Pregnancy and alcohol

If you're pregnant, you may be wondering whether it's safe for you to keep drinking alcohol. Here, we highlight advice from health professionals to pregnant mums when it comes to drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Teetotal is best

The safest approach is to not drink any alcohol whilst pregnant to help minimise any potential risk to your baby. This is because they can't process alcohol as easily as adults, and too much exposure to alcohol can affect how they develop.

The risks to the baby are greater the more you drink, particularly during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Miscarriage, premature birth and a low birth weight baby can occur following drinking during pregnancy. Some learning difficulties and behavioural problems can also be more common.

If you have been drinking alcohol and then find out you're pregnant don't worry too much but do try to cut it out when you find out you're expecting. Avoiding alcohol might be easier than you first think, as many pregnant women go off alcohol during pregnancy. If you're finding it hard to avoid alcohol all together, try drinking alcohol free versions of the drinks you usually like, or lower % alcohol versions.

If you're finding it hard to cut out alcohol, LiveWell Dorset can help you through our 1:1 coaching support. Our Wellness Coach will work with you to help you understand why you're finding it tricky and will support you to come up with some tips and tricks to help you cut out alcohol. Get in touch with a member of our team today and discuss how we can do support you.

How does this work?

The tailored approach LiveWell Dorset uses to come up with solutions to the things that are stopping us achieving our goals, is based upon work done by University College London developing the COM-B model of behaviour change. In this model, all behaviour is influenced by understanding a person’s capability to change, their opportunity to change and their motivation to change. By understanding which of these is the biggest barrier to change, we can tailor support accordingly. This model of behaviour change is at the centre of the support we offer, online and in person.

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