Drinking alcohol in the first weeks of pregnancy: what are the consequences?

Fetal health

Sooner or later, every woman who is “ripe” for the birth of a child in her life asks the question, “Is alcohol dangerous for the fetus in the early stages of pregnancy?”

After all, as you know, not every couple succeeds in conceiving a child the first time, and not every woman can deny herself alcohol during the holidays throughout pregnancy planning. There are also cases when a woman did not plan to become a mother at all, but still became pregnant due to her negligence. If pregnancy occurred during the holidays, then, of course, more than one glass of alcohol, sometimes even strong, was drunk.

What should a pregnant woman expect in this case? Is alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy really that dangerous for the future baby?

Alcohol during pregnancy planning and conception

The fact of the negative impact of alcohol consumption during pregnancy planning has been repeatedly confirmed by scientists from all over the world. It has been proven that abuse of alcoholic beverages (including low-alcohol drinks) significantly increases the risk of disorders in the development of the fetus and the general course of pregnancy.

The effect of alcohol on women's health

A set of eggs is formed in the female body during the prenatal period.

Thus, germ cells are given to a woman only once, and they remain unchanged throughout her life.

Therefore, alcohol can harm them at any time, even long before planning a pregnancy. Moreover, it is impossible to identify the amount of alcohol that can damage the egg. Sometimes women who indulge in loud parties give birth to completely healthy and strong babies. However, it is wise to limit your alcohol consumption, especially in youth.

The effect of alcohol on men's health

Even in men who lead a healthy lifestyle, about 20-25% of pathological sperm are present in the semen. They have a significantly lower chance of fertilization than normal germ cells. But when drinking alcoholic beverages, the number of healthy and pathological sperm becomes equal (“defective” germ cells may even predominate). There remains a very low probability that, due to the fusion of an egg with a defective sperm, a child will be born without genetic abnormalities.

Although the maturation of sperm lasts for several months, alcohol tends to instantly disrupt the composition of sperm.

Can expectant mothers drink alcohol?

Many women ask this question. The answer is very succinct: no. In any case, alcohol is evil from all sides. He is capable of destroying the life of any living creature on earth. So many bitter tears have been shed, so many broken families.

Alcohol can hinder the ability of young girls to become pregnant naturally. After all, laid eggs change throughout life, but are not laid again. And drinking a high degree of alcohol increases the chance of a new life with pathological abnormalities being born.

It will be better if a woman gives up alcohol while planning a pregnancy, about 6 months before the expected conception.
Among other things, this recommendation also applies to men. After all, we need a strong and healthy baby?! DID YOU LIKE THE ARTICLE? SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

The effects of alcohol in early pregnancy

The image of a drinking woman does not fit in with the portrait of an exemplary mother. But life situations do not always develop according to the ideal picture. It often happens that a woman drinks alcohol without yet knowing about her situation.

If you find two lines on an express pregnancy test and, according to your calculations, alcohol was taken during the period of conception, this is not yet a reason to sound the alarm.

During the first weeks of pregnancy, the fertilized egg immerses itself in the wall of the uterus. Here the outer shell (chorion) is formed, with the help of which the fertilized egg will be fixed in the uterine cavity and continue its development.

At this stage, the fertilized egg is very vulnerable, and any negative factor can lead to its rejection.

Therefore, due to alcohol consumption in the early stages, the fertilized egg may simply die and leave the body along with the next menstruation. If the fertilized egg was not rejected and continues to develop, then the woman need not worry: neither you nor your unborn child is in danger. But it is very important to prevent drinking alcohol in the future.

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Indeed, ethanol (alcohol) in the first 10-12 days after conception is not capable of causing significant harm to the developing fetus. But after this short period, alcoholic drinks pose a real danger to the health of the unborn child.

Now the active formation of all the tissues and organs of the babies has begun. This is a very important stage on which the child’s future health depends. This period lasts from 3 to 13 weeks of gestation. Nowadays, a woman needs to especially carefully monitor her health, because any disruption in the laying process can cause serious developmental pathologies.

It's not just alcohol that can cause irreparable damage. There are also harmful effects of smoking (both active and passive), radiation, poor nutrition during pregnancy and medications.

The formation of the main organs and systems is completed at approximately 14 weeks of pregnancy. Now the fetus develops on the already “prepared soil”. But even now, the above factors are dangerous for the child: their influence affects the normal functioning of one or another organ.

Alcohol is able to cross the walls of the placenta and enter the fetus. So when drinking alcoholic beverages, you are actually sharing them with your child.

Ethanol is absorbed into the baby's blood, entering through the blood vessels of the placenta.

Scientific research proves that maternal alcohol consumption at any stage of pregnancy leads to the following consequences:

1 Disturbance in the development of stress systems in a child. The effect of ethanol is the possible instability of the nervous system in a child.

Children whose mothers abused alcohol during pregnancy, including in its early stages, are prone to depression, psychosis, manic and other disorders.

It is usually more difficult for them to socialize in society; Also, such children can be either hyperactive, or, on the contrary, too passive.

2 Spasm of the blood vessels of the umbilical cord and placenta. Disruption of blood flow in the vessels of the placenta and umbilical cord leads to oxygen starvation of the child. As a result, problems in the functioning of the brain and spinal cord may occur. Prolonged oxygen starvation is extremely dangerous, it can even lead to intrauterine death.

3 Risk of having a premature baby. Ethanol reduces the concentration of vitamins, folic acid and other beneficial substances in the mother's body. Accordingly, the child does not receive enough of the elements he needs.

4 Risk of miscarriage. Systematic alcohol consumption is the main cause of miscarriages. This factor becomes especially dangerous in combination with an unstable emotional state.

5 Development of fetal alcohol syndrome. The term “fetal alcohol syndrome” refers to a set of fetal pathologies. Children born with FAS have characteristic facial features, may lag behind their peers in development, and have problems with hearing, vision, memory and attention.

Look to the future rather than remembering the past

The first question that a gynecologist usually hears is: “Doctor, I took alcohol without knowing that I was pregnant. Will this harm my child? During this period, the woman becomes vulnerable and begins to remember everything: from the number of glasses drunk and cigarettes smoked to all the medications used.

First of all, I want to reassure the young mother. Of course, no doctor in the world can guarantee that the child is 100% healthy, even if the woman has never used toxic substances before, but the likelihood of a healthy fetus is quite high.

Nature has calculated in advance all possible outcomes and probabilities, therefore, in the first 10 days from the moment of conception, the embryo goes through a period of adaptation and has not yet become entrenched in the wall of the uterus. This means that he feeds not with the help of the mother's blood circulation, but on his own. So the child avoids all harmful substances entering the body during this period.

The fertilized egg is finally implanted into the uterus by the end of 2 weeks of pregnancy from the beginning of conception. This period coincides with the beginning of a delayed menstrual cycle and the detection of pregnancy. Subsequently, the woman switches to a healthy lifestyle and tries to stick to it throughout the entire period of pregnancy.

Is there a safe dose?

Almost every expectant mother has a question: how much alcohol can you drink without harming the baby.

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We can talk about even the smallest dose of alcohol only after the first trimester of pregnancy.

Sometimes a woman, during early toxicosis, begins to be “craving” for beer, even if she was previously indifferent to this drink.

In this case, giving in to your desires is highly discouraged. After all, even non-alcoholic beer is contraindicated for pregnant women. The frequency of drinking alcoholic beverages and their quantity are of no small importance. It is believed that the development of fetal alcohol syndrome in the fetus begins if the mother systematically took alcoholic drinks, a single dose of alcohol in which was 20-30 grams.

20 grams of pure alcohol is equivalent to the following quantities of alcoholic drinks:

Beer (4.5% strength): 1 bottle (0.5 liters);
Dry or semi-dry wine : 200 grams;
Fortified wine: 150 grams;
Cocktail (gin and tonic): 200 grams;
Liqueur: 100 grams;
Strong alcohol (cognac, vodka, whiskey, rum): 50 grams.

The type of drink that enters the mother’s body also plays a role. For example, colored low-alcohol drinks will be much more harmful than seemingly stronger red wine.

The safest solution, thanks to which a woman will not feel guilty about her child, is to completely abstain from alcohol during pregnancy.

Although the harm of alcoholic beverages drunk in very small quantities during pregnancy has only been partially proven, it is better to protect yourself and your baby from any threats. After all, your task today is to create the most comfortable conditions for the growth and development of the child.

Harm or benefit?

There are many opinions about drinking alcohol during pregnancy, in particular during the first weeks of pregnancy. Some say that drinking red wine is even beneficial, while others are against drinking alcohol during pregnancy, arguing that the fetus itself suffers from this.

It has been scientifically proven that an equal portion of alcohol consumed passes through the placenta. In fact, the child “drinks in company” with his mother;
there is simply no definition of a “safe dose of alcohol” during pregnancy, since each body is individual;
Alcohol strength doesn't matter. Any alcoholic drink is harmful;
alcohol is harmful during pregnancy and there are no safe doses;
the fetus is always at risk, no matter what drink the woman prefers;

Can pregnant women drink non-alcoholic beer and wine?

Non-alcoholic beer and wine contain no more than 1% ethyl alcohol. During the production process, alcohol is removed using various technologies. But this always greatly changes the taste and quality, and not for the better. In order for such beer and wine to be as similar as possible to the alcoholic drinks we are used to, various flavorings are added to them. No studies have been conducted on their safety for pregnant women, so it is impossible to fully assess the impact they will have on the unborn child.

With a high degree of probability, one can expect the appearance of allergic pathologies in a pregnant woman, which are especially dangerous in the first weeks of fetal formation. Thus, drinking non-alcoholic beer or wine is not advisable during pregnancy.

Beer addiction. A glass of beer during pregnancy

It happens that during pregnancy a woman feels the urge to drink. The preferred type of alcohol during this period is mainly beer. Even if a woman previously could not stand this drink, then during pregnancy everything can change dramatically. During this period, a woman can easily join the ranks of “beer lovers” and this is not at all surprising, since with the onset of pregnancy the female body completely changes, including changes that affect taste buds. A pregnant woman, due to a lack of certain substances, sometimes wants “something like that” and beer is one of these desires.

What do doctors recommend in this case?

Before drinking alcohol during pregnancy, you should think carefully: is it worth it?

It so happened that my pregnancy occurred just when I was on vacation at sea with my husband. Almost every day there is beer, in the evening wine, once cognac. My husband does the same thing, only sometimes he also drinks vodka. I don’t have my period, I took a test - two stripes. We don't even think about abortion. I understand that there is no benefit from alcohol. But please enlighten anyone who had such a conception and everything was fine afterwards. I've been on edge for almost a month now.

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It's okay, everything will be fine, don't worry

In the first 3 weeks, the embryo is not attached to the wall of the uterus and has no connection with your circulatory system. Everything will be fine.

Everything is fine. My friend actually drank a lot during my birthday party, she then felt sick, and she also took birth control pills. Pah, pah, pah, the girl is already a year old. Healthy

Everything will be fine!

I also had the same question to the doctor, only in connection with the illness and taking pills. She said that the child was not yet feeding from the mother and therefore there could be no harm. The children were born healthy. When he is connected by the umbilical cord, then be careful in what you eat and drink. Good luck

I believe that more than half of our humanity was conceived under the influence of alcohol)) My husband and I are planning a pregnancy. And just the other day I consulted with my gynecologist on this issue. The doctor said that everything is fine, in small doses it is possible.

Related topics

As far as I understand, you didn’t plan to get pregnant while on vacation. So why didn't they protect themselves?

Don't worry, there is no threat.

Hello, I’m 3 or 4 weeks pregnant and I can’t get rid of a bad habit, I understand everything, but I can’t do anything about it, what could be the consequences?

Everything will be fine. My mother, during her pregnancy and not even at an early stage, drank a shot of vodka (she says that she wanted it until she was stupefied, although she doesn’t drink at all). My sister grew up smart, beautiful, dances, draws, school with a medal, university with honors

Tanya, what exactly is your bad habit? Are you drinking?

Tanya, smoking means premature birth, developmental delay, etc.

Doesn't alcohol affect sperm and eggs?

Tanya, what kind of habit is that?

Smoking is my habit, I have no willpower:(((

First of all, don't worry. At first, I also didn’t even think that I was pregnant, and I drank alcohol in decent doses and smoked. The pregnancy went well, the birth went well, the girl was healthy (1 year and 8 months), only two runny nose illnesses, very smart, smart and beautiful. Naturally, nothing can be said with 100% probability; I myself was worried about the same thing as you.) Tune in positively, don’t worry, and everything will be fine.

Julia thank you very much for your support :)))

Tanya, don’t smoke, there will be problems with the placenta, then you’ll suffer with the baby. I smoked a little at all, but the placenta (and therefore the baby) suffered. Now everything is OK, but for the first year I had to undergo treatment (there were PEDs, hypertonicity, and were observed by a neurologist). I was very ashamed in front of my daughter and in front of the doctors.

Tanya, imagine how you look into the eyes of your husband and your child if there are complications - and you will definitely be able to quit smoking. I quit, although it still lingers sometimes.

Girls, I also smoked during my first pregnancy. Then I overpowered myself and quit, but as soon as I went to the hospital for safekeeping, out of 23 people there. There are 21 smokers in the department. So I started again. (the terms then were 13-14 weeks). Then I smoked throughout my pregnancy, but I tried to keep it to a minimum, and my doctor said that if you quit abruptly, it could be even worse for the baby, there’s a lot of stress. She gave birth on time to a girl, 3840 kg, healthy. Now we are already 2 years and 7 months old. and I'm 3 weeks pregnant. It’s only about alcohol that I’m also worried—it was a sin. (campaigns, meeting with classmates). So I read all the forums I can. )))

Girls, you are thinking about the health of the child. Well, gain the strength not to smoke. give birth then at least get stoned)))) I wish everyone health and health to your children

and as soon as I realized that I was pregnant, the first 2 days of the delay, I immediately realized that I simply could not smoke. (I have 17 years of smoking experience) but I haven’t smoked for 4 days now, and I know that I definitely won’t smoke during pregnancy, and I hope not after that either. You won’t smoke in your little one’s face.. don’t smoke..

I smoked a little during pregnancy, and then I was disgusted by the stench of cigarettes (toxicosis), the shame that I smoked, and that’s it, I stopped, which I’m very happy about. doesn't pull at all.

I was under a lot of stress and drank alcohol, but that was before the first delay, now I’m worried. I don’t know the exact day of conception yet, but according to my calculations, it was approximately the second week of pregnancy. If anyone has had this situation, please tell us how it went and whether there were any complications.

I have a wonderful daughter, she’s already 6 years old, now she’s pregnant again, about 3-4 weeks, she had a sin - she drank and smoked a couple of times, but she didn’t know about the pregnancy then, with God’s help everything will be fine and I wish you all the same

I’m pregnant, I’m 1 week late, I drank a lot of alcohol on New Year’s Eve, can anything affect it now? There was a tug in my lower abdomen, but now it’s passed, 2 years ago I had a miscarriage at 8 weeks of pregnancy, help, I’m so afraid of this.

if you have had a miscarriage at least once, it is possible that it will recur, you need to be examined and treated and find out the reason before the miscarriage occurred

I drank a lot every day for 4 weeks, what should I do?

and I didn’t know that I was pregnant and drank 2 beers of beer for Easter, now I’m worried, but before that I didn’t drink at all. My friend drank beer throughout her pregnancy (beer) not every day, but sometimes it happened. My daughter is blind and was born with a hole in her heart.(( ((Terrible(((

Aurora! such a bond can’t be beat from beer!!

Everything will be fine.

I haven’t had a delay yet, but I’m really looking forward to it. Probably the third day after conception. And I probably drank a bottle of red wine. Now I want two stripes, and I worry at the same time.

Read also: What methods of treating alcoholism

You’re a fool, didn’t you say, on vacation and under alcohol, every second pregnancy occurs, moreover, if from the husband’s own. so why ask about protection?

help me please. The act took place yesterday, there is a high probability that she became pregnant. What can you do? Thank you!

Please tell me. The delay is 5 days, my chest hurts and the test is still negative, I still think that I’m pregnant, but I’m worried about something else. During the New Year holidays, my husband and I drank beer and wine every day and didn’t use any protection. What I was thinking about, I don’t know what to do now.

I smoked and drank, not knowing that I was pregnant. I also took medication for cystitis. Now I'm really worried! tell me something

Is it possible to get pregnant in a position from above?

We took the test, celebrated with a glass of wine, and off we went to work on a new life. It's okay, it doesn't affect the child yet.

Interesting information, extremely relevant. I also like how information by week is presented in the free program Woman Calendar from ZAYA (https://zaya-soft.com/wcalendar), right down to reminders of what to buy and in which week.

I am a future father! We went through an unsuccessful IVF operation. After which my wife became depressed and drank heavily several times (3-5). More than 2 months after the operation, she became pregnant. We don't know yet how long ago this happened. Now, of course, I have stopped smoking and drinking. We are very worried about the child and his health. Should I terminate the pregnancy, or what is the best way to proceed?

Hello! Give me some joy, because I can’t find my place anymore. 8 worms did a test so that there was a shutdown and it turned out that I was pregnant. It would seem even more joyful to have a new product than just that. 2 years before this day I drank cognac and I remember 3 shots at a time... and I’m worried about how to harm my child. And can you tell me my periods were on the 8th of May, and on the 24th of May I took a test and there was no gestation yet. How should I define the term vaginess? The budlaska will sound. I feel really bad now(((((

Stop smoking! In the first month there is not much harm. And when the placenta is formed, the child will receive toxins along with nutrients. Worse than that. Smoking may cause premature aging of the placenta. Consequently, the child will receive little oxygen. And there are serious consequences, such as hypoxia or asphyxia

Tell me, did you give birth, how is the baby? I have the same situation, I don’t know what to do.

The girls didn’t even think about pregnancy...they planned to “start trying” only after 3 months. Because my husband had problems, they didn’t take any precautions. She drank like a horse until the delay. The cycle is irregular.. there was a delay of 8 days, but I drank 100 ml of wine and it didn’t help - it turned out I was pregnant. The pregnancy was unsuccessful (69 chromosomes) - 99% of them freeze or are rejected before 7 weeks, but not in my case... there was not even a threat. In the fourth month, it only became known... Drinking while pregnant is nothing good (you don’t have to do it every once in a while), but even if you didn’t know you were pregnant (for example, you drank before the delay), don’t be paranoid... stress sometimes brings just as much harm. Yes, and circumstances beyond your control can affect your baby.

Smoking is my habit, I have no willpower:(((

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Alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy poses a strong threat to the health of the unborn baby. Even the smallest doses of alcoholic beverages can lead to problems with pregnancy and even the birth of a sick child.

Are there safe drinks and doses of alcohol during pregnancy?

The influence of alcohol when planning pregnancy

Consequences of drinking alcohol by a woman who is unaware of pregnancy

The effect of alcohol on the embryo

Consequences of fetal poisoning with ethyl alcohol in the first trimester of pregnancy

Kvass and kefir: alcoholic drinks or not?

Is it possible to drink kvass during pregnancy?

Kefir during pregnancy: is it possible or not?

What to do if you want wine or beer in the early stages of pregnancy?

Can pregnant women drink non-alcoholic beer and wine?

Comments and Reviews

How categorical is it to give up alcohol during pregnancy?

Many women, observing those around them, make seemingly logical conclusions that a small amount of alcohol, even during pregnancy, will not harm them in any way. Most often, such conclusions are fundamentally incorrect: if a woman’s alcohol consumption did not affect the baby, then the first signs of pathologies may well appear later when the child gets older (for example, developmental delay, underweight or stunted growth, which cannot always be immediately noticed in newborns).

In the modern world there are enough negative factors that negatively affect the formation of the child’s body and the health of women in general. Alcohol is not the first and not the last factor on this list. Naturally, the expectant mother should think twenty times whether it is worth exposing her future baby to additional negative influences.

Naturally, alcohol should be completely excluded from consumption for the period that the woman will bear the fetus and then breastfeed the newborn. In no case should we forget that ethanol easily passes not only the transplacental barrier, but also enters mother’s milk, which means it can end up in the baby’s body.

The most terrible consequences of drinking alcohol are in the first month after pregnancy. At this time, a connection between the fetus and the maternal body is formed, and then the gradual formation of organs and tissues begins.

It is the effects of ethanol on the processes of formation of organs and tissues that are most dangerous.

If a woman wants to bear and give birth to a healthy and strong baby, she is advised to give up all bad habits. True, it is important to remember that not only the fair sex must take care of herself, but also her household must do everything to protect the pregnant woman from the influence of negative factors. The husband should also make a feasible contribution to the health of his child by giving up the use of alcohol and tobacco, and switching to a healthy diet.

Parents should remember that responsibility for the health of the unborn baby lies not only with the woman, but also with the man. A joint investment in this health will eventually pay off in full with a happy and smart baby!

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