Many people develop habits or addictions to different substances in their life. Some like chewing tobacco; some people are fond of coffee, whereas some others are addicted to smoking and drinking alcohol. Females, who drink alcohol, have to think twice about their habit on getting pregnant. Is it safe to combine Pregnancy and alcohol? Generally doctors advise against combining pregnancy and alcohol. However, latest research shows that mild drinking during pregnancy will do no harm. From the latest point of view drinking alcohol during pregnancy in limited quantities will not create any problem for the growing fetus. Limited quantity implies that woman can have one or two drinks in a week which is even considered advantageous.
However, the exact relation between alcohol and its benefits in small amounts to a pregnant female are not known, it is good to keep pregnancy and alcohol separate from each other. Alcohol is a toxin which reaches the baby through blood circulation via the placenta. Pregnancy and alcohol together may damage baby’s cells and hamper their growth. Pregnancy and alcohol also affects the nervous system of the baby. Because of the affected nervous system the baby may face difficulty in coordination and movement along with difficulty in learning throughout her life. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is the medical term used for all problems ranging from mild difficulty in learning to birth defects which are caused due to combining pregnancy and alcohol.
Extreme degree of Pregnancy and alcohol combination is known as Full-Blown alcohol syndrome (FAS). In Full blown alcohol syndrome baby is prone to develop facial defects. Moreover, she will be smaller in size and will remain small all her life in comparison to other children of her age. The baby will also have behavior problems, poor coordination of their body and difficulty in learning. Though full blown alcohol syndrome is rare, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is quiet common. In U.K every year 6,000 babies are affected with FASD due to combination of pregnancy and alcohol.
Pregnancy and alcohol in excess may lead to abortion, premature delivery and sometimes the delivered baby may be still born. How combining pregnancy and alcohol can harm the unborn baby depends on several factors. It depends on the amount of alcohol you drink, when you drink and at what stage of the pregnancy you drink. It also depends on how frequently you are drinking alcohol during your pregnancy. It is not enough to avoid alcohol during the first stage of your pregnancy. Pregnancy and alcohol habit affects your baby even at the third stage of pregnancy. During the third stage of pregnancy there is maximum growth of your baby especially brain growth, thus combining pregnancy and alcohol during this stage has maximum harm.
Women who have the habit of drinking alcohol often start worrying about the adverse effects of pregnancy and alcohol only after their pregnancy is confirmed. However, doctors and health department people always advice women to stop drinking before planning for pregnancy. In the initial stages of pregnancy some women have nausea. Thus, it is easier for them to leave the habit of alcohol. But for women who enjoy both pregnancy and alcohol it may be difficult to quit the habit. If you really can’t leave the habit you can switch over to non alcoholic wine or beer. Also, instead of drinking alcohol you can try listening to soft music, reading a book, having a massage or a warm bath.