Drinking Alcohol While Pregnant

Experts are still unsure if alcohol is safe during pregnancy, so the safest approach is not to drink at all while you're expecting.

Is drinking while pregnant safe?

How does alcohol affect my unborn baby?

How to avoid alcohol in pregnancy



## Is drinking while pregnant safe?

If you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.

Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to the baby, with the more you drink, the greater the risk.


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## How does alcohol affect my unborn baby?

When you drink, alcohol passes from your blood through the placenta and to your baby.

A baby's liver is one of the last organs to develop and doesn't mature until the later stages of pregnancy.

Your baby cannot process alcohol as well as you can, and too much exposure to alcohol can seriously affect their development.

Drinking alcohol, especially in the first 3 months of pregnancy, increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and your baby having a low birth weight.

Drinking after the first 3 months of your pregnancy could affect your baby after they're born.

The risks are greater the more you drink. The effects include learning difficulties and behavioural problems.

Drinking heavily throughout pregnancy can cause your baby to develop a serious condition called foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Children with FAS have:

- poor growth
- facial abnormalities
- learning and behavioural problems

Drinking less heavily, and even drinking heavily on single occasions, may be associated with lesser forms of FAS. The risk is likely to be greater the more you drink.


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## How to avoid alcohol in pregnancy

It may not be as difficult as you think to avoid alcohol completely for nine months, as many women go off the taste of alcohol early in pregnancy.

Most women do give up alcohol once they know they're pregnant or when they're planning to become pregnant.

Women who find out they're pregnant after already having drunk in early pregnancy should avoid further drinking.

However, they should not worry unnecessarily, as the risks of their baby being affected are likely to be low.

If you're concerned, talk to your midwife or doctor.

### What is a unit of alcohol?

If you do decide to drink when you’re pregnant, it's important to know how many units you are consuming.

One unit is 10 millilitres (ml) – or 8 grams – of pure alcohol. This is equal to:

- half a pint of beer, lager or cider at 3.5% alcohol by volume (ABV: you can find this on the label)
- a single measure (25ml) of spirit, such as whisky, gin, rum or vodka, at 40% ABV
- half a standard (175ml) glass of wine at 11.5% ABV

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References

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

Article information

Experts are still unsure if alcohol is safe during pregnancy, so the safest approach is not to drink at all while you're expecting. (Drinking Pregnant)