stance a woman wants to take, and in the end, it's her body, her pregnancy, her health, her decision. That's why I really hope Kate Hudson isn't villainized for sipping that Malbec (or whatever it was) ... and someday, I won't be either.
Where do you personally stand in the "occasional drink while pregnant" debate?
Image via Franco Origlia/Getty
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Comments 94
For me, it was just obvious to not even have a drink. I mean, it's not a necessity, and there was no way I would have done anything that would possibly harm my unborn child. We opened a bottle of wine when we found out I was preggo. I had one sip and that was it, and I immediately felt guilty. Sure, sometimes you feel like you NEED a drink when ur preggo, but not worth it imo. When something does go wrong, being the "incubator", you immediately blame yourself. Better safe than sorry, they say.
I'm with you. A couple of glasses of wine over the course of a pregnancy is no big deal. Over the course of my two pregnancies, I had 3 doctors and a nurse practicioner and they all said it was ok to have ONE glass every so often. And not some monster spring break glass, a normal one :)
I was 6 mos along with my first when I got married. I had a glass of wine at my reception. My now 5 year old kindergartener, is thriving and has already tested past the 1st grade level. I had a glass or two of wine with my now 3 year old, who has an extensive vocabulary and can tell you more than a 3 year old should know about trains. Heck, my grandma smoked and enjoyed a weekly manhatten throughout her 8 pregnancies and they all turned out well.
Despite all the good, Ms Brown, I would prepare yourself for a backlash. There are women who are strictly by the book regardless of what the book says (or how old it is) and will condemn you for even considering getting within 1000ft of booze while pregnant ;)
How do we know it wasn't a non-alcohol wine? I've had those while pregnant. Otherwise, Kate , have some class. It probably won't cause any harm, but why risk it? She is a celebrity, and others look up to her. Why not aim for a bette image than prego and drinking.
My doctors told me that it was okay to have a normal size glass of wine once in a while if I wanted. It's not a big deal.
I don't understand why people so vehemently defend their "right" to have a drink while pregnant. If there's any chance of harm at all, why risk it for a mere beverage?
I walked into work one day with a Starbucks cup (full of hot apple cider!) when I was about 8 months along and had no less than 5 people, including 2 men, harass me about how I shouldn't be drinking coffee!! Idiots.
Our American culture is one of the few who even debate such a thing. A few glasses durign pregnancy cause no ill effects. Bottom line. Think about women who drink before they know they are pregnant -- umm no Fetal Alcohol Syndrome there. Common sense people.