These days, there’s no room for doubt: pregnancy and alcohol are absolutely forbidden. Even a single drop. So if you want to succeed in achieving an alcohol-free pregnancy, and keep up with what can be a real challenge for many mothers-to-be, you need to find alternatives.

Why opt for an alcohol-free pregnancy?

The main thing to know about alcohol-free pregnancy is that the placenta does not have the capacity to filter alcohol. So all the alcohol that passes into your bloodstream will also pass into that of your child. Except that instead of your child getting off with a slight headache the next day, alcohol can have very serious effects on him, often proving irreversible: risk of malformation of certain organs, consequences for cognitive ability, foetal alcohol syndrome which damages the brain, etc.

Total abstinence should be preferred

In view of all the risks to the foetus and the mother, health bodies such as the CHU de Liège strongly recommend alcohol-free pregnancy. Ideally, you should even stop drinking when you decide to conceive, to avoid the foetus coming into contact with alcohol during the first few weeks of pregnancy, when the mother may not even know she is pregnant.

What are the best alternatives for alcohol-free pregnancy?

The difficulty of finding truly alcohol-free drinks

As well as being careful not to drink alcohol during pregnancy, pregnant women need to be wary of the products they consume. In Belgium, for example, some drinks claim to be alcohol-free but actually contain an infinitesimal amount, up to 0.5% depending on the legislation. For a 100% alcohol-free pregnancy, you therefore need to order drinks that say 0% alcohol, such as Bellini from Vintense.

In Belgium, alcohol is an integral part of the culture. Alcohol is consumed as an aperitif or during meals in the vast majority of families in the country. People pretend to drink to create a convivial atmosphere, to have fun. Yet there are many ways to have fun during your pregnancy without alcohol. You can go to the cinema, or organise an evening of board games or video games. Sport can also help you relax while taking care of your body during your alcohol-free pregnancy.

Being pregnant without alcohol and not feeling like you’re depriving yourself

The problem with going alcohol-free when you’re pregnant is that you often feel like you’re depriving yourself. To avoid this unpleasant feeling and avoid frustration, it can be beneficial to find alternatives to alcoholic drinks, such as mocktails. These alcohol-free cocktails are becoming increasingly popular with young Belgians. They make it possible to be pregnant without alcohol while sipping tasty, colourful drinks.