Avoid consuming alcohol, moderately drinking sodas and coffee and drinking plenty of water. Let’s see in detail what to drink and what to avoid when you are pregnant from the first to the ninth month of gestation . Because pregnancy has its own rules, sometimes strict, but the sacrifice is always worth it!
Why is drinking alcohol while pregnant really bad for you?
Yes, that’s for sure. Ethanol is harmful to the baby even if the mother takes it. In fact, alcohol crosses the placenta unfiltered (a temporary organ that nourishes the baby and will be expelled only at the time of delivery), thus reaching the blood of the fetus. Furthermore, the enzymes capable of metabolizing alcohol present in adults are not present in children, who therefore have no defenses. The Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Health (ISS) explain that the fetus can undergo “damaging effects on the brain and on developing tissues also through significant interference on the normal processes of physical (causing malformations) and intellectual development. (generating mental retardation) in a more or less serious way in relation to the amount of alcohol consumed “.
Is drinking beer or wine while pregnant still bad?
The data on light drinking – here we mean both the quantity and the type of drink – are not many in the scientific field where the extent of the actual damage is still being measured, but precaution is the best way to pursue these. cases.
One thing is true: the higher the alcohol content of the drinks consumed, the more likely it is to create a problem for the fetus or the course of gestation . Wine and beer have a much lower rate than spirits (starting from 4% in the case of beer, around 10% for red or white wine, up to 40% for spirits), but they are not recommended. in pregnancy . It was once said that “beer makes milk”, but it is a popular nonsense that finds nothing true in the science of breastfeeding .
The period of pregnancy is certainly the most vulnerable for the intake of any alcoholic beverage. The more drinks you consume, the more you risk running into problems related to this bad habit. Always the ISS, without specifically talking about beer, wine or spirits, however indicates as “drinking habit” the quantity of two, three or more glasses per day (from 14 drinks per week up), behavior that exposes to the risk of abortion and premature birth. This does not mean that drinking less than 14 is good, of course. Abstaining completely from drinking for the months of pregnancy is the best possible choice.
To drink or not to drink alcohol while pregnant? Here is the real danger
There is also a full-blown alcoholic-fetal syndrome that has serious repercussions on intrauterine development: facial dysmorphologies (small head, small eyes, jaw problems), growth failure (a common case is underweight birth), psychological disorders and neurological (affecting sleep, sucking reflex, motor skills, hearing and speech), congenital defects in organ development (especially in the first three months of pregnancy). Pretty scary, right? And to say that to exorcise all these risks, just pour an orange juice in the glass instead of a Negroni. It pays to be a bit strict. It will be a special pleasure at the end of breastfeeding to return to taste a glass of excellent wine!
When to stop drinking alcohol while pregnant?
As soon as possible. In the first two weeks after conception, the fetus is formed: heart, brain, skeleton… In the case of a planned pregnancy, stopping drinking earlier would be the best choice. There are many scientific researchers who strongly advise women of childbearing age who do not use contraceptive methods to give up their drinking in a preventive way.
Are you trying to get pregnant ? All the more reason not to drink alcohol. In fact, these substances interfere with both female and male fertility , decreasing the chances of becoming parents soon. If you are planning to become a mom, a good idea is to stop drinking right away, as it may be close to the very first moment of pregnancy – implantation .
Many women, however, discover with surprise that they are pregnant, and therefore could not take this precaution before the onset of pregnancy , but only after discovering that they are pregnant . If you are in this situation, immediately stop taking wine, beer, bitters, cocktails and spirits and find alternatives that satisfy you at meals, aperitifs and evenings with friends.
Drinking coffee and tea while pregnant
There are some drinks that should be taken in moderation during the nine months of pregnancy , starting with those that contain caffeine and theine, including many cold drinks that have these ingredients in their recipe and are not recommended for others. reasons that we see later in the article.
In this case we can speak of a consumption that should be limited to small doses summarized in a cup of coffee a day (just enough to enjoy its aroma and maybe wake up well in the morning). Pregnant women who drink a lot of coffee risk problems with high blood pressure and increased heart rate. And the tea, perhaps the English one to be taken with a biscuit with milk or lemon? There are no contraindications for those who sip a couple of cups of black, green or white tea a day.
Drinking herbal teas, sodas and juices when pregnant
No herbal tea on the market can be a problem if taken in moderate quantities: a couple of cups a day. Perhaps an infusion based on lemon balm or chamomile before bed, or a digestive herbal tea with fennel or refreshing with mint and ginger. Avoiding those laxatives is fine, at least until you’ve asked your doctor for advice about it. The ingredients of these drinks to keep an eye on – so as not to abuse them by drinking them continuously and every day – are essential oils (for example of compact oregano), or cinnamon, sage (the latter can induce contractions) and licorice. In short, if you are a fan of herbal tea in front of the TV in the evening, at least change your taste often, create a range of different infusions always available so as not to exceed in quantity in one or the other ingredient.
Carbonated soft drinks are among the drinks to avoid in the nine months of gestation . Bad news: even fruit juices that contain a lot of sugars are not a good habit, especially during pregnancy when it is good to keep blood sugar under control (remember that blood sugar and glycemic curve are two tests that in pregnancy are used to check the possibility of having gestational diabetes, a form of this pathology quite frequent in expectant mothers). Can’t you drink anything sweet then? An orange or grapefruit juice, or a juice that contains only fruit sugars without additions, are the best alternative.
How much water to drink when pregnant?
Drink a lot to hydrate, to prevent constipation that often plagues expectant mothers, to help the placenta and increase the urge to pee (already more than usual when pregnant, but that’s good!). A pregnant woman should take at least two and a half liters a day of water every day. What if he also drinks three? So much the better.
Still or sparkling? The one you prefer (at least on this point you are free to choose without limitations).
Meanwhile, we toast to your pregnancy and to the baby that will be born, of course we do it with a glass of clear and very healthy water!
