Pregnancy

Is it advisable to drink while you’re pregnant?

The Ministry of Health's advice says pregnant women should avoid drinking alcohol. The NZ Government advises that most women can drink up to four standard drinks in one session without harming their health. But if you're pregnant or trying to conceive, you should avoid drinking alcohol altogether. Even 1 or 2 drinks can affect your baby's learning and drinking more than that increases the risks of greater damage to your baby.

It does not matter whether it’s beer, wine, spirits or RTDs – they all contain alcohol. Although this damage does not always happen when a mother drinks (which explains why some pregnant women have had the odd drink without apparent harm to their baby) it is impossible to know when harm will occur. So if you don't drink, you can be certain your baby will not have FAS (Foetal Alcohol Syndrome).