If you are pregnant or trying to conceive you must stay away from alcohol.  Alcohol consumption causes infertility in women and also causes harmful effects on fetus development.
When you consume alcohol, it enters your bloodstream and reaches the baby inside your womb. As the organs of the baby are under development, they are not able to break down alcohol contents easily, this causes cell damage in the fetus, resulting in deformities in the brain and other organs.
Although you should not consume alcohol during the whole pregnancy, as most organs develop in the first trimester, it is this period when alcohol causes the most damage. It can lead to a lot of birth defects and other problems in the baby, even miscarriage and stillbirth can happen.

HOW DOES ALCOHOL REACHES THE BABY IN THE WOMB?

After pregnancy, the baby starts growing inside the womb and is connected to the mother by the umbilical cord, it is this cord that supplies the fetus with oxygen and other necessary nutrients. Anything a mother eats or drinks enters her bloodstream, and then gets passed on to the growing baby through this umbilical cord.

So, whatever the mother consumes will also affect the growing baby, if you take a rich and balanced diet, it will help in proper growth, if you consume alcohol or other drugs, it will harm the baby.

IS IT OK TO CONSUME ALCOHOL IN SMALL QUANTITIES OR ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS?

No, if you love your baby, you must stay away from alcohol totally; all forms of alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine, are toxic to the fetus. Although the physical development of a fetus may seem normal, alcohol can harm brain functionality and may affect the baby for the whole lifetime.
Most women will not know they are pregnant before they miss their period, so if you are trying to conceive you must refrain from alcohol right from the start. Alcohol consumption is the most preventable cause of lifetime harm that can happen to your baby, completely staying off alcohol for a few months should not be a very big deal for any mother.

CAN YOU EAT FOODS COOKED WITH ALCOHOL?
Due to burning off while being cooked, and very low alcohol content, such foods are considered safe during pregnancy, you can enjoy such recipes without any worry or threat.

CAN ALCOHOL STOP A WOMAN FROM GETTING PREGNANT?

Drinking alcohol does not prevent pregnancy, but it does increase infertility in women. If you are trying to conceive, staying off alcohol will increase your chances of getting pregnant.

DRINKING ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY CAN RESULT IN:

MISCARRIAGE
The fetus dies before the mother reaches the 20th week of pregnancy.

STILLBIRTH

The fetus dies after the mother reaches the 20th week of pregnancy.

PREMATURE BIRTH

The baby is born before the mother reaches the 37th week of pregnancy.

LOWER BIRTH WEIGHT

Studies show that alcohol consumption leads to low birth weight in new-born babies.

FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS

If a mother drinks heavily her baby has more chances of suffering from FASDs. These are mental disorders that will affect a child’s ability to learn, communicate, coordinate, behave and handle himself for the whole lifetime. The child may also suffer from a lower growth rate and other physical disorders.

CEREBRAL PALSY

Brain damage during pregnancy is the main reason behind cerebral palsy, the baby may seem normal but will suffer from problems involving body movement and other motor skills. In this condition, the brain is unable to coordinate and control different muscles in the body, so the limbs do not function properly, and even simple task like tying shoelace becomes very difficult.

AUTISM

As alcohol affects brain development during pregnancy, the child may suffer from autism, a condition when the brain is not able to collect and process information correctly. Children suffering from autism will show problems in communication and other social developments, and repetitive behavior is also common among them.

AFTER BIRTH PHYSICAL & MENTAL DISORDERS IN A CHILD MAY INCLUDE:

Small head compared to the body.
Problem with heart & kidneys.
Different kind of problems with the Central Nervous System.
Poor body growth and low muscle mass.
The problem with hearing and eyesight.
Lack of memory.
Poor Cognitive Skills.
Lower learning and reasoning skills.
Inability to focus and coordinate.
The problem with speaking and understanding of languages.
Inability to pay attention and control the impulses.
Unable to socialize and behave like normal people, may become hyperactive on occasions.