In order to conceive a healthy baby you need to ensure that your diet is healthy and well-balanced. Alcohol and caffeine are two safe items in moderation when you are not trying to get pregnant, but you should reconsider their place in your diet if you want to have a baby. Consuming large amounts of caffeine and alcohol can extend the length of time it takes for you to conceive and can negatively impact the health and development of your baby.
Takes Longer to Get Pregnant
Women who drink large amount of caffeine or several alcoholic drinks per day are about half as likely to conceive a baby in a ten-month period of time, report Judith E. Brown, Janet S. Isaacs and U. Beate Krinke, authors of "Nutrition Through the Life Cycle." Brown, Isaacs and Krinke also note that women who drink more than 300 mg of caffeine each day, about 3 cups of coffee, are about 27 percent less likely to conceive in any given menstrual cycle compared with women who do not drink caffeine. Two or three alcoholic drinks each day can reduce the chance of getting pregnant by about 39 percent for each menstrual cycle.
Disrupts Menstrual Cycle
Drinking alcoholic beverages or beverages with caffeine is related to a lower production of estrogen and testosterone levels, reports Brown, Isaacs and Krinke. Both estrogen and testosterone are essential for the regulation of your menstrual cycle. If you do not know when to expect your period each month it will be much more difficult to pinpoint your best days for ovulation. Ovulation typically occurs 14 days before the first day of your period, but without a regular cycle you will never know what day that will happen, which increases the length of time it takes to conceive a baby. An abnormal menstrual cycle may delay how long it takes to discover that you have conceived, which puts your baby in even more danger of you drink alcohol or caffeine, adds Carista Luminare-Rosen, author of "Parenting Begins Before Conception: A Guide to Preparing Body, Mind, and Spirit for You and Your Future Child."
Decreases Health of Eggs and Sperm
Both alcohol and caffeine can effect the health of your eggs as well as your partner's sperm. Luminare-Rosen notes that both substances act as a toxin to your eggs and sperm, degrading their quality and making it less likely that conception is possible. Caffeine and alcohol can also cause immediate fetal death because the conception resulted from weak eggs or sperm, or eggs or sperm that were very poor quality, adds Luminare-Rosen. The quality of your eggs and your partner's sperm can impact the child you do conceive by causing low birth weight or weak muscle tone. Brown, Isaacs and Krinke strongly caution against the use of any alcohol or caffeine while you are trying to conceive as well as after you are successful.
References
- "Nutrtion Through the Life Cycle; Judith E. Brown, Janet S. Isaacs and U. Beate Krinke; 2007
- "Parenting Begins Before Conception: A Guide to Preparing Body, Mind, and Spirit for You and Your Future Child"; Carista Luminare-Rosen; 2000
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