Your Pregnancy: 6 Weeks

Nine months (and even longer if you gave up drinking while trying to get pregnant) is a long time to go without a glass of wine or beer—we get it. But research tells us that it’s a sacrifice well worth making. We know that alcohol in the mother’s blood will be passed to the unborn baby, and regular consumption can affect many developmental processes and lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and lifelong physical, behavioural and intellectual disabilities known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).

What isn’t clear is whether small or occasional amounts of alcohol can have the same effect. It’s especially difficult to answer this question because it can’t be tested on pregnant women and because women have different levels of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol (this means that it stays in the system of some mothers longer than others). Putting alcohol on your “don’t” list, especially during the first trimester, is your safest bet.