'I feel like a bad mother'

Siobhan Freegard, co-founder of the netmums.com website for parents, says some mothers put their children to bed, think, 'Seven o'clock - it's wine time' and pour themselves a glass, possibly the first of many. Personal testimonies from the website show just how common the problem is. Here are some of their stories:

'I do think I have a drinking problem. I can't seem to go a night without at least one glass of wine - usually it ends up as a bottle! I've got two kids and although I'm never drunk, I know it's affecting me the following morning. I just can't seem to stop drinking. Can anyone help me cut down my drinking? I keep saying to myself, "Drink or the kids, drink or the kids", but it's not working.'
Maria W

'I drink just about every night. It's a way for me to relax after a stressful day with the kids. I enjoy watching TV with a can of lager. The thing is, I don't just have a couple. I can drink eight cans in a night. Tonight I opened my first at 8pm and I'm now on my third and it's only been 45 minutes.'
Amanda Q

'When I'm at home in the evening I've normally had a stressful day working and looking after our child and I look forward to 7pm when everything is done and I pour that glass. I very rarely get drunk. After my two glasses I don't feel I could drink any more. However, I am worried that this is too much, or that I am too dependent on my glass of wine at 7pm. It just helps me relax and feel a bit "looser" and my problems seem smaller. Sometimes at 6pm I'm thinking, "Oooh, not long till my glass of wine!" We don't usually eat until 8pm so when I drink at 7pm it's on an empty stomach and I get a little wooshy and I like the feeling.'

'I have two beautiful daughters. I suffer badly with anxiety and am on antidepressants. I drink a bottle of wine every night. I don't get really drunk, just relaxed. It has gotten to the point where I get through the day knowing I can relax and have my wine later. It makes me feel like a really bad mother, even though I adore my children.'

'There are hundreds of us on here, I bet, that can't wait for the cork to go pop! I enjoy every evening relaxing with a glass of wine when I have put three noisy kids to bed. In my opinion there is absolutely nothing wrong with it and it is a pastime I enjoy immensely, whether it's a habit or not.'
Marie B

'I am not a person who drinks through the week that much, but I am a "binge" drinker. Once I've started I find it hard to stop and before I know it I have sunk a bottle of wine by myself. I was drinking a bottle every Friday, then sometimes Saturday if a friend came over, then more with Sunday lunch. I rarely get headaches, but do get a terrible tiredness after a few days at the vino.'