beer and babies

Yesterday at the grocery store I overheard an awkward debate between two people in line at the register behind me. One was a pregnant women buying a case of beer and the other was someone who didn't agree with mixing alcohol with pregnancy. I think they may have known each other and the one friend was mad at the pregnant friend and the pregnant friend was saying the baby was fine and so on. And her friend was saying she didn't know if the baby was fine or not, etc. My back was to them and I never turned around, but that's what I gathered from what I heard.

I have to say I would have been on the not pregnant ladies side. I have a book of info compiled by different doctors that gives you the basics on just about anything you might wonder about while pregnant.

Here's what it says about alcohol:

"CONCERNS: Alcohol is a known teratogen (cause of birth defects). Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy has been associated with intrauterine growth restriction (low birth weight), mental retardation, abnormal facial defects, and other major and minor fetal malformations. Although it appears that fetal alcohol syndrome is caused by heavy drinking and/or binge drinking, both the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that no level of alcohol consumption, even the most minimal drinking, during pregnancy has been determined to be safe. A new study found that children who were exposed to alcohol during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy were found to have lower IQ scores. Pregnant women are advised not to drink at all.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Although an occasional sip may be okay, there is absolutely no known amount of alcohol that is safe in pregnancy. Most health care providers recommend avoiding all alcohol during pregnancy."

There are so many dos, don'ts, maybes, gray areas, and unsures that come with pregnancy that it seems like the things that are pretty clear would be easy to do, or not do. If one or 2 beers 'hardly effects' you, or you 'barely feel anything' from a glass of wine, what does it do to a little 2 or 3 pound vulnerable baby? Maybe nothing. But whats the point of risking it. I'm the type that if I eat something unhealthy like a giant cheese burger, I picture my tiny baby holding and trying to eat the same cheeseburger. :) Seeing it like that helps me put healthier stuff in my body. Yeah, not how it works, I know, but I guess I would kinda picture the same with alcohol. I really don't know how much gets to the baby and how food and drink effect it, but I try to be careful. That's all. Sorry if I offended anyone who had the occasional drink while pregnant. But it's just one of those things for me I guess.