There is plenty of information about alcohol and pregnancy. Some women stop consuming alcohol altogether, others allow themselves to
take the odd one on social occasions. So what's the best advice ?
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If you are trying to conceive, you need to be aware that the amount your drink can reduce your fertility and ability to conceive.
Excessive drinking, especially getting drunk, can in extreme cases lead to a miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. The prudent and
safest approach is to limit your consumption of alcohol to no more than one or two units of alcohol a week and to avoid getting drunk.
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A pregnant woman drinking alcohol has to be careful as the alcohol passes through the placenta and can affect the baby's development. Excessive drinking
can lead to low birth weight anc can affect the physical/mental development of the child. If you do drink alcohol during pregnancy, consume no more than one or
two units a week and avoid getting drunk.
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Drinking alcohol during breastfeeding may affect your baby. Alcohol passes to the baby in small amounts in breast milk and will also smell differenlty. This may affect his/her feeding, sleeping and/or digestion.
The best advice is to avoid drinking shortly before a baby's feed. Whether breastfeeding or not, the recommended daily benchmark is to consume no more than two or three units of alcohol a day. Drinking too much
alcohol can leave you feeling tired and sometimes a little down.
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Smoking whilst pregnant can be damaging to your own health and your baby's health. Smoking has been linked to a variety of health problems including premature birth, low birth weight, cot death, miscarriage
and breathing problems. So, clearly giving up smoking during pregnancy will help you and your baby get a healthier start in life and save you plenty of money !
There is plenty of help available to help you give up smoking. Call the NHS Pregnancy Smoking Helpline on 0800 169 9 169 or visit
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