Effects During Pregnancy

• Alcohol crosses the placenta to the baby. It can accumulate in the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby before the birth.
  


• Alcohol can cause problems in pregnancy such as bleeding, miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth.
  

• There is evidence to suggest that if a woman drinks two or more standard drinks each day the baby can be affected and grow slowly. If a woman drinks six or more standard drinks each day the baby may have slow physical growth, poor coordination and movement and intellectual disability.
  


• Unfortunately it is not known whether or not there is any safe level of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. It is also uncertain whether any particular stage of the pregnancy is the most vulnerable to the effects of drinking.
  


• THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS REALLY NO SAFE LEVEL OF DRINKING ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY AND THAT NO ALCOHOL AT ALL IS THE SAFEST APPROACH.
  


• Babies of women who are heavily dependent on alcohol can suffer withdrawal after birth. The symptoms can include tremors, irritability, fits and bloated abdomen.
  

What You Can Do

• If you are trying to become pregnant you would be better to limit your alcohol drinking to small amounts, not too frequently. (One standard drink no more than once a week.)
  


• If you are pregnant the safest approach is not to drink at all, or at least drink very small amounts (one drink) very infrequently (less than once a week).
  


• If you are finding it difficult to cut down your drinking discuss this with your doctor, alcohol and drug counselling service or contact the Royal Women's Hospital Chemical Dependency Unit.
  


• If you do continue to drink you need to avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water regularly. you may need a Vitamin B supplement. Your doctor will advise you on this. It is also important that you tell your midwife or doctor as accurately as you can how much you drink so that they can monitor your baby's development.
  


• ANY REDUCTION IN YOUR DRINKING IS HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY IF YOU CONTINUE TO REDUCE AS THE PREGNANCY PROGRESSES.
  

Breast Feeding

• While the effects of drinking alcohol on breast feeding are unclear, it is known that alcohol is excreted into breast milk- It may be that having one drink occasionally is safe, but in general it is better to avoid using alcohol as much as possible.
  


• During the first twelve months of the baby's life the brain is still developing and may be damaged by alcohol.
  


• Alcohol use can reduce the milk supply.