Drinking while pregnant is, without question, a hot-button issue. According to countless studies, consuming alcohol during pregnancy could put your baby at risk, though some experts have claimed over the years that a small, occasional glass of wine may be fine. However, for one couple this debate isn't just a hypothetical. Taking to Reddit this week, a dad-to-be explained how he recently refused to pick up wine for his very pregnant wife, for fear it might harm their baby — even though she felt like one little sip wouldn't do any harm.
The wife is apparently just weeks away from giving birth, and according to the husband, her hormones "are definitely kicking in."
In his post, the dad shared that the two live in the countryside, and as they've inched closer to their delivery day, his pregnant wife has been "grouchy and not in a great mood."
"But I fully support her and try and make her life as good as possible," he added.
While he was out shopping recently, his wife texted him a special request.
One would think a pregnant woman would be craving ice cream, pizza, or maybe even chips. But nope — his wife wanted the good stuff: aka, wine.
"I was confused," the husband shared. "I barely drink and haven't brought any alcohol in the house since she was pregnant. I asked if it was for a guest, she replied saying it was for herself and she was hugely stressed with pregnancy and that a sip of wine would help."
But this dad-to-be was adamantly opposed, and told her that in no way would he be buying her alcohol.
That led to a call from his wife, who said she read it was perfectly fine for pregnant moms to indulge every now and then.
"I told her what she was reading was nonsense, and that the pregnancy was making her not think straight," the husband recalled.
Things got heated -- FAST.
His wife started screaming that he should buy her some wine, and that it was "her body and her choice to drink the alcohol."
"I calmly said that the baby was as much mine as hers and I had a right in what that baby can have in his system," the husband continued, "and she was under no circumstances drinking anything."
Spoiler alert: His wife didn't exactly love that response.
"She hung up, when I got back she was furious with me, and is refusing to speak to me," the husband shared.
"I have a right to decide she can't do stuff that would be harmful to my child," he wrote. Still, his wife's pushback has made him wonder how she could still think he's in the wrong.
Some Redditors actually did think the husband was overreacting a bit.
"My OB was the head of the OB department for a major metro hospital conglomerate," one commenter wrote. "One glass of wine a day has no effect on the baby. Alcohol is also a smooth muscle relaxer and is helpful for preventing term labor … it's not your place to decide."
"I mean, all around the world people drink a bit while pregnant," a second person said. "We don’t know at what point alcohol becomes a danger to the fetus, so the Center for Disease Control says none despite evidence to the contrary, but most doctors will say a few sips is fine."
"Regardless of the wine debate, which is heavily debated in the pregnancy community, you're the [expletive] for saying 'she was under no circumstances drinking anything,'" someone else added. "You really don't have that authority AT ALL and you also should maybe have a conversation with your wife rather than demanding."
However, other people were dumbfounded by all the heat the husband was catching.
"I mean the baby is partly his," one commenter wrote. "It's not just herself she's drinking for now, he's well within his rights to not want to go buy alcohol for his unborn baby"
"If someone not wanting to give their pregnant wife alcohol is an [expletive] then we need to discuss what the definition of [expletive] really is," a second person said.
"People will go to such extremes in order to defend pregnant women, it's bonkers," someone else noted. "Especially when the dude is right."
According to experts, it does seem that her husband is right on this one after all.
Although drinking to excess can cause complications, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, according to the American Pregnancy Association, "no amount of alcohol has been deemed safe during pregnancy."
"If at all possible, even casual drinking should be avoided," the website advised.
Hopefully, the man's wife will eventually appreciate her husband putting his foot down for the health and safety of their baby. (And for the sake of his sanity, let's hope he takes his wife's anger right now with a grain of salt.)
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