Alcohol use can affect a developing baby at any stage during pregnancy.
No known amount or type of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, might be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, no alcohol use is safest.
Alcohol can affect the earliest stages of a fetal development—before a person may even know they're pregnant. This can affect the baby for the rest of their life.
Alcohol use at any time during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD has lifelong effects including physical, emotional and mental disabilities. There’s no cure for FASD.
Read more on FASD and a healthy pregnancy.
It is never too late to stop alcohol use during pregnancy. Stopping alcohol use will improve the baby’s health and well-being. If you are finding it difficult to stop drinking, any reduction in how much alcohol you have will benefit the pregnancy. For strategies to reduce your alcohol use, see Alcohol Problems: How to Stop Drinking. Talking with your health care provider about other supports may also be helpful.