TBH we deserve some booze after giving birth.
Let’s be honest, most of us need a drink every day of the week when we’re dealing with the stresses of parenting. Trying to raise your kids right, get them educated, and to get them to understand that empty milk cartons don’t go back in the damn fridge can sometimes have us reaching for the Merlot after they’ve gone to bed.
But did you know that doctors used to prescribe a little bit of booze – specifically Guinness – to new mums? Well, in celebration of St Paddy’s Day we’re diving into the boozy medical advice given to women lining the maternity wards back in the old days.
Guinness was first brewed back in 1769 by Arthur Guinness in Dublin, Ireland. Over the next 200 years, the drink became one of the most popular beverages in the United Kingdom. In the 1920’s, the slogan “Guinness is good for you” was born and advertised that the drink improved your health, specifically by increasing your iron levels.
Pregnant and breastfeeding mums are supposed to take iron supplement to ward off health complications like anaemia and assist in foetal growth. Therefore, they were encouraged to down a pint or two as a healthy alternative to tablets.
But alas, the research that produced the idea that “Guinness is good for you” wasn’t even a scientific study. In fact, the data came from simply going up to people and asking them how a pint of the beverage made them feel.
Guinness doesn’t even have that much iron in it – only 0.3 milligrams per pint to be precise – and has no more iron than any other kind of beer.
Experts suggest that the myth of Guinness being a healthy addition to pregnant women’s diets came from not only the advertising slogan, but also from desperate mums craving their favourite drink after months of sobriety!
You’ll still find this myth pop up today. In fact, Gwyneth Paltrow used this myth to save her from scrutiny back when she was photographed having a pint while pregnant back in 2006.
But, in all honesty, while it may not be good for us post-birth, we damn well deserve one after pushing out a baby! Am I right ladies?!
Words by Kate Stevens
Images via Giphy/Universal Pictures
