Pregnant women should not drink wine and other alcoholic beverages
The internet probably gives different answers and some of your friends might even have indulged in a glass or two when they were expecting, but what are the real dangers linked to consuming alcoholic beverages during the pregnancy?
It is generally considered that excessive drinking can be the cause of many complications for your unborn child, and since no study has yet been able to show exactly how much alcohol is completely safe for the unborn baby, the safest option remains to not drink any alcoholic beverages during the pregnancy, and while trying to get pregnant.
When you drink an alcoholic beverage while pregnant, the alcohol travels through your blood and into the baby’s blood tissues and organs. This means that whenever you have a glass a wine, so does your baby.
This can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome and lifelong damages such as: malformations of the embryo, brain damage, poor growth, birth defects, born prematurely or underweight, learning problems, and other less severe difficulties.
What about breastfeeding?
If you choose to breastfeed, not drinking any alcoholic beverage is also recommended.
For more information about drinking during your pregnancy or while breastfeeding, ask your gynaecologist or your midwife.