Hawke's Bay mum reveals cost of drinking

A brave Hawke's Bay woman is speaking out against drinking alcohol during pregnancy by publicly sharing her son's story in a new documentary called A Glass Too Full.

"I drank on and off throughout my pregnancy. I would have maybe three or four wines with friends," admits Jackie, a married mother of three. "It would be over several hours - and at no stage did I feel drunk. I thought I had a glass of wine, I didn't feel the effects - what I didn't realise was that glass also went through the baby."

Jackie considered herself a moderate drinker and was not aware of the damage alcohol could have on her unborn child.

"They told me to cut back on smokes, but no one said anything about alcohol - not the doctor or the midwife."

However, the moment her son was born Jackie could tell he was "different".

"At first he was an easy baby, slept right through, didn't cry, but when he reached 2 years old there were noticeable signs, he only made five sounds. He was also quite sensitive to touch and his eyes appeared further apart."

Behavioural issues piled up as he started school, and at the age of 8 her son was diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) - an umbrella term for a range of permanent physical, behavioural and cognitive birth defects caused by a woman drinking alcohol while pregnant.

"It's a hard life but I deal with it because I did it. I can't complain but I wouldn't wish it on any parent or child.

"It's ongoing, my son will be lucky if he can move out and live a relatively normal life. I can put everything in place and hope for the best but I don't know what's going to happen."

Jackie is one of seven New Zealand women opening up about how alcohol has affected their lives in the documentary, which airs tonight at 9.35pm on Prime.