Smoking and Alcohol When Trying to Conceive

When you are trying for a baby, it helps to think about your health before pregnancy begins. Smoking and alcohol are two common questions, and both partners can make changes that support their health. The advice is clearest for smoking: stopping is worthwhile before conception. For anyone who may become pregnant, the safest approach to alcohol is to avoid it while trying.

Healthy eating, regular activity and enough rest can also help you feel well during this time. None of these steps guarantees a pregnancy, but they are sensible preparations for it. If you have a medical condition or take regular medicine, discuss your plans with your GP or specialist.

Contents

• The Dangers of Smoking When Trying to Conceive
• Both Partners Should Quit Smoking
• The Dangers of Secondhand Smoke
• The Dangers of Drinking Alcohol and Trying to Conceive
• It’s Your Journey, and Your Decision
• Creating a Healthy Environment for Conception

The Dangers of Smoking When Trying to Conceive

Smoking can make it harder to conceive and is associated with an increased risk of pregnancy complications, including miscarriage. There is no useful threshold at which a few cigarettes can be considered harmless. If you smoke, stopping before pregnancy gives you and a future baby the best start. The NHS advice on trying to get pregnant recommends stopping smoking.

Quitting can be difficult, particularly if smoking is part of your daily routine. You do not have to manage it alone: your GP, pharmacist or local stop smoking service can help you plan a way to stop. If you are already pregnant, ask a healthcare professional which stop smoking support is suitable for you.

Both Partners Should Quit Smoking

Smoking matters for both partners. It can affect semen quality, and a partner who smokes may expose the person who is pregnant or trying to conceive to secondhand smoke. Making a plan together can be helpful, whether that means choosing a quit date, removing cigarettes from the home or using a stop smoking service.

If one partner stops before the other, keeping the home and car smoke-free is a useful immediate step. Keep supporting each other if an attempt to quit does not work the first time.

The Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is also worth avoiding. The NHS says passive smoking can affect the chance of conceiving, while exposure during pregnancy can affect the baby. Ask people not to smoke in your home or car, and seek help if you regularly encounter smoke at home or work. NHS guidance on stopping smoking in pregnancy explains the risks and the support available.

The Dangers of Drinking Alcohol and Trying to Conceive

If you are planning to become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol. You may become pregnant before you know it, and there is no known safe level of drinking during pregnancy. Alcohol in pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and low birthweight. See the NHS guidance on alcohol in pregnancy.

Heavy drinking can also affect men’s sexual function and semen quality. Cutting down or stopping is a sensible step for a partner who drinks heavily, and it may be easier for both partners to change their habits together. If stopping alcohol feels difficult, speak to your GP for support.

It’s Your Journey, and Your Decision

Trying to conceive can take longer than expected, and advice about alcohol may feel hard to follow at social events. The safest recommendation for someone who may become pregnant remains to avoid alcohol while trying. Your partner can support that decision, but you can also discuss individual concerns with your GP or midwife.

If you drank a small amount before realising you were pregnant, do not panic. UK guidance says the risk of harm is likely to be low in that situation. Stop drinking once you know you are pregnant and talk to your midwife or GP if you are worried. This is different from saying that any particular drink is guaranteed to be safe.

Creating a Healthy Environment for Conception

Smoking and alcohol are important, but everyday health matters too. A balanced diet, regular moderate activity and a healthy weight can support general health before pregnancy. If you have been inactive, start with an activity you enjoy, such as walking, and build up gradually.

Trying for a baby can be stressful. Time to rest, talk with your partner or seek support may make the process easier to manage. There is no need to blame yourself for ordinary stress or assume that relaxation alone will improve fertility.

Ask your GP or pharmacist to review medicines you take, including over-the-counter products, when planning a pregnancy. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without speaking to your GP or specialist first. They can explain the benefits and risks and discuss alternatives if needed. The NHS planning advice also recommends taking folic acid before pregnancy and during the first 12 weeks.

If you use a lubricant, choose one labelled as suitable when trying to conceive and follow its instructions. Avoid assuming that a household oil is an equivalent substitute. A lubricant may make sex more comfortable, but it does not treat an underlying fertility problem or guarantee conception.

If you have been trying to conceive for a year without success, or sooner if you are aged 36 or over or have another reason for concern, speak to your GP. They can advise on the next steps for both partners. Read the NHS guidance on when to seek help.

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