The Impact of Alcohol When Trying to Conceive and in Pregnancy

Introduction

Alcohol is a common part of socialising and relaxing around friends. While this is generally acceptable in moderation, when you are trying to conceive or are pregnant, there are different recommendations to protect you and your baby. Recently, there has been a growing awareness of alcohol, fertility and pregnancy. This blog will explore effects of alcohol on conception and pregnancy and provide you with some alternatives so you can still have fun whilst socialising, without missing out on some delicious drinks!

Does alcohol hinder chances of conception?

Alcohol decreases the chance of conception. Why?

Alcohol can affect hormones and ovulation

• Studies have found alcohol disrupts your cycle by increasing oestrogen, altering follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) which are critical for ovulation
• This may cause irregular cycles, delay ovulation or stop ovulation all together
• Without ovulation, conception cannot happen

(Emanuele, Wezeman and Emanuele, 2024)

Men drinking alcohol also reduces the chance of conception

• Sperm count may be reduced
• Additionally, quality of sperm may be lower
• This may reduce the chance of conception

(Finelli, Mottola and Agarwal, 2021)

Moderate drinking may delay conception

• Studies have found even 5 or less drinks decrease chance of conception significantly
• (Jensen et al., 1998)

• This research has led to the recommendation to not consume alcohol when trying to conceive

NICE recommend 1-2 units once or twice a week, at most (NICE, 2017). This may look like 1 small glass of wine or a half pint of beer. However, the chances of conception are highest if you and your partner stop drinking while trying to conceive.

Alcohol during pregnancy

NICE do not recommend any consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. This is because there is no safe level of consumption of alcohol in pregnancy. Any consumption of alcohol in pregnancy increases the risk of:

• Miscarriage
• Premature birth
• Low birth weight
• Disabilities

Why?

Alcohol passes through the placenta, so your baby would be exposed to the alcohol you drink. Without a fully developed liver, this is very dangerous for your baby’s health and development. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder causes difficulties such as:

• Learning and behaviour, e.g. poor memory, attention, planning, organisation, learning disabilities, slower cognitive processing
• Joints, bones, muscles, e.g. low muscle tone or floppy muscles, poor coordination, joint and bone abnormalities and underdeveloped bones
• Managing emotions and developing social skills
• Hyperactivity and impulse control
• Communication, e.g. speech

(CDC, 2024; CanFASD, 2017)

The more alcohol consumed, the greater the risk for you and your baby’s health. There is no safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed during pregnancy. Avoiding alcohol during pregnancy supports your health and your babies development. There is always a risk, even occasional drinks (NHS, 2023) (NICE, 2022).

Alcoholic drink alternatives

A lot of non-alcoholic drinks are very high in sugar. Here are some alternatives that aren’t super high in sugar:

• Kombucha
  1. Kombucha is a fermented tea
  1. It is gut friendly and full of antioxidants
  1. BBC have a recipe, so you can make your own! https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/kombucha_49471
  1. Alternatively, you can buy it pre-made in lots of flavours

• Alcohol free wines, beers, mocktails with no sugar
  • Commonly available at supermarkets
  • They come in the same packaging as alcoholic drinks, so you can join in with everyone else!

• Sparkling water with fruit or mint
  • A cheap, low-sugar option
  • Try experimenting with homemade fruit pureed to make a virgin bellini
  • You can dress it up with mint and fruit to look like a cocktail!

Conclusion

Reducing alcohol consumption may increase the chances of conceiving and protect the health of you and your unborn baby. However, there is no safe amount to drink during pregnancy. Try some of the alternatives in this blog to keep social events fun at this exciting time of your life! If you are struggling, please reach out to a healthcare professional.

For more information on Nutrition during Pregnancy, read here

Written by nutrition student Millie Rose, reviewed and edited by Niamh Dunne

References

CanFASD. (2017). Basic Information – CanFASD. [online] Available at: https://canfasd.ca/topics/basic-information/.

CDC (2024). About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). [online] Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/fasd/about/index.html.

Emanuele, M.A., Wezeman, F. and Emanuele, N.V. (2024). Alcohol’s Effects on Female Reproductive Function. Alcohol Research & Health, [online] 26(4), p.274. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6676690/.

Finelli, R., Mottola, F. and Agarwal, A. (2021). Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Male Fertility Potential: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), p.328. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010328.

Jensen, T.K., Hjollund, N.H.I., Henriksen, T.B., Scheike, T., Kolstad, H., Giwercman, A., Ernst, E., Bonde, J.P., Skakkebak, N.E. and Olsen, J. (1998). Does moderate alcohol consumption affect fertility? Follow up study among couples planning first pregnancy. BMJ, 317(7157), pp.505–510. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.317.7157.505.

NHS (2023). Drinking alcohol while pregnant. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant/.

NICE (2017) Fertility problems: assessment and treatment. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg156/resources/fertility-problems-assessment-and-treatment-35109634660549

NICE (2022) Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs204/chapter/Quality-statement-1-Advice-on-avoiding-alcohol-in-pregnancy