Drinking Alcohol While Pregnant

I feel compelled to post this on my blog simply because I've gotten hits from people who are using search engines to find out more about "mothers who drink while pregnant" or "drinking alcohol while pregnant" or "drinking wine while pregnant" etc. So, for those of you who have stumbled upon this blog looking for information regarding drinking alcohol while pregnant (and then realized that this is just a blog about one pregnant girlfriend seeking advice from her pregnant girlfriends), here is my disclaimer:

I AM NOT A DOCTOR. I AM NOT AN EXPERT REGARDING FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME. NONE OF THE REPRESENTATIONS MADE HEREIN SHOULD BE RELIED UPON AS MEDICAL ADVICE.

With that said, here are some links to great resources which can inform you regarding both sides of the fence (to drink or not to drink). These are more focused on a U.S. audience (I've had hits from other countries), but there is an article at the end that compares the stances taken by various countries around the world.

In my opinion (which counts for nothing since I'm not a doctor), this is a personal choice - as personal as deciding whether to get pregnant. Please inform yourself and make a decision from there. Please do not judge others if their decision is different from yours.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists state that no amount of alcohol while pregnant is safe:
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-06-08-1.cfm

Study by Oxford reveals occasional binge drinking does little harm:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article2866166.ece

Medical Textbooks still condone drinking while pregnant:
http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2002/medical-textbooks-condone.html

Federal Drug Administration and U.S. Surgeon General's stance:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1370/is_3_39/ai_n16419491/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1
"Alcohol warning for pregnant women". FDA Consumer. . FindArticles.com. 12 Nov. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1370/is_3_39/ai_n16419491

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/

Frequently Asked Questions about FAS published by the CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/faqs.htm

Article "Yes, You Can Drink While Pregnant"
http://parentingsquad.com/yes-you-can-drink-while-pregnant

Articles regarding Study performed by University College of London which found that light drinking while pregnant may be beneficial, particularly to boys:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/31/women-pregnancy-alchohol-birth-defects and

http://www.momlogic.com/2008/10/new_study_says_drinking_while.php

Articles regarding drinking alcohol to prevent preterm labor (this is not social drinking):
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/326763/naturally_stopping_and_managing_premature.html?cat=25 and

http://www.ehow.com/how_2083323_stop-preterm-labor-naturally.html and

Oxford Study regarding linking drinking alcohol and preterm birth:
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/159/2/155?maxtoshow=&HITS=80&hits=80&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=alcohol&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=90&sortspec=date&resourcetype=HWCIT

And my favorite, an article comparing different countries' stances on drinking while pregnant:
http://www.icap.org/portals/0/download/all_pdfs/ICAP_Reports_English/report6.pdf

I hope you will take this information and make an informed decision. Again, I must emphasize that I AM NOT A DOCTOR. Happy researching, and congratulations if you are pregnant!