9 Pregnancy Myths That Might Surprise You - Myth 7

Claim #7: It’s fine to have a nightly glass of wine throughout pregnancy. 

Response: You may have read in some popular books written over a decade ago that it was safe to drink a few glasses of wine or other alcoholic drinks during pregnancy. Or maybe your best friend or sister had a few drinks while expecting and their babies are fine. But that doesn’t mean drinking alcohol while pregnant is nothing to cause concern.

Here’s why: Research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, which involved following 92,000 pregnancies, found women who drank even as little as two to three and a half drinks a week during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy had a significantly increased chance of losing their baby. What’s more, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns against any drinking while you are pregnant.

If you abuse alcohol during pregnancy, your baby is also at risk of being born with neonatal abstinence.

“There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy or when trying to get pregnant. There is also no safe time to drink during pregnancy. Alcohol can cause problems for a developing baby throughout pregnancy, including before a woman knows she’s pregnant,” the CDC says. “All types of alcohol are equally harmful, including all wines and beer.”

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