Should you consume alcohol while pregnant
Pregnancy comes with a big list of things you can no longer do, and drinking alcohol is right up at the top. But you may be wondering whether that applies to all types of alcohol or whether a limited amount of wine is okay later on in pregnancy. Is red wine okay to drink while pregnant? What about white wine or other types of alcoholic drinks? The short answer is most doctors now advise women against drinking any alcohol at all when pregnant. Let’s take a look at under which circumstances you can drink wine during your pregnancy, and what the reasoning for the recommendations is.
Drinking wine while pregnant
Drinking at any point while pregnant is not considered safe or recommended. Drinking while pregnant can create the risk for fetal alcohol syndrome in your children. Fetal alcohol syndrome is on a spectrum that can range from mild to severe effects on your child. It can cause neurodevelopmental delays or craniofacial malformation. Binge drinking or heavy drinking, which is four or more drinks in a 1-2 hour period, increases the likelihood of your child being born with fetal alcohol syndrome. However there is no correct amount that you should or could drink safely.
Is it safe for the baby
Again, drinking while pregnant increases the risk of your baby having fetal alcohol syndrome. However no matter what rumors or wives tales you have heard in the past, wine or any drink is not safe while pregnant. Any potential benefits you may have heard such as the antioxidants in red wine or alcohol will help with sleep don’t overrule the fact alcohol isn’t safe for you and your child while pregnant. You may have heard that one glass of wine per day will not do any harm to your baby. While it’s true that there is no amount of alcohol that has been identified as completely safe during pregnancy, there are some OBs who will tell you on an individual basis that the occasional glass of wine won’t do any harm to your baby.
Non alcoholic alternatives
Being pregnant is one of the greatest joys but that doesn’t mean your life has to stop. If you are looking to quench your thirst and thinking of grabbing an alcoholic beverage, here are some mocktails and alternatives for you to try.
Ginger beer
You can drink ginger beer alone or make a ginger beer mule. Mix together ginger beer and fresh lime juice then pour over ice just to make sure your ginger beer is non-alcoholic. To take it to the next level add it to a copper mug to make it really feel like you are drinking a moscow mule.
Faux mojito
Gather the ingredients you will need. You will need club soda, lime juice, mint, and simple syrup. Mix them all together and pour over ice!
Non-alcoholic wine
There are plenty of options of red and white wine that are non-alcoholic to suit your taste buds. Or if you enjoy champagne there are non alcoholic or you can always enjoy sparkling grape juice.
Bloody Mary
Any mom who loves a bloody mary on Sunday brunches this is for you. Get your favorite bloody mary mix (make sure the alcohol is not included in your brand). Next add any of your favorite toppings such as celery, pepper, pickles. If you want to spice it up a little bit more add some hot sauce or even crispy bacon!
Final words
For a lot of expectant moms-to-be, the alcohol question comes into play when they’re throwing back a glass of merlot with dinner. A lot of ladies want to know just how much they can drink while pregnant. The reason they ask is because they want to know what the consequences will be. Something not talked about enough when it comes to alcohol and pregnancy is the health of the baby. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is no joke. It’s a real abnormality in which babies are born with defects as a result of their mother’s drinking habits during pregnancy. That’s why it’s important for all mothers-to-be to pay particular attention to their alcohol intake (or better yet, eliminate alcohol from their diet completely).
Sources:
https://www.articleinsider.com/how-to-get-red-wine-out-of-carpet/
https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/is-it-safe/wine-during-pregnancy/
