Alcohol during pregnancy

The participants of this study described motherhood as stressful and challenging with potential negative emotions and mental struggles which may exacerbate alcohol use rather than reduce it. This type of drinking to cope in the home poses its own risks, such as developing conditioned tolerance to the effects of alcohol consumed in a familiar environment where one feels less intoxicated, increasing the tendency to drink more [57]. Those who chose to avoid alcohol focused on the social norms dictating that mothers shouldn’t drink due to parental responsibilities [12]. In contrast, those who used alcohol to cope are strongly influenced by the narrative, widely endorsed in social and the general media, that drinking to cope with the stresses of motherhood is acceptable, common, and funny. More research is necessary to understand the impact of such messages to vulnerable women. Women’s attitudes were split based on whether or not they believed drinking was acceptable during pregnancy.

Some women will feel comfortable drinking occasionally—and they should feel reassured that there is no evidence that drinking moderately poses any risk of adverse outcome. Women deserve evidence-based information, not shaming and blaming, to guide their choices before, during, and after pregnancy. According to women’s reports, alcohol use stopped or decreased in order to fulfil parental responsibilities, such as breastfeeding, co-sleeping, looking after the child/children, and modelling appropriate health behaviours. Nevertheless, alcohol may also be used to cope with a life transition that can potentially be extremely stressful [12].

How is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) treated?

First, by telling women that any amount of alcohol exposure, no matter how minimal, is dangerous, we unnecessarily escalate the fear and anxiety that already plague the modern experience of pregnancy. It is probably not uncommon for women to drink occasionally before https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/substance-abuse-counseling/ they realize they are pregnant—and fear about that potential exposure may overshadow women’s initial joy about the pregnancy. Some women may even contemplate terminating a wanted pregnancy because they had a drink or two before realizing they were pregnant.

It’s also an argument for accepting that we cannot control, manage, or erase every risk in pregnancy, no more so than in life. Yet we commonly understand that alcohol during pregnancy pregnant women, like the rest of us, regularly make all kinds of risk assessments. Some women will decide to avoid alcohol entirely while they are pregnant.

Alcohol use during pregnancy and motherhood: Attitudes and experiences of pregnant women, mothers, and healthcare professionals

If they don’t want to stop drinking entirely, we discuss what might be a reasonable limit. I tell patients I think one to two drinks a week is unlikely to be harmful – but that I can’t guarantee that there are no possible risks. Most of the time, patients just want to know it’s OK to have a glass of wine to celebrate a special occasion. Healthcare providers must educate women about what we know regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Regular pediatric visits will keep track of a child’s health to make sure their development and motor skills stay on track for their age group. Two sub-themes were generated to demonstrate drinking- and abstinence or reduction-related motives. Besides early intervention services and support from your child’s school, providing a stable, nurturing, and safe home environment can help reduce the effects of an FASD.

Impact of perceived external judgement on maternal drinking during pregnancy

This would likely include those most sensitive to negative external judgements on women’s drinking during pregnancy but who nevertheless drank alcohol during pregnancy, potentially at high levels. This group is likely to be particularly vulnerable and difficult to engage. This study investigated the attitudes and experiences of pregnant and parenting women and healthcare professionals using multiple qualitative methods. The UK Chief Medical Officer recommends abstinence during pregnancy and many women comply, recognising the potential risks drinking poses to the fetus, the mother, and those around them. Nevertheless, low level drinking was viewed as acceptable by some women due to insufficient evidence concerning the damaging effects of alcohol use at low levels. Women and healthcare professionals agreed that drinking in moderation is acceptable once the baby has been born, but that excessive drinking can carry significant risks.

• One of the most common factors that affect miscarriage and stillbirth rates is alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
• The women in this study were pregnant at the cusp of a change to guidelines from guidelines recommending low alcohol consumption to guidelines recommending abstinence.
• If you are pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant, and find that it is impossible to stop drinking, talk with your doctor who can help.
• An alcohol-free lifestyle is the best way to prevent birth defects and other harmful consequences during pregnancy.
• One person might have only a few, while another person could experience all of them.

In some cases, loved ones may stage an alcohol intervention with the help of a counselor. During an intervention, individuals can express their concerns about the woman’s drinking patterns and the effect they’re having on her unborn baby. If a woman is ready to quit drinking and seek help, treatment options may also be discussed. One of the most common factors that affect miscarriage and stillbirth rates is alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

S1 File. Interview schedule with pregnant women and mums.

They were in an older age group during their last pregnancy and most could afford to receive private maternity care and to consult an obstetrician. However, this is also a group of women more disposed to consuming alcohol during pregnancy [4, 21]. If you did not know you were pregnant and drank alcohol, stop drinking as soon as you learn you are pregnant.

• By contrast, the damaging effects of alcohol to the fetus, the prospect of feeling guilty, and social stigma may stop some women from drinking.
• To reduce the risk of miscarriage, women who are trying to conceive should consider avoiding alcohol.
• Midwives and a substance misuse practitioner attending a focus group, and GPs attended one-to-one interviews at a later time.

Children born with this syndrome experience the symptoms throughout their entire lives. Some symptoms can be managed with treatment by a healthcare provider, but they won’t go away. It’s also recommended that you avoid beverages containing alcohol when you’re trying to become pregnant. Many people don’t know they’re pregnant for the first few weeks of pregnancy (four to six weeks). This is because it takes time for your body to build up enough hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that develops in early pregnancy) to be detected on a pregnancy test. During those early weeks of pregnancy, the fetus is going through a massive surge of development.

Although contradictions in relation to alcohol use found in the narratives reflect a certain degree of potential underreporting, participants of this study primarily reported good levels of mental health and low levels of alcohol use. Understanding such types of alcohol-related behaviours is important because it contributes to preventative work. But data from a more diverse sample would be beneficial, providing information on a wider range of behaviours related to alcohol use and their social and environmental influences. This will increase the information power [36] of future work in this area. It’s also recommended that you not drink alcohol if you’re sexually active and not using effective birth control. Alcohol consumption could harm the developing fetus at any time during pregnancy — especially early on in the development process.

This was reflected in the inconsistent reporting found when comparing some of the quantitative and qualitative responses. Current guidelines promote complete abstinence justified by the paucity of evidence for a safe amount [46]. For women to follow these guidelines and change their alcohol-related attitude and behaviour, advice needs to be clear and consistent providing specific details of the potential harms low level drinking may cause [9, 44]. Importantly, midwives should be trained to provide alcohol advice appropriate to drinking level and given sufficient time to do this [46].