Can you drink shandy when pregnant?
Hannah Weiss
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Find out if it's safe to drink shandy, lager and other types of alcohol during pregnancy. Plus, precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.
The official advice on whether you can drink shandy in pregnancy
No, shandy's not considered safe to drink in pregnancy.
The NHS advises that if you're pregnant or trying for a baby the safest approach is not to drink any alcohol at all. This includes shandy and lager, as well as wine, beer and spirits.
Shandy is usually made with lager and lemonade. Although it's generally pretty weak, with a low ABV, it does still contain alcohol. Therefore, it's best to avoid it while you're pregnant.
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What about shandy made with alcohol-free beer?
In the UK, drinks that say they're "alcohol free" must be lower than 0.05% ABV. This means that some "alcohol free" beers can still contain traces of alcohol.
If you want to have a shandy made with alcohol-free beer, it's a good idea to check the label to make sure there's absolutely no alcohol before you try it. You want a beer that says 0% ABV on the pack.
Watch out for drinks that say they're "de-alcoholised", too. These can contain up to 0.5% ABV – 10 times stronger than "alcohol free" drinks.
It's worth noting that in other countries, such as the US and Europe, "alcohol free" drinks can also contain up to 0.5% ABV. So always check the percentage on the label first to make sure it's really alcohol-free.
Why can't I have alcohol in pregnancy?
The Chief Medical Officers for the UK recommend cutting out alcohol completely during pregnancy. This is because experts are unsure how much alcohol, if any, is safe to drink.
When you drink alcohol, it passes through your bloodstream and into the placenta. Your growing baby can't process alcohol yet, because the liver is one of the last organs to develop, and won't mature until the later stages of your pregnancy.
This means that drinking alcohol while pregnant could seriously impact your baby's development. Alcohol can increase the risk of miscarriage, low birthweight and premature birth. Drinking when pregnant could also lead to behavioural and learning difficulties in your child as they grow.
If you're worried about cutting out alcohol, you can talk to your midwife, who'll be able to give you advice and support.
Pregnancy-safe drink recipes
If you're cutting out alcohol, why not try these pregnancy-safe drinks?
- Berry spring cooler
- Summer sparkle mocktail
- Avocado and banana smoothie
- Elderflower fizz
- Glowing mojo-ito green monster
The Day-by-Day Pregnancy Book: Count Down Your Pregnancy Day by Day by Dr Maggie Blott is packed full of advice from a team of experts to help guide you through your pregnancy from conception to birth. See more details here at Amazon.
Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.
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