While it’s a widely known fact that alcohol during pregnancy can affect your baby’s development, there’s still one common question that often comes up: Is there any safe amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant? Even though accurate figures may be difficult to come by, let’s start with scientific facts. There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant.
There are various brands and types of alcohol, starting from wine to whiskey. The one thing they all have in common is that they have a similar chemical structure and affect you and the baby in a similar way. Alcohol is often top on the list of foods to avoid during pregnancy for a good reason.
How Using Alcohol During Pregnancy Can Affect Your Unborn Baby
When you drink, the alcohol passes from your blood to the baby through the placenta. Since the baby’s liver is still developing and immature it’s unable to break down alcohol in the same way as an adult’s liver. This causes the alcohol to build up in the placenta, causing cell damage and severely stunting your baby’s growth and development.
The damaging effects of alcohol are most harmful in the first three months of pregnancy, and often linked to pregnancy complications and birth defects, including:
- Miscarriages
- Premature birth
- Low birth weight (LBW)
- Still birth
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
It doesn’t get any safer as the pregnancy advances. Continued intake of alcohol during pregnancy causes a whole range of lifelong physical, behavioral and intellectual disabilities in your baby fetal alcohol spectrum disorder commonly referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
These conditions are only evident after a baby is born and some of the early indicators of FASD in children include:
- Distinct facial features such as small eye openings, small head, and a thin upper lip
- Significantly low birth weight
- Poor coordination
- Impulsivity
- Poor growth and development
- Short attention spans
- Learning disabilities
- Poor memory
- Speech delays
So What’s the Way Forward on Alcohol During Pregnancy?
It’s quite common for pregnant women to drink alcohol within the first few weeks before they’re aware that they’re expecting. However, after a positive test, the safest option for you is to avoid alcoholic drinks altogether for the entire pregnancy. It may not be as difficult as you might think, as many women cannot stand the taste of alcohol during pregnancy anyway.
Besides the multiple potential effects on your little one, alcohol is naturally a depressant and can also interfere with your mental well being during such a transformational period of your life.
Getting Support to Stop Drinking Alcohol While Pregnant
If you’re experiencing difficulties in cutting down your drinking during pregnancy, consider seeking professional support to protect you and your baby’s well being. Malaica’s pregnancy and antenatal care visits include mental health screenings to assess your psychological well being. If you’re struggling with alcohol cravings or relapses, speak to your midwife, obstetrician, or virtual psychologist. Our online community of pregnant moms can also offer additional support as you interact with other mothers who have struggled with similar issues as well.
Talk to us by booking a consultation or sending a message to +254746 610643 to learn how we can offer support. It’s never too late to stop and the sooner you quit drinking during pregnancy, the better it will be for you and your unborn baby’s health too.