Q&A: If a woman has an alcohol problem and is planning to conceive, when should she stop drinking?

by Dr. Randy Morris

If a woman has a severe alcohol problem and is planning to conceive, how long before conception should she stop drinking?

Unfortunately, there is no good data to answer this question. One study involving in-vitro fertilization (IVF) patients found that alcohol use by women up to one month before the IVF cycle resulted in less eggs retrieved, lower pregnancy rates, and higher miscarriage rates. There is no data that has looked at longer time intervals.

At this time, the best recommendation is to stop alcohol use at least one month before attempting to conceive.

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