PREGNANCY
Written by
Happiest Baby Staff
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Cheers to your pregnancy—and to the plethora of non-alcoholic beer, wine, and mocktail options out there to help you toast your baby-to-be in style! But before you slurp down a frosty alcohol-free beer or crack open a non-alcoholic cocktail can, you should know: Not all non-alcoholic drinks are pregnancy-safe.
First, a word on definitions: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) does not consider the terms “non-alcoholic” and “alcohol-free” to be synonymous. The ACCC Food Standard Code prohibits a product containing any level of alcohol from being represented as "non-alcoholic."
Additionally, 0.5% ABV or above drinks cannot claim to be "non-alcoholic." Nonalcoholic beer, wine, and cocktails contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) and are legally considered non-alcoholic even though they contain trace amounts of alcohol. In other countries, like Japan, Italy, and Norway, non-alcoholic beverages can contain more alcohol than that.
While research has shown that beverages with 0.5% ABV or less have no physiological effects on the body and can’t cause intoxication, public health authorities still agree that zero alcohol should be consumed during pregnancy, which includes “alcohol-free” beer, wine, and mocktails that contain 0.5% alcohol or less. Another reason to proceed with caution: A report in the Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that nearly 30% of the 45 “no or low alcohol” drinks they examined contained more alcohol than labeled—and six had more than 1% ABV. Translation: There’s a chance you’re drinking more alcohol than you think!
Again, always read labels before drinking any non-alcoholic or alcohol-free beverages during pregnancy. You may be surprised by what you find! Some may contain extracts, herbs, or other ingredients that aren't considered safe to consume during pregnancy. For example, the popular non-alcoholic beverage Jas Paloma Libre contains ashwagandha (aka “Indian ginseng”), which pregnant and breastfeeding individuals are advised to avoid. Non-alcoholic beverage brands like Kin Euphorics and Recess also state that pregnant and breastfeeding folks should not consume their beverages.
In the end, drinking non-alcoholic beer, wine, or packaged mocktails during pregnancy is your choice, just make sure it’s an informed one! That means, in addition to checking labels, it’s also a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider before imbibing a new drink during pregnancy.
A report in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine found that when breastfeeding parents drank 1.5 liters of a non-alcoholic beer, roughly 13% had trace amounts of alcohol in their breastmilk afterward. Even with that, researchers concluded that drinking non-alcoholic beer is “likely innocuous for the breastfed infant.” Plus, moderate alcohol consumption (up to one drink a day) by a breastfeeding parent is not known to be harmful to the baby—especially if you wait at least two hours after a drink before nursing. (Dr. Harvey Karp on the Do’s and Don’ts of Pumping and Dumping.)
Who says celebratory drinks need to be alcoholic? Here are the best pregnancy-safe non-alcoholic options you’ll totally want to cheers to (and since you’re making them yourself, you know that you don’t have to sweat about what’s in them!)
For even more pregnancy-safe non-alcoholic drink ideas, check out our collection of 24 festive homemade mocktails, perfect for every celebration!
If you’re at a bar or restaurant where you fear mocktails and non-alcoholic versions of your favourite wine, beer, and spirits are unavailable, you still have options!
These are also great non-alcoholic drinks to surreptitiously order when you aren’t quite ready to share that you’re expecting with your imbibing crew! (Don’t forget to ask for a garnish to really throw people off the scent!)
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
