Suggest Alcohol-Free Activities

The best time for a woman to stop drinking is before she

gets pregnant, but helping your family member or friend

stop now can still help her baby. If you stop drinking, this

will help her stop drinking, too. You can still enjoy a good

time together, engaging in the following activities: 

❖ Go for a walk or treat yourselves to a movie and a pizza. 

❖ With approval from her medical provider, exercise 

together—take a swim or ride bikes.

❖ Meet with friends and toast the baby-to-be with 

healthy drinks like milk, water, or juice. Everyone can

have fun while the mother-to-be helps herself have a 

healthy baby.

If you need more ideas on alcohol-free activities, ask for

advice from elders, family members, friends, and co-workers,

and visit or call your local clinic or community center. By

showing you care, you are helping a mother give her baby a

healthy start in life. 

American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Initiative 

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Your Family Member or Friend

Be an Alcohol-Free Mother-To-Be:

Tips for Native Men

How To Help

* May, P.A., and Gossage, J.P. 2001. Estimating the prevalence 

of fetal alcohol syndrome: A summary. Alcohol Research & 

Health 25(3):159-167.

DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 07–4264

Printed 2007

Pregnancy is Sacred

For more information, visit fasdcenter.samhsa.gov 

or call 866-STOPFAS.

www.stopalcoholabuse.gov
Your Advice Matters

You could be a father-to-be or even a brother, a cousin, anuncle, or a grandfather. You could be a close friend or a 

co-worker. If you’re close to a pregnant woman who drinks

alcohol, you can help her in ways you might not realize. Alcohol

hurts at least 40,000 babies born each year.* Women of any

age, income, or educational level who drink alcohol during

pregnancy risk causing problems to their fetus, families, and

futures.

If you know someone who is (or may become) pregnant, don’t

be afraid to talk—and listen—to her. Some pregnant women

who are careful not to smoke or use drugs during pregnancy

may not know that even small amounts of alcohol can hurt their

babies. Any information you can share will mean a lot. You’ll

show her that you care about her and her baby. 

Pregnant women and the people closest to them all want the

same thing—strong, healthy babies. Help her make the safe

choice to not drink alcohol during pregnancy.

Information To Share

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may cause mild to severe

problems, called “fetal alcohol spectrum disorders” (FASD).

These problems may include lifelong physical, mental, 

behavioral, and/or learning disabilities.

Children whose mothers drank during pregnancy may need 

surgeries to fix physical problems. They may also have brain

damage that can make it hard to remember things or solve

problems. They may not be able to follow simple instructions or

form friendships. These challenges may make it difficult to

focus in school or follow everyday routines.

The following are important facts to remember and share 

about FASD:

❖ FASD is permanent. It cannot be cured.

❖ FASD is 100 percent preventable. If a woman doesn’t drink

when she’s pregnant, her baby will not have an FASD.

❖ There is no known safe time, safe amount, or safe type of

alcohol to drink while pregnant. Beer and wine are just as

harmful as hard liquor.

❖ If a pregnant woman stops drinking as soon as possible, she

can improve her chances of having a healthy baby.

People with an FASD can grow, improve, and succeed in life

with the right support, but you can help prevent problems like

those mentioned above from even starting.

The Role Native Men Can Play

Native men can have an important role in preventing FASD.

They can encourage women not to drink alcohol during 

pregnancy. They also can support and respect a woman’s 

decision not to drink. Native men can be role models for their

significant others. By not drinking alcohol themselves, they are

modeling the safest behavior for pregnant women. Native men

can also help women get alcohol treatment and follow their

treatment plans. These actions can help family members and

friends remain alcohol free during their pregnancies. 

Start the Conversation

Sometimes it’s tough to start “the conversation” with a 

pregnant friend or family member who is drinking alcohol. Find

a quiet place to sit and talk about having a healthy baby. Use a

gentle tone of voice, and let her know that you care about her

and her child. Remember that your opinion means a lot. Here

are some things you might want to talk about: 

❖ Ask her how she is feeling, and remind her that pregnancy is

a sacred time. 

❖ Share some of the facts about the problems alcohol can

cause and how to prevent FASD. 

❖ Tell her that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can hurt the

baby—the baby drinks whatever she drinks. Alcohol goes

into the bloodstream and passes to the baby through the

umbilical cord.

❖ Explain that a baby’s body cannot get rid of alcohol the

same way that adult bodies can. 

❖ Ask her to talk about problems that may be causing her to

drink alcohol. 

❖ Remind her that she can talk to you whenever she wants,

and be sure to check in on her occasionally.

❖ Help her connect with a counselor 

or support group for additional 

information. 

What if your family member or friend

says she drank during another 

pregnancy and the baby was

okay? Remind her that 

every baby is different 

and that there is no 

known safe amount 

of alcohol to drink 

during pregnancy or 

even during 

breastfeeding.