DR. WALLACE: I'm 20 and pregnant with our first child. Our daughter will be born in early June. I know that a pregnant woman shouldn't smoke, use drugs or drink alcohol, but I've been told that it's all right if the mom-to-be has an occasional glass of red wine. It's supposed to be beneficial to both the baby and the mom. I hope this is true because I need a glass of wine once in a while just to unwind from all of my self-made pressures.
I talked with my doctor and she said she would feel better if I didn't consume any alcohol at all, but she said an "occasional" glass of wine shouldn't cause any problems for the baby. Your thoughts, please. —Michelle, Lake Charles, La.
MICHELLE: I contacted five doctors at two local medical centers in Orange County, and all five said that a pregnant woman should not drink alcohol, period. Alcohol is alcohol. It doesn't make any difference if it's beer, whiskey or wine. All alcohol consumed by an expectant mother passes from her bloodstream to that of her unborn baby and therefore increases the risk that the baby will be born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Such babies are often underweight and could have various physical deformities.
Why take that chance? I'm sure you can find other ways to unwind. Perhaps a glass of cranberry juice with a splash of sparkling water might become an excellent and healthy substitute.
MOVE IN WITH GRANDPARENTS
DR.
WALLACE: I'm 16 and will soon be released from juvenile hall. I will have spent 14 days in the hall for getting into a fistfight with my stepfather because of the way he was talking to my mother. I have to select where I want to live when I'm discharged. I can return home or move in with my grandparents. What do you think I should do? —Nameless, Dallas, Tex.
NAMELESS: Move in with your grandparents for the time being. This is a time when you can think about your future and how you will react if you do decide to return home. While you are with your grandparents, keep in close contact with your mother.
ANIMAL SHELTERS PROVIDE SUPERB CARE
DR. WALLACE: I want to go to the animal shelter to get a kitten, but my grandmother has told my mom that animals in the shelters are sickly and full of fleas. Is this true? —Sissy, Orange, Calif.
SISSY: Grandmothers are usually correct but not this time. Animal shelters throughout the U.S. and Canada are homes to stray and unwanted animals and provide superb care and lots of love to future family pets.
Invite Grandmother to go with you and your parents to pick out your kitty. She'll be pleasantly surprised and will immediately become a supporter of animal shelters.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM
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8 Comments | Post Comment
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LW1: No offense to Dr. Wallace, as his advice holds true once you've learned you're pregnant – but what about those few weeks BEFORE you confirm your pregnancy and you drink then? What happens to the developing human being in the womb then?
LW2: Agreed. There may be a cooling off time needed still between you and your stepfather.
LW3: I think your grandmother is listening either to old wives tales or heard about those rare shelters that are not well maintained and cared for. If it's the latter – and unfortunately, there are some, although that number is small – then go to another animal shelter that has a good reputation. Your local Humane Society might be one of your stops.
Then again, it could also be your grandmother is thinking of kitty mills operated by independent farmers and not the reputable shelters.
Comment: #1
Posted by: Bobaloo
Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:22 AM
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Dr. Wallace, did you only ask 5 doctors for the advice and got 5 for 5 about drinking an occasional glass of wine? Methinks you are stretching the truth. You are a teetotaler that will write anything to get people to abstain from alcohol. I do not condone pregnant women drinking, but your answers always seem dated. You are out of touch with modern ideas and thinking. I think I'll pour myself a cold beer after work today and watch March Madness.
Comment: #2
Posted by: jp20sd
Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:47 AM
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LW1 - it's too bad you're reproducing since you think that an advice columnist's opinion trumps your medical doctor's opinion. If you don't trust your doctor who has actually examined you and probably hundreds of other patients with your same condition, find another medical doctor and get his/her views. Another bid of life advice - now that you're going to be a parent, try obeying the law more of the time. It's illegal for a 20 year old to buy alcohol or drink in the United States.
Bobaloo - not sure what you're asking - are you asking if drinking alcohol does less harm to the fetus if you don't know you're pregnant? What you know or don't know has no bearing on the effect of alcohol on the fetus. However, generally speaking drugs & alcohol in the system have more affect earlier in the pregnancy than later.
LW3 - this is code for your grandma doesn't want a kitten. Be sure to get the buy in from everyone in the household before you bring home a pet of any kind.
Comment: #3
Posted by: kai archie
Fri Mar 22, 2013 1:04 PM
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Women who are trying to get pregnant are usually advised by their doctor not to drink. However, many pregnancies are unplanned these days (and many end in miscarriage as well).
I don't agree with drinking while pregnant either, but I do agree with jp20sd. I doubt Dr. Wallace got 5 doctors to say that in this day and age, although I suspect this letter was written 20-30 years ago and the advice written then as well, so that makes sense.
As for L3, I've been to animal shelters and most of the animals did have some problems, unfortunately, although the shelter tried to hide this. Maybe not all shelters are like that, and I'm sure not all the animals in this particular one were sick or disabled, but the experience definitely scared me away from finding a pet at a shelter.
Comment: #4
Posted by: jjmg
Fri Mar 22, 2013 2:18 PM
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Re: kai archie (#3)
"(N)ot sure what you're asking - are you asking if drinking alcohol does less harm to the fetus if you don't know you're pregnant? What you know or don't know has no bearing on the effect of alcohol on the fetus."
Of course what one does or does not know has no bearing on what alcohol does to the unborn baby (i.e. things aren't changed due to one's ignorance). That much I did know. What I was asking was what happens in those early weeks before the first trip to the doctor and the doctor breaking the news – and I think you may have answered your question.
Which, if true, is a bad omen for all of us who have or had mothers who drink/drank alcohol.
Comment: #5
Posted by: Bobaloo
Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:09 PM
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Re: jjmg (#4)
What was the shelter you visited? Was it a reputable one that had good reviews or just your "local one"?
Comment: #6
Posted by: Bobaloo
Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:14 PM
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I usually get my animals from the shelter, and am grateful for what they do. However, it is not uncommon for a kitten to develop an upper respiratory infection after release, and require treatment that, although looks and sounds absolutely horrifying, with medication, steaming sessions in the bathroom and sometimes several visits to the vet, is manageable. Even a die-hard cat lover like me found this terrifying and wanting to give up (glad I didn't, of course). The shelter offers a return policy, and the cost can't be beat once you consider the cost of shots, spay/neuter, and microchip. And, vets are pretty expensive, another downside. Make sure you feed a good quality food to avoid health problems (lots of research available on how to read labels). You could try Rescueme.org or Petfinder.org, too. Hate to sound discouraging - there is nothing more soothing than my kitty curled up next to me while sleeping, and I wish you joy with yours!
Comment: #7
Posted by: Mary Lynn
Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:38 AM
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Oh, heck. Of course some pregnant women drink before they realize they're pregnant. And in most cases, it's not to excess, and it's not repeated, and the baby is fine.
The question is: what do you KNOWINGLY do that MIGHT harm the baby -- and why are you doing it? If you are told to be on bedrest, but you have no way to feed your toddler unless you keep your waitressing job, you may choose to take that risk to the fetus in order to keep your existing child fed.
The benefits of alcohol during pregnancy? There ARE some doctors, primarily in Europe, who will advise a woman near term to drink ONE small glass of wine, because those doctors believe the benefit outweighs the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. What concerns me about LW, though, is that she is prescribing this for herself for her "self-made pressures" -- IOW, she believes she NEEDS the alcohol to relax.
Got news for her: Life is about to become much more stressful for her. She's looking at alcohol as a crutch; she's going to need to find some healthier ways to unwind.
Comment: #8
Posted by: hedgehog
Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:24 PM
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