If you are thinking of drinking
Alcohol is a confirmed teratogen, which means that it has been confirmed to be a substance that can harm the formation of the embryo during pregnancy.
The first trimester is actually the period during pregnancy where the foetus is most sensitive to the effects of alcohol that the mother has drunk. It is also during this period of time that when alcohol is drunk, the chance of experiencing a miscarriage greatly increases, as does having a premature birth and a baby with low birth weight.
Children’s bodies are less developed than adults, and this applies even more so for unborn babies. They do not have livers to process alcohol, leaving it to have a serious impact on them.
Despite what some sources may say, there is no known safe limit to drinking. It is in the best interest of your unborn baby as well as yourself to abstain from drinking not only during the first trimester, but also throughout the rest of your pregnancy.
If you have already had a few drinks
It is never too late to stop drinking, especially because the embryo and then the foetus will be constantly developing. It may even be slightly easier, as pregnant women tend to be put off the taste of alcohol due to their heightened sense of taste and smell.
Even lowering the amount of drinks you have may decrease, though it may not eliminate, the chances of your baby developing fetal alcohol syndrome.
So as you know, the best thing to do during any stage of pregnancy is to stop drinking alcohol. If you need help, there are some support links below which have been well-used and had positive feedback from previous participants.
Contact:
- Parentline : 1300 301 300
- Counselling Online : 1800 888 236
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline : 1800 882 436
Feel free to comment below if you have any questions! 🙂
Here is some further reading if you are interested:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4033207/
Helping Mothers 