Pregnancy and alcohol simply do not go hand in hand. The moment you drink the alcohol passes through the umbilical cord and on to the placenta to your baby. It replicates a situation where your baby too ends up drinking. In fact consumption of alcohol during pregnancy might prevent the baby from developing in the manner which they would like. It does go on to have an impact on the brain along with other organs of the body. There are a series of serious problems that can emerge.
- Miscarriage- in the first few months of pregnancy you could end up losing the baby
- Still birth- in the second half of pregnancy you can end up losing the baby inside the womb
- Pre -term labor- if your drinks it can make your baby arrive a lot early. As a premature baby a host of health problems can emerge. The problems in the form of immature lungs and breathing issues could spring up at the same time.
- Birth defects- There are some babies who are born with kidney or heart problems. For others they could face up with problems in seeing or other issues can spring up
- FASD’s- this could have an impact in the way by which the baby looks and observes. The developmental and mental disabilities are going to last for a lifetime Binge drinking where you end up consuming 4 drinks in a couple of hours goes on to aggravate this condition.
What can be done?
With alcohol and pregnancy the best course of action would be to stop drinking at the earliest. In case if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant it is suggested that you stop drinking at the very instance. You could also want to undertake this activity if you are into sex and not relying on birth control. Women are known to have alcohol during pregnancy and still go on to deliver healthy babies. But the only way by which you can keep your baby is to stay away from alcohol all together.
Planning ahead
It is very easy to cut down on alcohol if you adopt a proper strategy and plan time with your friends and family
- Tell people upfront that you are pregnant and consumption of alcohol is forbidden. They could end up not consuming the drink themselves. In such cases they could call for a considerable approach.
- If you can opt for the non -alcohol option. If you like to socialize in bars you can go on to choose another option. If you look a cocktail opt for an umbrella and stick to it.
- Alcohol should be nowhere seen in your home
The best piece of advice is to seek help. If you are not able to stop consumption of alcohol it is better to consult your doctor. You can even seek admission in a support group or join a treatment centre. There are various websites online that would help you curb the habit of addiction.