Throughout the whole pregnancy, women are bound to hear different advice regarding everything, starting from what to eat, what to avoid, what to wear, what exercises to do- the list is never-ending.
One of the most frequently asked question is can pregnant women drink wine? Or, drink any alcohol beverages for that manner. Now, wine is one drink that is used for many occasions, like birthdays, hangouts with girlfriends, during wedding toasts, and so on. And then, there are those, who prefer to unwind the day with a glass of wine.
As such, it makes sense that many pregnant women are highly concerned with questions around the safety of consuming alcoholic beverages such as wine and the potential harms these products can cause for their babies. While it can seem overwhelming, read on to find out more about why drinking alcohol can cause problems and how you can protect against conditions such as fetal alcohol syndrome.
Is drinking liquor safe for pregnant mothers?
Let me give a brief explanation on the consequences of drinking liquor for pregnant women. According to doctors, the time span a pregnant women has with her child inside her is only nine months. Therefore, if a mother can hold off her urge to drink on any occasion, it is better for both the mother and the child. It is believed that drinking during this special time can potentially lead to birth defects.
“The problem with drinking alcohol during your pregnancy is that there is no amount that has been proven to be safe,” says Jacques Moritz, MD, director of gynecology at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York. Researchers have not been able to detect the specific harm alcohol does to the baby at particular times during pregnancy, thus, they can’t say that any period of the pregnancy is a safe time to consume alcohol. As such, experts overall advise pregnant women to avoid drinking during the whole nine months.
What about wine: can pregnant women drink wine during this period?
Now let’s come to the core question of how safe it is for pregnant women to drink wine. Drinking wine lavishly, regardless of it being a special occasion or not, can lead to problems. It is safest not to drink any alcohol, whether it is wine, or not.
Dangers of drinking
Drinking alcohol may cause fetal alcohol syndrome. This is used to describe a number of ailments that develop in a fetus while it is growing inside the pregnant woman. The most common risk is to develop mental retardation. Other types of problems can include physical problems, neurological problems, and varies types of psychological syndromes. When you drink alcohol the intoxicants pass through the placenta into the baby’s blood stream. The baby is constantly developing inside you, especially the brain. Therefore, once the alcohol is inside the blood stream, it works directly in the baby’s body. This causes the abnormalities, which will, unfortunately, stay with the baby even after birth, and for the rest of their life.
Due to the potential harm caused by drinking alcohol it is always better to avoid drinking booze while pregnant. If you think that maybe one gulp of wine won’t be harmful, you can drink, but do keep in mind that you are potentially posing a risk to your baby’s health.
I have already mentioned before that this magical period will only lasts for nine months. Then you can drink as much as you want to, unless you are breastfeeding. Then add another six months. But it is for your and your baby’s benefit. You can drink for the rest of your life. Just avoid these months. It’s no big deal, really! And if you think you are unable to control your need to consume alcohol, then you should seek your doctor’s help and support.
