Pregnancy and alcohol
We know that alcohol can harm the baby in your belly – plenty of research shows that. But what about non-alcoholic drinks and alcohol in food? What if you had alcohol before realising you were pregnant? We’ll explain it all here.
Maybe you’ve heard that there isn’t actually any harm in drinking alcohol late in your pregnancy? While it’s true that the foetus is most sensitive during the first three months, there is no guarantee that your baby won’t be impacted later on. Nor is there any lower limit for how much you can drink before it becomes dangerous. The risk of harm to your baby is higher the more you drink, but even small quantities increase the risk. That is why it is actually safest to abstain from alcohol entirely – if for no other reason than to avoid worrying about possibly harming your baby. Despite everything, it isn’t that long, when you look at the big picture. But alcohol is in lots of things, so what if there’s wine in a sauce, or a 0.5% ABV cider?
And what about non-alcoholic alternatives during pregnancy?
The selection of alcohol-free beer, wine and cider has absolutely exploded in recent years, but many of these options actually do contain some alcohol. So of course people wonder: what is actually okay to drink during pregnancy? What alcohol percentage can you have? In Sweden, new recommendations have recently come out and the answer there is that if you are pregnant, it is okay to have a moderate amount of 0.5% ABV beer or cider. A moderate amount means about 1 litre per week –which you should not have all at once, because the concentration would be too high.
Is it okay to have wine in sauce when I’m pregnant?
You can absolutely throw together a lovely white wine sauce when you’re pregnant, but it’s important to be aware that not all of the alcohol actually disappears immediately when the sauce boils. Instead, as a rule of thumb, reduce your sauce by half or let your stew boil for about 30 minutes before it goes on the plate. Food that contains spirits, like flambé dishes, actually has too much alcohol to be okay to eat. But it’s also about quantity: one little taste instead of an entire portion isn’t going to do any harm, according to the Swedish guidelines.
What are the risks of alcohol during pregnancy?
Among other things, alcohol impacts your baby’s growth and brain cells in a way that can later present as difficulty concentrating and learning. It can also lead to various deformities and a low birth weight. The baby inside your belly is also much more sensitive to alcohol than we are as adults. That is because the baby’s liver is not mature yet, making it hard to break down alcohol. The result is that the foetus is more affected, and for a longer amount of time.
Does it matter if your partner drinks?
Research has shown that a partner’s drinking habits can play a role during pregnancy. The likelihood of the pregnant person drinking alcohol increases if their partner has alcohol. So it may be wise to discuss what feels okay for both of you. If, as the pregnant person, you feel that it’s completely okay for your partner to have a few glasses of wine at dinner with friends, then obviously it isn’t a problem. But if you feel that your partner is not being considerate of your feelings, then it’s a good idea to talk to a third party.
Drinking alcohol before a positive pregnancy test
What if you drank alcohol during those first few weeks, before you knew you were pregnant? A lot of people ask about this and it causes a great deal of worry among future parents. But you can go ahead and exhale: the risk that your foetus has been harmed is miniscule. We know that the earlier you stop drinking alcohol, the lower the risk is for the baby. The important thing simply isn’t what you’ve done historically, but rather that you abstain from alcohol throughout the rest of your pregnancy.
Alcohol abuse and pregnancy
Alcohol abuse during pregnancy almost always leads to some form of damage in the baby. But remember: the earlier you manage to quit, the better the conditions are for your baby making it through without harm. It is important to seek professional help, because alcoholism is a disease; it is not something you can stop doing by yourself – nor should you have to. If your partner struggles with alcohol, it is also important to address that early on. Heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of violence in the relationship – which could also be dangerous for your baby. Here too, you need immediate help from an outside source. If you don’t know who to turn to, talk to your clinic first, where your doctor or midwife can make sure you get help and support.
Drinking alcohol while trying to get pregnant
Many studies show that large quantities of alcohol can make it harder to get pregnant. As for drinking among men, we know that the number of sperm and their quality decline when men drink. And of course, not everyone who drinks alcohol has any issues getting pregnant. If that were the case, the birth rate in some countries would be much lower. But the fact remains that regular alcohol consumption in both men and women can reduce the chances of becoming pregnant.
Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.
