The Effects of Alcohol on Fertility

Whether you're one of the many women who enjoy an occasional drink from time to time like that glass of wine with dinner or someone who drinks more than just with a meal or socially, you need to understand what that alcohol can do to your chances of getting pregnant.

How Much Is Too Much?

We’ve all heard the news about the occasional glass of red wine being good for the health, but how much alcohol is too much when you’re trying to get pregnant? A single beer, glass of wine, or mixed drink can have about a half ounce of alcohol. If you drink more than four ounces each day, you have just stepped into the too much alcohol zone. Alcohol can lead to pregnancy issues such as hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian dysfunction. This situation can lead to the absence of menses, lack of ovulation, irregular development of the endometrial lining or hyperprolactinemia. Alcohol disrupts the normal menstrual cycle. Some studies have shown that no matter how little alcohol a woman may drink, her body may completely shut down its menstrual cycle or in the least cause it to become very irregular. Obviously, this will affect your chances of getting pregnant.

Every Woman Is Different

Some women have a lower tolerance when it comes to the effects of alcohol on the body but are not aware of the problem until they are trying to conceive. A woman may well notice a change in her period that she brushes off as nothing because it’s not unusual for things to fluctuate. Most don’t think to attribute it to alcohol when they only drink once in a blue moon. However, some women are more adversely affected by alcohol than others are. Depending on the age of the woman, drinking can also affect menopause and have an influence as to when ‘the change’ happens. Menopause can occur as much as ten years earlier in women who drink moderately!

Alcohol can affect fertility in women in so many ways. Estrogen and progesterone levels are important to a woman being able to become pregnant and alcohol can interrupt these levels and get in the way of a woman being able to conceive. And then there are all the things that alcohol can do to your pregnancy. Most women recognize the problems associated with drinking after they get pregnant. They know that pregnancy and alcohol are a no-no, but few realize the effect that it has on your pre-pregnancy state and specifically your fertility. The best option for anyone who is trying to have a baby is to be aware of how alcohol affects fertility in women and to avoid alcohol totally.

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