There are people waiting, always waiting, ready to point their figures. To tell us we have got it wrong. We don’t know best.

When I read reports in the news today that 60% of Irish women admitted to drinking alcohol during pregnancy, I considered momentarily writing a post about it. The point I wanted to make was that this information is as suitably vague so as to be rendered meaningless. Were these women who had drunk before they knew they were pregnant? Were they women who had one drink during the long 40 weeks of pregnancy? Were they women who had the occasional drink, once every month or so? Or were they women who drank a significant amount, on a regular basis? Were they alcoholics struggling with addiction?

No matter the intricacies and complexities,  the headline news is that women just won’t do what they’re told. That they cannot be trusted to make the right decision for their bodies, and that whatever decision they do make there will be people waiting in line to wag their fingers at them.

So, I’m not going to write about women drinking whilst they’re pregnant.

Nor am I going to write about what the ideal weight gain is in pregnancy., and whether you exceeded it. Neither will I write about whether you breastfed your babies, or whether you co-sleep. Whether you work outside the home, or stay at home with your children. Whether you had your children too young, or too old. Or if you’re taking folic acid if you’re of child-bearing age ‘just in case’. Whether you have children at all.  Whether you’ve had an abortion.

Because these are your choices. This is your body. This is your life. And I trust you.