We have teamed up with Parents 1st UK to raise awareness of Just the one? Avoiding alcohol in pregnancy – a free online course designed to help people understand the risks of drinking while pregnant and offer other ways of coping with stress.
There are lots of myths surrounding alcohol and pregnancy, but the simple truth is there is no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. It’s best to avoid it altogether.
For some people, however, that may not be easy, particularly if alcohol forms a part of their everyday lives, either socially or as a tool for coping with stress. Reaching for ‘Just the one’ can be a temptation that is hard to resist.
With funding from the Department of Health and Social Care, at OnePlusOne we have created a new evidence-based online course to inform parents-to-be and their partners about the risks of drinking while pregnant, and how to find other ways to cope with stress. It includes firsthand accounts from real parents, and offers practical advice on how to improve communication skills to cope with stress and arguments in healthier ways.
Parents can do the course alone, as a couple, or with anyone who provides support during their pregnancy. The skills parents will learn on the course are designed to help them avoid alcohol, and reduce the risk of their baby developing Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), but they will be useful far beyond this, helping parents throughout their parenting journey.
Verity Glasgow, our co-director, said:
“With so many confusing messages about whether it is OK to have just the one alcoholic drink, we are delighted to be working with Parents 1st UK to share access to this free resource which debunks the myths and provides expectant parents with solid facts and support. While it might be easy to say that alcohol should be avoided altogether during pregnancy, the reality is that, for some, this may be very difficult. It could even cause further stress if people find themselves struggling to cope, particularly when becoming a parent marks such a significant life change.
“Just the one? offers practical tips to help pregnant people and their partners learn how to communicate what they are feeling and develop positive ways of coping with stress. With Parents 1st UK’s wide network of support for expectant and new parents, we hope lots more people will turn to our course to find out how it could help them.”
Celia Suppiah, CEO of Parents 1st UK said:
“We are encouraging pregnant women and their partners to sign up to the course by reaching out to the amazing network of perinatal peer support initiatives across the UK. Peer supporters and the professionals they are in contact with are in an ideal position to cascade awareness about this useful and informative free course.
We invite you to join in the conversation on our website about this important topic of drinking alcohol during pregnancy and to find out more about how peer support can help support expectant parents through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. It’s all about giving babies the best possible start in life.”
Just the one? Avoiding alcohol during pregnancy is available via the Parents 1st UK website.
