The Unsettling Truth About Alcohol and Fertility

Sober October is here! Did you know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month as well? To help spread awareness, WIRED Magazine published a story about the link between alcohol and breast cancer. It’s wild and eye-opening.

The article pointed out the irony of pink ribbons on champagne bottles and pink ribbons on wine bottles. It called out the backwards logic of alcohol companies donating to breast cancer research and well-meaning people hosting boozy events fundraising for the cause.

If you think about it, it’s all pretty nuts because more and more studies show that light to moderate drinking significantly increases your risk of getting breast cancer. In fact, just one drink increases your risk.

And that got me thinking about our other blindspots around alcohol.

We have another glaring blindspot when it comes to alcohol and fertility.

First thing’s first, yes—alcohol can negatively impact your fertility and most people have no idea. Even small amounts of alcohol can significantly decrease your chances of conceiving in any given month.

Second, this blog post is for you whether you are actively trying to have a family, trying to conceive another child, or even if you don’t quite know what your plans are yet.

When I began to question my relationship with alcohol, studies saying women should drink no more than seven drinks a week grabbed my attention. Studies picking apart whether alcohol was truly good for you even in small amounts helped me rethink my habits. Facts empowered me to make lasting, life-altering change.

And there is so much more information about the harms of alcohol out there today.

What do these studies have to say about the relationship between alcohol and fertility? Here’s what you need to know.

Alcohol and Fertility: What’s The Deal?

Drinking any amount of alcohol can affect your fertility. If you are trying to get pregnant, it’s best to drink zero alcohol.

Even light alcohol consumption can make it more difficult to conceive. Drinking just one to five drinks per week lowers your chances of getting pregnant in six months by 39%. That’s practically cutting your chances of getting pregnant in half to enjoy the occasional glass of wine. And it’s almost always more than that, right? Maybe you enjoy “large pours” that really count as two drinks or, maybe once you start drinking, you have two or three drinks at a time. Most people do.

Of course, your chances get worse as your alcohol consumption goes up. Drinking six to 10 alcoholic beverages every week lowers your chances of conceiving by 45% and drinking more than 10 drinks per week will lower your likelihood of getting pregnant by at least 66%.

Whether you are trying to start a family now or you want to leave that possibility open in the future, not drinking alcohol is one of the healthiest things you can do for physical and emotional well-being. When you start to seriously consider having a family, seriously think about changing your relationship with alcohol as well.

What About Your Partner?

If you are struggling to conceive or if your journey to become a parent looks different than you expected, you may be inclined to blame it on yourself. The truth is your partner needs to make healthy choices, too.

Drinking alcohol also negatively affects your partner’s fertility. If your male partner binge drinks—or drinks five plus alcoholic beverages in two hours—that lowers his sperm count. It lowers his sperm count whether he binge drinks regularly or on occasion. Similarly, heavy drinking or consuming more than 14 drinks per week can significantly reduce sperm production as well. And it takes up to three months without alcohol for his fertility to return to normal.

If you are changing your relationship with alcohol because you want to start a family soon, it’s a good idea to have your partner take a close look at his alcohol consumption.

Even better, use this time as an opportunity to a break from drinking as a couple! Try mocktails or new, alcohol-free drinks together. Plan date nights that don’t revolve around alcohol. Explore new hobbies. View this time as a chance to grow even closer to your partner. It could be the start of the next beautiful phase of your relationship.

Don’t Fall for These Myths About Wine and Fertility

One of the reasons I started rethinking my relationship with alcohol is how it made me feel. After a few drinks, I was flushed. My heart was racing. I did not feel good.

You may have seen the studies out there suggesting that a moderate amount of red wine is good for your heart. These left me confused, especially after alcohol showed up in the opposite way in my life. So I did some digging, and guess what?

Recent research completely debunks the myth that red wine is good for cardiovascular health. Earlier this year, the World Heart Federation (WHF) released an official statement saying no amount of alcohol is good for your heart.

You can imagine how I felt then when I started reading about alcohol and fertility and came across a study showing that women supposedly conceive faster if they drink moderate amounts of red wine. Here we go again, right?

And, just like red wine and heart health, the study is really misleading. The study looked at wine drinkers, beer drinkers, and non-drinkers. The wine drinkers conceived slightly sooner than other groups—and the reasons why have nothing to do with wine.

The study found that people who enjoyed the occasional glass of wine were also more conscientious about their health and nutrition, and they were more likely to exercise. That’s what is really going on. So the bottom line is, if you want to conceive faster, eat more fruits and vegetables and get moving. It’s not about the alcohol.

Alcohol and IVF

Maybe you’re already exploring your family planning options and, because you are choosing a treatment option like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), you think this research may not apply to you. What does science show? It’s just as important to mind your alcohol intake if you are using IVF.

Research shows drinking six or more drinks per week significantly lowers the chances of conceiving during a given IVF cycle.

Once again, it’s not just up to you. According to a Harvard study, consuming less than half a bottle of wine per week lowers men’s chances of successfully conceiving with their partner via IVF by 14%.

To maximize your chances of success with IVF, it’s best if you and your partner stop drinking three months prior to treatment.

The dangers of alcohol are becoming more and more apparent, and I want you to be ahead of the fold.

It is my sincerest wish that something as insignificant as alcohol won’t stop you from having a family—or make it more difficult.

If your intuition is telling you that you will benefit from a break from alcohol, listen to that beautiful nudge from the universe. Put yourself first. Put your health and your future family first.

Taking a break from alcohol changed my life, and it can change yours, too. Start now to increase your chances of getting pregnant when you want to, and I’m willing to bet you’re going to see amazing benefits in other areas of your life, too.

I know that fertility and pregnancy can be really sensitive subjects. If your journey to parenthood looks different than you expected, that can be incredibly, incredibly painful. Please don’t feel bad if trying to conceive is taking longer than you thought it would. It’s not your fault.

Some things are out of our control. But there are things we can do to help increase our chances of conceiving. Empower yourself with facts.

If you have been hemming and hawing about whether or not to take a break from alcohol and you are trying to start a family, now is the perfect time. And it’s the perfect time for your partner to jump onboard and try out this new lifestyle with you, too.

If you are ready to commit to this change and want some guidance and accountability along the way, sign up for Become Euphoric! Become Euphoric is your compassionate guide as you navigate four months alcohol-free. Get support from group coaching calls and a community of growth-minded and health-conscious women just like you. Complete 5-minute journal prompts that will help you change your views around alcohol and begin living a life that is joyous and fulfilling without it. Plus, you will receive a free Euphoric Tracking Calendar, a free guide with dozens of delicious alcohol-free drinks, and free training to help you deal with bad days and get back on track if you have a setback. Enroll here!