For every drink you have, your baby also has one. Alcohol is a substance that passes easily and quickly across the placenta membrane. How much alcohol is good for the baby? One drink? Just a little wine? The obvious answer is none. If you drink alcohol, it can hurt your baby’s growth. Your baby may have physical and behavioral problems that can last for the rest of his or her life. Children born with the most serious problems caused by alcohol have fetal alcohol syndrome.
Children with fetal alcohol syndrome may:
• Be born small.
• Have problems eating and sleeping.
• Have problems seeing and hearing.
• Have trouble following directions and learning how to do simple things.
• Have trouble paying attention and learning in school.
• Need special teachers and schools.
• Have trouble getting along with others and controlling their behavior.
• Need medical care all their lives.
Remember, just because you had an occasional drink during your last pregnancy (or your mother drank while pregnant with you), and all turned out OK; perhaps you were lucky. Every pregnancy is different. Drinking alcohol may hurt one baby more than another. You could have one child that is born healthy, and another child that is born with problems.
If you drank alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now. You will feel better and your baby will have a good chance to be born healthy. If you want to get pregnant, do not drink alcohol. You may not know you are pregnant right away. Alcohol can hurt a baby even when you are only 1 or 2 months pregnant.
There are many ways to help yourself stop drinking.
• You do not have to drink when other people drink; have a glass of water instead (putting a slice of lemon in it, makes it a refreshing as well as a healthy drink for you and baby).
• If someone gives you a drink, it is OK to say no (or if they are very aggressive, take the drink and pour it down the drain when no one is looking. Your baby will thank you.
• Stay away from people or places that make you drink.
• Finally, do not keep alcohol at home. You will think twice about that drink, if it means getting into a car and driving in bad weather to the local liquor store.
If you cannot stop drinking: GET HELP. You may have a disease called alcoholism. There are programs that can help you stop drinking. They are called alcohol treatment programs. Your doctor or nurse can find a program to help you. Even if you have been through a treatment program before, try it again. There are programs just for women.
You can get help from a doctor, nurse, social worker, pastor, or clinics and programs near you.
For confidential information, you can contact:
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
check your local phone book for listings in your area
Internet address: http://www.aa.org
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