Alcohol in Pregnancy
Frequent heavy or binge drinking while pregnant can seriously effect the growth and development of your baby. If you have been drinking or people are drinking around you, it can also be quite easy to hurt yourself or be hurt. If your social life is usually around pubs or clubs you might have to rethink where you could go, especially if you think it would be difficult to go out without drinking.
Some Good Reasons to Stop Drinking During Pregnancy
Alcohol passes from you to your baby's bloodstream.
Alcohol can affect your baby's development.
Alcohol can make morning sickness even worse.
It is often full of sugar so could make you put on extra weight.
It cost's money which you could spend on yourself or your baby.
If at all possible, it is best to avoid alcohol altogether when pregnant.
Drug use in pregnancy
Some people need to take drugs for medical conditions. Depending on what the side effects of these drugs, your GP will decide whether it is wise or not to continue taking them while pregnant. Taking “street drugs” like cannabis, ecstasy, heroin, and cocaine is never a good idea, but are a complete no-no when pregnant. Your baby could suffer severe birth defects, brain damage or may be born prematurely. Get help from your GP if this is an issue for you - the sooner the better!
