• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

2023 Logo - Kopa Birth Online Birthing Classes

Online Classes for Pregnancy, Natural Birth, Breastfeeding & Baby Care

  • ABOUT
  • ONLINE BIRTHING CLASSES
    • Pricing
    • Course Content
    • This Course Is A Great Fit For You If…
    • Course FAQ
  • BLOG
    • RESOURCES
      • Find a Local Kopa Birth® Class
      • Find Other Birth Resources in Your City
    • Pregnancy
    • Natural Hospital Birth
    • Breastfeeding
    • Baby Care
    • Testimonials
  • SHOP
  • Search
  • MY KOPA®
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Become a Childbirth Educator
  • Affiliates
  • ABOUT
  • ONLINE BIRTHING CLASSES
    • Pricing
    • Course Content
    • This Course Is A Great Fit For You If…
    • Course FAQ
  • BLOG
    • RESOURCES
      • Find a Local Kopa Birth® Class
      • Find Other Birth Resources in Your City
    • Pregnancy
    • Natural Hospital Birth
    • Breastfeeding
    • Baby Care
    • Testimonials
  • SHOP
  • Search
  • MY KOPA®
You are here: Home » Pregnancy » Drinking While Pregnant: Better Safe Than Sorry
Drinking While Pregnant - Better Safe Than Sorry

Drinking While Pregnant: Better Safe Than Sorry

September 14, 2017 //  by Katie Griffin

Is drinking while pregnant safe?  Before you toast your pregnancy with a sip of champagne, consider what we do and don’t know about the risks of alcohol consumption in pregnancy.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Table of contents

  • Drinking While Pregnant: Risks of Alcohol
  • Is Any Amount Bad?
    • Heavy Drinking
    • Light Drinking
  • Better Safe Than Sorry

Drinking While Pregnant: Risks of Alcohol

Alcohol is a known teratogen. This means that it can cause birth defects in a developing fetus, including a set of disorders known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (1,4). Babies experience altered facial features, brain alterations, and a series of psychological deficits, including:

  • Lower IQ
  • Hyperactivity
  • Difficulty processing words
  • Learning & memory problems
  • Behavioral problems

Is Any Amount Bad?

Heavy Drinking

Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy can take the form of binge drinking as well as continuous exposure.  It is known to increase the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth, and small-for-gestational age (2).  It is also more likely to lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder — a group of conditions that can be caused by a person’s mother drinking during pregnancy.  Experts generally agree that the more you drink, the greater the risk to your baby (3).

Light Drinking

Many studies explore the risks of drinking during pregnancy.  However, very few have researched whether or not light drinking, up to 32g/week, is safe.  Those that did have found no convincing evidence that light alcohol consumption poses serious risk.  Yet, there is no clear evidence to help draw the line between a safe level of alcohol and one that can cause birth defects (2).  This lack of research and the uncertainty around it makes even light drinking risky to your baby.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is avoidable and poses significant risk to your baby.  In light of the medical evidence we do have, it’s safest for your baby if you completely abstain from alcohol during pregnancy (1).  Long story short, don’t drink if you’re pregnant.  It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Kopa Birth’s online birthing classes allow you to prepare for natural childbirth in the comfort of your own home, 24/7. Enroll today in our free online childbirth class to learn more about preparing for natural childbirth. 

References:

  1. Mukherjee, R. A. S., Hollins, S., & Turk, J. (2006). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: an overview. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 99(6), 298–302.
  2. Mamluk L, Edwards HB, Savović J, et al.  (2017).  Low alcohol consumption and pregnancy and childhood outcomes: time to change guidelines indicating apparently ‘safe’ levels of alcohol during pregnancy? A systematic review and meta-analyses.  BMJ Open 2017;7:e015410. 
  3. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.  (2016).  New recommended drinking guidelines recommended by NICE.  Retrieved from https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/new-recommended-drinking-guidelines-welcomed-by-nice
  4. Mattson, S.N., Schoenfeld, A.M., Riley, E.P.  (2001).  Teratogenic effects of alcohol on brain and behavior.  Alcohol Res Health.  25(3):  185-91.

Here are some other birth articles and stories we know you’ll love.

  • First Trimester Pregnancy & Symptoms: The Ultimate Guide
  • Second Trimester Pregnancy & Symptoms: The Ultimate Guide
  • Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy: List Of Foods
  • Third Trimester Pregnancy & Symptoms: The Ultimate Guide
  • What to Do After a Positive Home Pregnancy Test

Category: PregnancyTag: first trimester, second trimester, third trimester

About Katie Griffin

Katie Griffin, Founder of Kopa Birth,® is a Registered Nurse, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, and mom of 7. Using her nursing background and 14+ years of experience teaching birthing classes, Katie has become an expert in the field of natural hospital birth. Kopabirth.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and observation, and all posts are current and evidence-based. Katie is also the instructor for the KOPA® PREPARED online childbirth course and offers online coaching for pregnancy and natural birth.

Start with the Kopa Birth® Essentials Course today!

The #1 anytime, anywhere, natural hospital birth childbirth course.  Join Katie on her own birth journey to learn all you need to know to be calm, prepared and confident during your natural birth.

ENROLL IN THE KOPA PREPARED® ESSENTIALS COURSE TODAY!
Previous Post: «Braxton Hicks vs true labor and how to tell the difference Braxton Hicks vs True Labor (And How to Tell the Difference)
Next Post: Episiotomy: You want to cut me WHERE?!! episiotomy - you want to cut me where»
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Become a Childbirth Educator
  • Affiliates

Copyright © 2023 · Kopa Birth®

View Class #1 of Kopa's natural online childbirth class for FREE

GET YOUR FREE CLASS NOW!