To Drink or Not to Drink…Is the Bubbly Blocking Your Ability to Conceive?

Alcohol has been lauded and lambasted when it comes to health issues. The tide can turn so fast on spirits that it’s difficult to know whether that glass of red wine is going to make you live forever or take a few years off your life. However, while the medical benefits of daily consumption are still murky, what's on the minds of many reproductive-age women is: does a glass a day really keep the baby away? The answer is, unless you have a really heavy hand, probably not. 

While alcohol in excess is a no-no for a pregnant woman, there is not much out there on what it does (if anything) to one's fertility. It has not been shown to decrease egg quantity or quality. Additionally, it has no impact on a woman’s ability to ovulate, the function of her fallopian tubes, or your partner’s sperm. In moderation, it has not clearly been linked to infertility or miscarriage. In fact, some studies have shown that women who drank wine conceived at a faster rate than those that didn't! 

But this is where who’s pouring is important. Moderate alcohol use is defined as less than two drinks a day. In most studies, one drink is equal to 10 grams of ethanol. But (as many of us have found out the hard way) not all drinks are created equal, and therefore, who’s mixing your cocktails matters. 

Here's a cheat sheet...In the United States, a standard drink (12-ounce beer, 5-ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits) has about 14 grams of pure alcohol. Bottom line, before you go bottoms up, be aware of what you are imbibing. 

Too much of anything is not a good thing. And while a big night out once in a while is not the end of the world (let’s face it, this is probably the cause of many unintended pregnancies!), limiting alcohol consumption is a good idea. Although you certainly don't need to put away those wine glasses when trying to conceive, be smart about how much and how frequently you imbibe (and don't forget, there is no safe amount of alcohol consumption in pregnancy). But if the bubbly is what keeps you bubbly, that's ok; it's not blocking you from having a baby. This fertility journey can be long and rocky; a few drinks along the way will most certainly not derail you.