Birth Mother Resources is a great place to find information to help pregnant women and birth mothers find financial, emotional and medical assistance

Home

Quick Find

  About us

  Q and A

Before Pregnancy

  Birth Control
  Getting Healthy
  Ovulation Calendar

Pregnancy Assistance

  Crisis Centers

  Financial Help

  Food

  Infant Safe Havens

  Hotlines

  Medical Care

  Shelters

  Support Groups

Pregnancy Information

  Terms and Definitions

  Body Changes

  Eating and Nutrition

  Herbs and Vitamins

  Exercise

  Surprising Facts

Pregnancy Concerns

  Common Concerns

  Medications

  Sex

  Work

Pregnancy Symptoms

  Back Pain

  Bladder Issues

  Constipation

  Fatigue and Moods

  Heartburn

  Morning Sickness

  Sleep

  Weight Gain

Pregnancy Problems

  Bleeding

  Complications

  Depression

  Fetal Alcohol

  Rh Factor

Pregnancy Risks

  Do's and Don'ts

  Alcohol

  Caffeine

  Drugs

  Smoking

  Vitamins and Herbs

Disclaimer

 
Alcohol and Pregnancy Alcohol and Pregnancy

Alcohol and Pregnancy


Everything you eat and drink while you are pregnant affects your baby. If you drink alcohol, it can hurt your baby.

Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy

If you are pregnant and consume alcohol the alcohol passes through the placenta (umbilical cord) to your baby. In the unborn baby this alcohol is broken down much more slowly than in your body and, as a result, the alcohol level of the baby's blood can be even higher and can remain elevated longer than the level in your blood. The result could be that your baby suffers lifelong damage.

Women who drink alcohol while pregnant are more likely to have a miscarriage, a stillbirth, a baby with a low birth weight, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE).  Children with fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects may have mental retardation, behavioral problems, poor coordination, malformed hearts and brains, and distinct facial features.  Indeed, each year, more than 40,000 babies are born with some degree of alcohol related damage.

While you probably know that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects, you may not realize that even light drinking also may harm the baby you are carrying.   Because a safe level of alcohol intake during pregnancy cannot be determined, the March of Dimes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that any woman who is pregnant not consume any alcohol including beer, wine, wine coolers and hard liquor throughout their pregnancy and while nursing.

 

Questions and Answers About Alcohol and Pregnancy


What are the hazards of drinking alcohol during pregnancy?

In general, alcohol-related birth defects are more likely to result from drinking during the first trimester while growth problems are more likely to result from drinking in the third trimester. However, drinking at any stage of pregnancy can affect the brain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year between 1,300 and 8,000 babies in the United States are born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and the effects of FAS last a lifetime. Even if not mentally retarded, adolescents and adults with FAS have varying degrees of psychological and behavioral problems.

During pregnancy, how much alcohol is too much?

No level of drinking has been proven safe. You are advised not to drink any alcoholic beverages including beer, wine, wine coolers and hard liquor.  Because no amount of alcohol is proven safe, you should stop drinking immediately even if you only suspect that you are pregnant.

If a pregnant woman has one or two drinks before she realizes she is pregnant, can it harm the baby?

If you consumed alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now and your baby will have a good chance to be born healthy. If you want to get pregnant, do not drink alcohol. You may not know you are pregnant right away. Alcohol can hurt a baby even when you are only 1 or 2 months pregnant.  

How can I stop drinking?

There are many ways to help yourself stop drinking. Stay away from people or places that make you drink. Do not keep alcohol at home. If you need help you can talk with your health care provider, local hospital social worker, or contact a local Alcohol Anonymous group.

What other problems can drinking alcohol during pregnancy cause?

Consuming alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and stillbirth.

Is it safe to drink alcohol while breastfeeding?

Small amounts of alcohol do get into breast milk and are passed on to the baby and large amounts of alcohol may interfere with ejection of milk from the breast. For these reasons, the March of Dimes recommends that women abstain from alcohol while they are nursing.

Can heavy drinking by the father contribute to FAS?

To date, there is no proof that heavy drinking by the father can cause FAS. There is, however, increasing evidence that heavy alcohol use by the male can lower the level of the male hormone testosterone, leading to low sperm counts and, occasionally, to infertility.

Additional Resources

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Check your local phone book for
listings in your area.

National Council on Alcoholism
and Drug Dependence
20 Exchange Place Suite 2902
New York, NY 10005-3201
(800) 622-2255

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism
5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
(301) 443-3860

National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
900 17th Street, NW, Suite 910
Washington, DC 20006
(800) 66-NOFAS

Additional Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
The National Council on Alcoholism
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility locator
Advisory on Alcohol Use in Pregnancy
March of Dimes: Alcohol and pregnancy
March of Dimes:  Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy
American Pregnancy: Alcohol and its effects
CERHR: Effects of alcohol during pregnancy

Help For Pregnant Woman and Birth Mothers By State

 Alabama  Hawaii  Massachusetts  New Mexico  South Dakota
 Alaska  Idaho  Michigan  New York  Tennessee
 Arizona  Illinois  Minnesota  North Carolina  Texas
 Arkansas  Indiana  Mississippi  North Dakota  Utah
 California  Iowa  Missouri  Ohio  Vermont
 Colorado  Kansas  Montana  Oklahoma  Virginia
 Connecticut  Kentucky  Nebraska  Oregon  Washington
 Delaware  Louisiana  Nevada  Pennsylvania  West Virginia
 Florida  Maine  New Hampshire  Rhode Island  Wisconsin
 Georgia  Maryland  New Jersey  South Carolina  Wyoming
More Help
Pregnancy
Placing a child for adoption
Parenting
Adopting a child

Contact us

Early Pregnancy

  Early Symptoms

  Medical Care

  Pregnancy Tests

  Prenatal Care

  Prenatal Testing

  Ultrasounds

  Unplanned Pregnancy

Stages of Pregnancy

  Estimating Due Date

  Pregnancy Calendar

  1st Trimester

  2nd Trimester

  3rd Trimester

Birth Plans

  Plans and Options

  Birth Center / Hospital

  Midwives

  Doulas

Labor and Delivery

  Inducing Labor

  Labor and Birth

  Cesarean Birth

  Episiotomy

  Pain and Delivery

After delivery

  APGAR Score

  Banking Cord Blood

  Bonding Issues

  Breast vs Formula

  Breastfeeding

  Formula Feeding

Infertility

  Infertility Overview

  Terms and Definitions

  Trying to Conceive

  Male Infertility

  Female Infertility

  Emotional Issues

  Infertility Drugs

  Treatments

  Insurance Issues

Adoption

  Placing a Child

  Adopting a Child

  Adoption by Relatives

  Foster Care

Privacy

Privacy Statement

    We love the people
NotJustWebsites.com
who created our site   
Home
Click here for information on Adopting Children from around the world Click here to find information relating to emotional issues Click here for information on adopting children in your state Click here for information in adopting children within the USA Click here to read the adoption laws in your state Adoption Services is the largest source of information to help pregnant women, birth mothers and adopting families in the world. Click here for information to assist birth mothers and children Click here to contact us.  We are happy to help! We care about you and your baby.  Please feel free to contact us if you need help.