What you need to know about alcohol when planning to get pregnant
Planning a pregnancy? You need to be in the best physical and mental shape to have a healthy, happy baby. This may mean you need to consider how much alcohol you and your partner intake and how this may affect your chances of conceiving a baby.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) advises that to prevent harm to their unborn child, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol.
Why does alcohol matter before you’re even pregnant?
Alcohol can affect your baby before you even know you’re pregnant. A baby’s brain begins developing in the very first weeks, often before a positive test. When you drink, alcohol reaches your baby at close to the same level as it reaches your bloodstream, because it passes freely between you both.
There is no known safe amount, safe time, or safe type of alcohol during pregnancy.
What’s the risk?
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a lifelong condition that can affect a child’s learning, memory and behaviour.
The more alcohol consumed and the more often, the greater the risk. But every pregnancy is different, and a range of factors play a part.
It’s not just about you
Planning a pregnancy is something you and your partner can do together. Research also links alcohol to reduced sperm quality, so cutting back as a couple can make an alcohol-free pregnancy easier to sustain — and it means you’re both supporting your baby’s health from the very start.
For more information, please visit the NHMRC website and read the Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol
If you need to talk to someone about the risks of consuming alcohol before, during or whilst breastfeeding, call the Australian Government’s Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline on 1800 882 436.
If you are concerned about your own drinking, consult your General Practitioner or seek advice from your health care provider.
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