Alcohol

Do not drink alcohol during your pregnancy because there is no safe amount for alcohol.

As soon as you want to become pregnant, it is wise for you and your partner to stop drinking alcohol. The use of alcohol reduces female and male fertility. In addition, alcohol is particularly harmful to an unborn baby, especially during fetal development in the first three months, but also afterwards. Alcohol damages the baby's brain and increases the risk of miscarriage or the baby dying in the womb.

ONE GLASS?

With four drinks a week already, it appears that a baby moves less and shows less brain activity. With five to nine drinks a week, there is an increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. With more than eight glasses of alcohol per day, there is a chance that the baby will develop Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). A baby with FAS has a mental disability in addition to facial and skeletal abnormalities.

Most women only know they are pregnant after a few weeks. During this period, the baby may already have been exposed to alcohol. If you drank alcohol during your pregnancy or before you knew you were pregnant, tell your midwife. She can give you more information about your situation.

More information about alcohol and pregnancy can be found at www.alcoholenzwangerschap.nl