Alcohol and perinatal mental health
People drink alcohol for lots of reasons – to socialise and celebrate, to relax, or sometimes to cope with stressful life events. Often people drink alcohol in combination with other substances like tobacco, cannabis, and prescription and illicit drugs.
Alcohol can affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Alcohol use is often associated with enjoyable feelings because it stimulates the release of dopamine in our brains, the ‘pleasure and reward’ hormone. Yet the more we drink alcohol, the less dopamine our brain produces.
For people who are already feeling a bit down or anxious, drinking more alcohol might make you feel worse and can contribute to symptoms of depression or anxiety.
In addition to experiencing worsening mental health, alcohol is also associated with an increased risk of suicide.
If you feel like alcohol use is impacting your mental health, you can contact one of the support services listed at the end of this article.
Produced in collaboration with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.
“Drinking alcohol wasn't the best way to manage, and I wish I hadn’t done it. If I could change something, it would be that. I just needed to find different ways to have a release. Time to look after yourself is important, whether that’s walking the dog or having a nap.”
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Alcohol during pregnancy
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Alcohol and sleep
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Alcohol use and baby-parent sleeping arrangements
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Alcohol use and breastfeeding
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Alcohol use and medication
Practical strategies to manage alcohol use
Here are some tips for managing your alcohol use before you start trying for a baby.
If you’re thinking about reducing your alcohol use, you could:
- Commit to having a few ‘alcohol-free’ days each week, gradually increasing to mostly/all alcohol-free days.
- Choose drinks with a lower alcohol content.
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or other non-alcoholic drinks.
- Set yourself a limit: Keep count of your alcoholic drinks, and switch to alcohol-free drinks when the window of time is up. This can be a simple but effective way to reduce your alcohol intake.
- Stay connected to your social network by meeting at a café or park. If you’re catching up somewhere alcohol is being served, most places now have a great range of alcohol-free options.
- Make some time to discuss with your partner or loved one how you’ll go about reducing or stopping alcohol use together, if this is something you both want to work towards.
- Seek professional support via your doctor, child health nurse, or specialist alcohol and drug support services
If you’re looking for more ways to manage stress without using alcohol, there are many things you can try:
Panic attacks: Practical ways to look after yourself
Guided grounding exercise – body scan and relaxation to release tension
Guided grounding exercise – soothing rhythm breathing for stress relief
Safety when reducing alcohol use
The Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend that adults drink no more than ten standard alcohol drinks per week, and no more than four standard alcohol drinks in one day to reduce the risk of alcohol related harm.
If you have been drinking heavily for some time, it can be risky to suddenly stop drinking on your own.
Your body may go into withdrawal from alcohol. There’s an increased possibility you’ll experience delirium tremens, with symptoms like extreme blood pressure changes, tremors and seizures which can cause death.
Call 000 immediately if you or someone you know is experiencing these types of symptoms.
Support if your baby is diagnosed with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder)
If you’ve had your baby and they’ve been diagnosed with FASD, you can find judgement-free support through PANDA and other support services.
- PANDA National Helpline 1300 726 306 (Monday to Friday, 9am - 7.30pm Saturday, 9am – 4pm (AEST/AEDT)).
Services that can support you
If you want to find out more about ways to manage alcohol use and your mental health as a new parent, PANDA can help. If you’re concerned about a loved one’s alcohol use, you can also call us any time for support. See below for a list of other support services in your area.
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PANDA National Helpline
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National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline
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Family Drug Support Line
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Every Moment Matters
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Pregnancy, Birth & Baby
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Medicines Line
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SMART Recovery
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Beyond Blue
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Lifeline Australia
Chris' story
"I haven't always done the best job of looking after myself. In the early stages I would drink, but that was absolutely not helpful. Looking back, I feel like that was actually quite selfish. Everyone needs a release and drinking a few beers was like a reward, thinking my partner would be fine looking after bub."
Mental health checklist
How are you going?
Everyone’s experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting is unique and brings different rewards and challenges. Our mental health checklist can help you to see if what you’re experiencing or observing in a loved one could be reason to seek help.