Pregnancy is a delicate phase of life in which consuming anything whether it is fruits, beverages, vegetables, and more requires your complete attention, consultation, and proper knowledge as anything wrong can affect the health of you and your growing fetus as well. These days one of the highly asked questions related to this concern is about the worst time to drink during pregnancy as there is no clear and in-depth answer of the same.
So, if you are also one of those parents who want to eagerly know about the side effects, consumption amount, advice by doctors, suggested time to consume, and more related to drinking alcohol, beer, champion, wine, or any other addictive beverage then read the complete article patiently as we have covered everything or you.
Table of Contents
What is the worst time to drink during pregnancy?
As per the facts and resources, it is said that more than 6% of the population does not change their drinking habits even after finding out that they are pregnant and have the responsibility to take care of a growing fetus. According to the reports of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, it is said that consuming alcohol any time or any amount may put the health and growth rate of your fetus at stake. There is nothing like the worst time to drink during pregnancy as it has negative impacts on throughout the trimesters.
Not only this but avoiding drinking throughout the pregnancy should be the foremost decision of the woman because there is no such definition or boundaries limiting the safe drinking and harmful drinking during the pregnancy period. In such a case, one should always remember that an individual is never too late to stop drinking alcohol, wines, beers, and more as it can be easily controlled by the willpower of the person and their wish to give birth to a healthy baby in this world.
The fetus grows and develops the organs throughout the nine months when it stays in the womb of their mother and during that time any such harmful thing can drastically affect its mental health, facial features, IQ level, weight balance, and so on which will not just make the baby suffer but you also as a mother. Prohibiting drinking can ease your motherhood journey and protect your growing fetus from facing any health condition in the future.
Why is drinking not advised during pregnancy?
If a woman consumes alcohol during the pregnancy period then it can also affect the growing fetus as the alcohol present in her blood reaches the baby in the womb through the umbilical cord and eventually disturbs the proper development and functioning of their organs and nerves.
The reason behind this is the side effect of alcohol on the baby’s weak organs and their slower metabolism rate which do not support proper digestion of the alcohol. This addiction of pregnant ladies can also lead them to miscarriage as the fetus stops growing in the womb due to the damage caused by drinking. Apart from this, if the child is born then there are high chances that they suffer from conditions of FASDs (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) which is not curable in every case and can stay with the baby lifelong.
What are FASDs?
Those mothers who consume alcohol, beer, wine, or other harmful drinks during the pregnancy period give birth to such kids who are disabled in terms of social, psychological, physical, behavioral, and intellectual aspects. And, the kids with such challenges have the health condition called FASDs which stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The characteristics or problems of kids with FASDs are mentioned below:
- They have abnormal facial features.
- They have lower IQ levels and learning power.
- Such kids also go through speech delays.
- They suffer from heart and kidney-related diseases.
- They have poor coordination, weak eyesight, and bad listening abilities.
- Such kids also have actions like a baby even after growing up.
- They can also be dwarfed and underweight.
- Such kids also go through hyperactivity.
How to control drinking habits during pregnancy?
It is true that to have a safe pregnancy experience and to give birth to a healthy baby, you need to stop drinking at any cost. It might look tougher because of the long-term addiction and constant urges but it is not something impossible to do so. Below are a few ideas that you can follow to have control on your bad drinking habits. So, let’s go through them one by one!
1. Call on national alcohol helpline: Almost every country has its own helpline numbers that support, guide, and assist those individuals who want to stop drinking. You can call them, share about your alcohol issues, and seek the proper solutions regarding this concern. They have a team of experts who give the best guidance on the call or in person if needed.
2. Get in touch with treatment centers: There are a lot of treatment centers in every country that are made just to decrease the addiction and misuse of alcohol, drugs, or any other harmful thing in society. You can easily visit such places and consult with professionals who will make sure to give you the best motivation, knowledge, and treatment so that you can overcome the drinking condition in the most natural way possible.
3. Join alcohol-free programs: Throughout the world, there are multiple programs and campaigns that are being run by government and private bodies whose goal is to guide and support people to get sober forever. You can join such programs as they are available in hybrid mode and include several activities that help in getting control over drinking habits.
4. Increase willpower: The best idea for stopping the consumption of alcohol is to make a self-pledge as there is no such thing that can beat your willpower and your thoughts if you stay rigid to them. For this, all you have to do is recall the consequences that may arise if you drink and have to divert yourself from the constant urges. It is the most organic way of controlling your addiction and can lead you to a healthier life.
FAQs
1. Which is the worst time to drink during pregnancy?
There is nothing like a safe time and safe amount when it comes to drinking during the pregnancy period as it directly affects the development and growth of the fetus’ organs and nerves. Prohibiting drinking can ease up your motherhood journey and protect your growing baby from facing any health condition in the future.
2. What will happen if I drink regularly during pregnancy?
Consuming alcohol, beer, wine, or any other harmful drink can lead your growing baby to suffer from FASD which stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Kids with this medical condition have abnormal facial features, weak eyesight, poor listening abilities, underweight, hyperactivity, lower IQ level, are dwarf in height, and may also suffer from heart and kidney-related diseases.
3. Why should I not drink during pregnancy?
Alcohol is very strong and harmful in nature and consuming that during your pregnancy time can lead you to miscarriage as well. The reason is that the alcohol in your blood also transfers to the fetus through the umbilical cord and the weak organs as well as the slower metabolism of the fetus do not support that well like an adult which eventually damages their organs and causes death in many cases.
4. How should I control my drinking habits during pregnancy?
For saying no to the consumption of alcohol the best way is to take a self pledge and remember the consequences of this action on your baby’s health. While doing this, you need to be rigid on your willpower and thoughts to have control over urges in the most natural way. Apart from this, you can also seek help through national alcohol helpline numbers, alcohol treatment centers, and alcohol-free programs.
Conclusion
Above we shared a brief guide about the worst time to drink during pregnancy along with their consequences, ways to control, and possible health conditions of the fetus which might have helped you understand this topic far better and clearly. In a nutshell, we can say that drinking anytime or any amount in this phase is not acceptable, advised, and medically good for you and your baby’s health.
However, controlling the consumption of such addictive and harmful drinks is not that tough as all you need to do is have command over your urges and think for the life of a growing baby in your womb. Not only this but you can also get help from many organizations, helpline numbers, and programs to do so. I hope the page helped you and if you still want any further assistance then do let us know about the same through the comment box mentioned below. Till then, thank you for reading!
Preeti Jha is a young writer who loves reading, writing, and using words in the crispiest and clearest way possible. She has 3+ years of industry experience and holds a very good command over language and representation of content. She believes in hard work and dedication when it comes to winning any milestone or getting loyal readers. From reporting and anchoring to writing and radio jockeying, she has an interest in various fields of mass communication.