Pregnancy and my mental health
Pregnancy can often be a challenging time. Many pregnant people say that being pregnant can bring up a range of difficult thoughts and feelings and/or make current difficulties worse. Around one in four people (27%) struggle with their mental health during pregnancy and in the first 12 months after having a baby.
How does drinking alcohol effect my pregnancy?
UK Chief Medical Officers advise: “If you’re pregnant, or trying to conceive, no amount of alcohol is safe. Not drinking at all keeps risks to your baby to a minimum.”
Any amount of alcohol in pregnancy is dangerous because alcohol in your blood passes to the baby through the umbilical cord. Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong physical, behavioural, and intellectual disabilities. These disabilities are known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).
What is my relationship with alcohol?
The Mental Health Foundation explains: “Alcohol and mental health are closely linked. Drinking too much can affect your wellbeing. Some people may drink to try to relieve the symptoms of mental health.”
Read more on the Mental Health Foundation website
Ask yourself:
- When do I drink alcohol?
- How does alcohol influence my mood?
You may drink alcohol for many reasons. For example, you may drink on happy occasions, to socialise or to celebrate. You may also turn to alcohol if you are feeling down, or to feel more at ease or confident in certain situations. As the alcohol leaves your body, you will likely feel worse.
Do I use alcohol to cope?
Many people use alcohol as a coping mechanism. For example, you may drink alcohol to deal with depression, stress, anxiety or other difficult feelings. When alcohol becomes a coping strategy, you might be nervous about what life would be like if you stopped drinking or cut back. However, relying on alcohol to manage your mental wellbeing can be a problem.
Ask yourself:
- When do I use alcohol to cope?
- How do I feel about cutting back or stopping drinking?
- What would make cutting back or stopping drinking more difficult?
What if I have had alcohol during my pregnancy?
It is not too late to reduce or stop your alcohol use during pregnancy. Research shows that stopping or reducing your drinking within pregnancy can likely reduce the impact of alcohol on your baby.
Can I get support with my mental health while I am pregnant?
Stopping or reducing alcohol use in pregnancy can feel daunting. Particularly, if you are using alcohol to manage your mental health. If you are struggling with your mental health (for example, experiencing anxiety, low mood, difficulty managing your emotions or difficult feelings towards your baby), speak to your GP or a mental health practitioner to access specialist perinatal mental health support.
Ask yourself:
- What other coping strategies do I have that do not involve drinking alcohol?
- Who can I speak to in my support network to help me with my alcohol intake while pregnant?
- Could I have a conversation with my midwife to see what support they could offer me?
How else could I cope?
You could think about the NHS 5 steps to mental wellbeing to help you cope with reducing alcohol use in pregnancy. Behind every behaviour is a need, taking a moment to think about what the need is and whether there are alternative ways to meet the need rather than drinking alcohol can be useful.
1. Connect
Could you reach out to a friend over the phone or meet up for a coffee, or join a support group?
2. Keep active
Could you go for a walk or join an exercise class?
3. Learn a new skill
Is there something new you want to learn to do?
4. Give to others
Could you donate old clothes to charity or do something kind for someone else?
5. Pay attention to the moment
Could you take in a beautiful view or notice all the sounds that you can hear around you?
Showing yourself compassion and thinking about coping statements can really help. For example:
- “I can get through difficult things”
- “This feeling won’t last forever”
- “What I feel in my body is a normal reaction, even if it doesn’t feel good”
You can create your own coping statements too.
Links to support groups and other information
- NHS information about mental health in pregnancy
- Tommy’s information about mental health before, during and after pregnancy
- National organisation for FASD
Local support
- Self-referral to your local Talking Therapies
- Speak with your GP and access Specialist Mental Health Services
- Contact your local maternity services
L1193, V1, 22/04/2024 (Archive: 21/04/2027)
