Can You Drink Non-Alcoholic Beer While Pregnant?

Pregnancy means a lot of changes. Besides the physical changes to a woman’s body, there are lifestyle changes that have to be adopted as soon as the pregnancy is known. Making sure the mother and baby are safe as the pregnancy develops is the most important thing, and that means a few things may have to be given up.

One of these is beer.

A cold beer on a summer’s evening in a beer garden can sometimes be the answer to all the troubles in the world. Even if your life isn’t based around consuming alcohol and you’re not suffering from addiction and in need of alcohol rehabilitation – a drink now and then can be a good thing.

Alcohol is not recommended for pregnant women, as it brings numerous dangers. If you have a fondness for beer, you may have heard of the non-alcoholic options available.

If you are concerned about non-alcoholic beer and pregnancy, it’s important to know the risks and if this type of beer is safe to drink.

Pregnancy and Alcohol

The NHS recommend that if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, then you should consume no alcohol whatsoever. Drinking can not only put the pregnant mother at risk but also lead to long-term health problems for the baby.

When a pregnant person drinks, alcohol goes into their bloodstream, and the molecules are small enough to pass through the placenta. The placenta connects mother and child, so that means the foetus will have alcohol in their blood, their developing liver unable to filter it out. This lack of protection from alcohol is the reason it is so important that drinking is curbed by the mother when pregnant.

Miscarriage

Drinking increases the risk of miscarriage in those first 3 months when the danger of this happening is higher. Suffering from a miscarriage is not only a physical ordeal for the mother but can have long-lasting psychological consequences for the mother, partner and others involved in the pregnancy.

Premature Birth

Alcohol can cause the baby to come earlier than it should. A premature birth will often result in the baby having a low birth weight. This can bring about several complications and result in the child dying soon after they’re born or leaving them with lifelong conditions.

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

One of the biggest risks is the baby developing FASD. This is a serious, incurable condition that will affect the child forever. FASD can cause physical deformities, learning and development issues, communication problems and lack of impulse control, along with difficulties in managing emotions and developing social skills.

Is Non-Alcoholic Beer Safe During Pregnancy?

Knowing all the dangers of alcohol, you’ll now want the answer to the question, “Can you drink non-alcoholic beer while pregnant?”

The low-alcohol and non-alcohol beer market is growing more popular, with more people becoming more attuned to the risks of heavy drinking. Low-alcohol beer is defined as a beer containing up to 0.5% alcohol.

Now, whilst many brands boast about 0.0% alcohol beers, an alcohol-free beer can contain alcohol. If the alcohol level is 0.005% or less, this means it can be classed as being free of alcohol. The reason alcohol remains in these alcohol-free beers is because they are brewed normally and then de-alcoholised. Traces are bound to remain after this process.

Pregnancy and non-alcoholic beer are not a match that should go together. If you are truly concerned about harming your baby, then you shouldn’t take the risk. Alcohol-free beers contain more carbohydrates, and high glucose levels can be bad for pregnant women.

There is also debate on how reliable the labelling of non-alcoholic beers is. In some cases, they may contain more alcohol than advertised. Having the supposed safety net of no alcohol may lead pregnant women to drink more beer than they should – doing this regularly would harm the foetus.

No definitive answers exist regarding the risks of non-alcoholic beer in pregnancy. Safety should be the first concern, so on the side of caution, it’s strongly advised not to drink anything remotely alcoholic while pregnant.

Alternatives to Non-Alcoholic Beer While Pregnant

The issue of alcohol and pregnancy is not a new one, so there are many non-alcoholic beer alternatives for pregnant women available.

Mocktails are a great alternative for many pregnant women. Every pub and bar will have non-alcoholic versions of your favourite cocktails that you can enjoy. They are also easy to make at home and are perfect for summer BBQs when everyone is enjoying the alcoholic versions.

Pregnant women can also indulge in fancier sparkling waters, sparkling juice or cordials. The fizz of a prosecco can still be enjoyed without the headache the next day.

If care is taken, then a non-alcoholic beer could be an option, as long as it is not indulged in heavily or regularly. Most shops contain many alcohol-free beers and every brand has gotten in on the act. Guinness produces a 0.0% version of their drink that is nearly identical to the classic version. Brands such as Peroni, Heineken and BrewDog have non-alcoholic beer options too.

Consult Your Healthcare Provider

Before you do anything, it’s important to get healthcare guidance on non-alcoholic beer during pregnancy. The clinical team that a pregnant woman becomes familiar with throughout the pregnancy is there to alleviate any worries and make sure everyone is safe.

More effort is now being put into achieving a continuity of carer model so that the mother has the same midwife and clinical throughout the whole pregnancy. The relationship that develops between an expectant family and a midwife can be important. Pregnancy is hard and can bring about mental health and physical strains.

Honesty and trust are important to having an open discussion with a doctor or midwife. Asking questions and attending all appointments shows commitment and interest in the process.

The mother’s comfort and the safety of the baby is the most important thing – being aware of the responsibility on both sides of the care should lead to a more fruitful relationship.

Reach Out Today

The question “Is it safe to consume non-alcoholic beer during pregnancy?” is usually answered with a resounding “no!” by the medical profession. This is because the risks are many, and a drink of beer is just not worth it. Click here to learn more about whether non-alcoholic beer is bad for you.

If you have more questions about alcohol and pregnancy or want to know more about the facilities at Nova Recovery, get in touch today. We are at a private drug and alcohol rehab in Scotland, offering specialist help and treatment to those who need it.

Call now at 01475 303998.

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John Gillen - Author - Last updated: November 3, 2023

John has travelled extensively around the world, culminating in 19 years’ experience looking at different models. He is the European pioneer of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) treatment to Europe in 2010; and recently back from the USA bringing state of the art Virtual Reality Relapse Prevention and stress reduction therapy. His passion extends to other metabolic disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases. The journey continues. In recent times, John has travelled to Russia to study and research into a new therapy photobiomudulation or systemic laser therapy working with NAD+ scientists and the very best of the medical professionals in the UK and the USA, together with Nadcell, Bionad Hospitals own select Doctors, nurses, dieticians and therapists. Johns’ passion continues to endeavour to bring to the UK and Europe new developments with NAD+ Therapy in preventive and restorative medicine and Wellness. In 2017 John Gillen was made a visiting Professor at the John Naisbitt university in Belgrade Serbia.