049: Zero Alcohol for Nine Months
You wouldn’t give a 3-year-old a drink, so why would you give one to your unborn child? But that is what happens when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol; her unborn baby drinks too. The alcohol in the mother’s blood passes through the placenta to the baby through the umbilical cord. The U.S. Surgeon General urges all women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant to abstain from alcohol.
Common questions about drinking during pregnancy:
1. I just found out I am pregnant and drank before I knew. Now what?
The most important thing is to completely stop drinking after learning of your pregnant. It is never too late to stop drinking. The sooner you stop, the better the chances for your baby’s health.
If you are a mother of a child who was exposed to alcohol prenatally and would like to connect with other moms, please contact Leah Fernandez at leah@mofas.org to learn more about our Circle of Hope group, where women with incredible strength join together to share their stories, shed the shame and support each other through the challenges of raising children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
For national support, visit A Circle of Hope at www.nofas.org/coh.
If you would like more information about behaviors and challenges associated with prenatal alcohol exposure, visit FAQs about FASD or download our Busting the Myths brochure.
2. My doctor told me I can drink alcohol in moderation during pregnancy. Is that true?
Doctors receive a limited amount of education on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in medical school. Just remember, the U.S. Surgeon General warns pregnant women and women who may become pregnant to abstain from alcohol consumption in order to eliminate the chance of giving birth to a baby with any of the harmful effects of FASD.
3. Is it okay to drink alcohol in the third trimester because the baby is already “developed”?
The baby develops at a rapid rate through the entire pregnancy. Most importantly, please remember that the brain is always developing, even after the baby is born!
4. I don’t drink hard liquor; only red wine from time to time, is that okay?
Alcohol is alcohol. One type is not less harmful to the developing baby than another. All types of alcohol contain chemicals that are harmful to development and may cause permanent damage.
5. Doesn’t Fetal Alcohol Syndrome usually occur in children of women who are poor and from a minority group?
This disability affects all ethnicity’s and people from all income levels. In fact, the Minnesota Department of Health tells us that risk drinkers during pregnancy tend to be single, college educated women with incomes above $50,000 annually.
6. Can I drink alcohol while I breastfeed?
According to the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans published by the USDA, breastfeeding women should be very cautious about drinking alcohol, if they choose to drink at all. According to these guidelines, a mother may consume a single alcoholic drink if she then waits a least 4 hours before breastfeeding.
For more information:
Download the MOFAS Prenatal Brochure - “What Women Need to Know About Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy”
