Our drug and alcohol specialist midwives support women for whom drugs or alcohol may be an additional issue during pregnancy.
It’s recommended that if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant you should not drink alcohol. This will keep any risk to your baby to a minimum.
Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to your baby, with the more you drink, the greater the risk.
Using illegal or street drugs during pregnancy, including cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin, could have a serious effect on your unborn baby.
If you regularly use drugs, it’s important to seek support with this now you are pregnant.
How does alcohol affect my unborn baby?
When you drink, alcohol passes from your blood through the placenta to your baby and can seriously affect its development. Your baby does not have a fully developed liver and cannot process alcohol.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and your baby having a low birthweight. It can also affect your baby after they are born.
Drinking during pregnancy can cause your baby to develop a serious life-long condition called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
FASD can cause problems with:
- learning and behaviour
- joints, bones, muscles and some organs
- managing emotions and developing social skills
- hyperactivity and impulse control
- communication, such as problems with speech
The risk is likely to be greater the more you drink.
How to avoid alcohol in pregnancy
It may not be as difficult as you think to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy. Many women go off the taste of alcohol early in pregnancy.
Most women give up alcohol once they know they’re pregnant or when they’re planning to become pregnant.
Women who find out they’re pregnant and have drank alcohol in early pregnancy should avoid further drinking for the rest of their pregnancy.
However, they should not worry unnecessarily, as the risks of their baby being affected are likely to be low. If you’re concerned, talk to a midwife or doctor.
Find tips for avoiding alcohol in pregnancy on the Tommy’s website
Urgent care
If you have an urgent concern about your drug or alcohol use out of hours (after 16:00) please ring the maternity assessment unit on 0191 282 5748.
Clinic location and days
The clinic runs on a Tuesday afternoon and is located in the Antenatal Clinic on Level 4 of the Leazes Wing.
Contact
Please call the drug and alcohol phone line on 0191 282 0336.
