Alcohol, smoking, caffeine and drugs when trying for a baby
Nobody knows how
much alcohol can reduce your chances of conceiving but alcohol can reduce
fertility, and excessive drinking can lead to early miscarriage. When trying to
conceive your safest bet is to cut out alcohol altogether or at least , no more
than one or two units of alcohol once or twice a week. Is an advisable limit.
The effects of
alcohol are greater in women who drink large amounts of drinks containing
caffeine, smoke and have a poor diet.
A unit is half a
pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider, a small glass of wine or a
single 25ml measure of spirit.
Women who are
frequent drinkers are at risk of having babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
This only usually occurs with higher levels of drinking, but even moderate
alcohol intake (more than three units per day) can lead to mental and growth
retardation, behavioral problems, and facial and heart defects.
One unit of alcohol
is approximately equivalent to:
-
half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager, or
cider
-
a quarter of a pint of strong beer or lager
-
one small glass of wine
-
one single measure of spirits
-
one small glass of sherry
Reducing your
alcohol Intake
-
Try sticking to soft drinks
-
cut down on your caffeine intake also
-
ask your partner not to drink in the house
-
don`t keep alcohol in the house
Smoking
Smoking increases
your chances of a miscarriage during the first trimester. Mothers who smoke are
also more likely to go into premature labour; have a premature rupture of
membranes; experience third trimester bleeding; have slower fetal growth, and
deliver underweight babies. Prospective fathers who smoke should also quit, as
exposure to “passive smoking” during pregnancy is also harmful. Smoking also
impairs a woman's fertility. Smoking affects sperm and may impair male fertility
too. You can't count on quitting smoking overnight, so it's best to start trying
to withdraw from cigarettes well before attempting to conceive.
Caffeine
Pregnant women
should limit themselves to the equivalent of one cup of coffee daily. Caffeine
may increase the risk of late first or second trimester miscarriage. So start
weaning much before conception.
Drugs
Illegal drugs are
bad for your health, whether or not you are pregnant and they can only harm a
baby. If you use them, it's imperative to stop before trying to conceive. Even
over the counter drugs can do harm when trying to conceive and can even cause
miscarriages.