Why Some Experts Believe Alcohol Guidelines For Pregnant Women Are "Sexist"

Consuming alcohol while pregnant has always been (and probably will be until the end of time) a hot topic. Though some believe it's A-OK for mamas-to-be to enjoy a small glass of wine every now and then, others choose to completely avoid it for those nine months, as studies show how prenatal exposure to alcohol may pose some serious risks for the baby. But one group of experts is offering up a totally different perspective on the subject that hadn't crossed our minds until now.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention has recommended extreme precaution, advising that women shouldn't drink alcohol, even when they're not pregnant. The argument is that alcohol can harm a developing baby before a woman is even aware that she's pregnant, so it's best to avoid those boozy beverages altogether. But this just didn't fly with a group of academics at a recent conference in the UK, where they discussed how these official guidelines are actually "sexist," according to The Huffington Post.

Ellie Lee, director of the Centre for Parenting Culture Studies at the University of Kent, explained why she believes mandated advice for pregnant women is "overtly precautionary" and causes undue stress. "The scrutiny and oversight of the behaviour the official approach invites is not benign," she told The Huffington Post. "It creates anxiety and impairs ordinary social interaction." But beyond that, it's sexist, she argues. "The exclusion of women from an ordinary activity on the basis of 'precaution' can more properly be called sexist than benign," she said.

Another speaker at the conference, Clare Murphy, who works for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, piggybacked off Lee's note that such guidelines lead to unnecessary anxious feelings among women. "There can be real consequences to overstating evidence, or implying certainty when there isn't any," she said. "Doing so can cause women needless anxiety and alarm, sometimes to the point that they consider ending an unplanned but not unwanted pregnancy because of fears they have caused irreparable harm."

No matter where you stand on the consuming-alcohol-during-pregnancy spectrum, this is certainly an interesting viewpoint to consider. As always, it's best to consult your personal physician for advice on your own pregnancy journey.