my doctor's opinion was that 1 drink in a setting, a 2-3 times per month was fine after 20 weeks. she clarified that a "drink" must actually be a defined drink, ie a 4oz glass of wine, not a 10oz one. i won't drink that often, but the day i hit 20 weeks is the day i cook an entire thanksgiving dinner for both my family and my in-laws, so i am very much looking forward to my one small glass of wine after they all leave friday night!

Here are some interesting statistics about FAS from cspinet.org. Maybe this will help you make your own decisions concerning alcohol during pregnancy:

• 51% of women of child-bearing age between 18-25 and 53% between 26-34, report the use of alcohol within the past month.
• 17% of women of child-bearing age between 18-25 and 13% between 26-34, report binge drinking (five or more drinks on one occasion) within the past month.
• A national survey found that more than half of women age 15-44 drank while pregnant.
• Of the women who reported drinking during their pregnancy, 66% reported drinking in their first trimester; 54% reported drinking in their third trimester.
• FAS is estimated to occur in 1 to 2 live births per every 1,000 in the United States each year.
• Fetal Alcohol Effects (a less severe set of alcohol-related abnormalities) is estimated to occur in 3-5 live births per every 1,000 in the United States each year.
  
• According to the birth defects monitoring program, FAS rates among American Indians are 3.0 per 1000 live births compared to a rate of 0.6 per 1000 live births among Blacks and 0.1 per 1000 live births among Whites.

I've been told it's OKAY to have a glass (we're talking 4-8 ounces) of wine every once in a while.
However, after working in an intake facility and having women come in who are at least 6-7 months pregnant and are so inhebriated to the point they can't remember their own name, alcohol makes me SICK.
My SIL offered me a small glass on Thanksgiving, and I opted for a coca-cola instead.

I wouldn't say I'm paranoid, but I have seen too many people with FAS babies and have seen the damage alcohol (and drugs) have done to babies.
(the worst is the woman detoxing off heroin while pregnant YUCK)

While if a woman wants to have a glass of wine while pregnant, that's her business. I won't say anything...however, with that said, if she's getting tanked I WILL say something. I always have, and I always will.

I'd say that's second worst. First worst is a newborn baby detoxing off herion because it was born addicted because its mom kept using...

I didn't see the baby detox off heroin, thank god, otherwise I would have berated the idiot of a mother putting her child through that.

I mean, if you want to have a glass here and there, that's fine. I'm not going to say anything but I really can NOT stand women who drink liquor like it's second nature to them while they're pregnant.
I knew this lady that went out to the bar with us and drank long island ice tea after another while she was pregnant....I actually said something to her. I said something along the lines of that drinking alcohol while pregnant is NOT a good idea and she shouldn't drink. You know what she told me? There's nothing wrong with drinking alcohol, I drank just as much with my first child...OMG that made me so mad I couldn't be there anymore, I had to leave. And needless to say I don't talk to her anymore.

Yeah I go out to the bar, but I'm prefectly happy being a designated driver, drinking nothing but water and juice.

Ohh I wish I were laid back enough to drink a glass of wine, if only there were something to mellow me out enough to be ok with drinking a glass of wine..
My favorite musician of forever is going to be back in town before I move doing a wine signing ( he is owner/operator of a winery here in AZ). I know I can always buy a bottle and a save it for after the baby is born...but I will be breast feeding...so I can not go overboard then either...

I will probably be ok with a glass every once in a while after she is born, but way to freaked out to do it now.

Funny thing is, I use to drink when I was young ( like 14-16) I stopped completely from age 17-25... Just recently I started doing some mild drinking again (little wine, little whiskey for the Irish in me). Then of course...I get pregnant. Now I feel like a freaking addict on withdrawls. I went so many years with not a drop and then to only a few drinks every other week...somehow that makes me go crazy. I have NEVER wanted a drink as much as I have lately. Maybe it is something about knowing I can't do it that makes me want it more. It is not like am an alcoholic or anything close to it.

my doc a glass once a month is ok but i just cant bring my self to drink it. i really want one but i just feel bad.