“I was quite shocked”: Edwina Bartholomew’s pregnancy plea
In June, Edwina Bartholomew surprised viewers as she announced that she is expecting her first child.
Now, as she entered her 26th week of pregnancy, the Sunrise newsreader has a message to fellow expectants.
The 36-year-old has partnered with DrinkWise to urge women to avoid alcohol while pregnant.
“I was quite shocked that 28 per cent of Australians don’t realise the effect drinking can have on your baby,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“These are incurable conditions … Things like developmental issues and low weight and intellectual issues later on. And it can have a real detrimental effect on the health of your unborn child. I thought everyone knew it was a no go.”
She said the message was not to shame women for craving a drink, but to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and make sure that they are making informed decisions throughout their pregnancy.
“Everyone needs to seek their own advice and let me tell you, advice will come thick and fast,” she told The Weekend West.
“No one wants to be shaming mums or forcing them to do something, but it’s just one of those simple messages you can get out there.”
The TV personality revealed that she started abstaining from alcohol when she was trying to conceive with her husband Neil Varcoe.
“For me, I’m 36 now – so when we were trying to conceive, there were going to be health issues,” she told 7News.
“I had left it a little bit later in the scheme of things, so I actually gave up drinking in the lead up as well and just continued that throughout pregnancy.”
Scroll through the gallery above to see Edwina's pregnancy style.