Did you just end up with a positive pregnancy test, and isn’t sure if it’s because you drank too much alcohol last night?
Drinking alcohol doesn’t affect your pregnancy test directly. The reason is that its absorption in the bloodstream doesn’t interfere with the rise in the level of the human chorionic gonadotropin hCG hormone. In fact, no drink can result in a false pregnancy report.
However, alcohol can indirectly affect the results by producing dilute urine.
Want to know how alcohol can affect pregnancy tests? Then dive into the next section as this article covers it all.
How Does Pregnancy Test Work In Actual- The Hormonal Change
The human chorionic gonadotropin hCG amount is quantitatively measured in different pregnancy tests. The hCG level in non-pregnant ladies is typically about 5 mIU per ml.
However, in pregnant women, the amount is mostly above 100 mIU per ml and continues to rise. The hCG level begins to increase nearly after one week of fertilization and doubles almost every two to three days until the first trimester completes. In this way, one comes to know if she is pregnant or not.
Does Alcohol Consumption Affect Human Chorionic Gonadotropin?
No, drinking Alcoholic beverages or alcohol in any form doesn’t affect the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone. The reason is that the rise in hCG level is directly linked with Pregnancy and fertilization. As soon as the embryo is fertilized and implants, the placenta increases the production of the hCG hormone. It has no link with alcohol consumption.
However, if you are pregnant, the alcohol can pass into your baby’s blood via your bloodstream and placenta, thus putting your life and health at risk.
How Does Alcohol Affect Pregnancy Tests?
Did you just have some booze and aren’t sure if you should go for a Pregnancy test right now or not? Then cheer up, buddy, you can!
As mentioned above, drinking alcohol has no direct effect on pregnancy tests since it does not impact hormone release.
However, it can indirectly affect the result of a pregnancy test. The reason is that ethanol is known to be diuretic in properties, and therefore, it often results in dehydration. Consequently, you start to feel arid and end up sipping lots of glasses of water to fight the urge.
Now, too much water consumption can eventually end up in the production of dilute urine. Ultimately, it becomes difficult to detect levels of hCG in daytime urine, and therefore, you can end up with a false negative report.
That is the reason why it is recommended to do a home pregnancy check early in the morning, as morning urine is the most concentrated one.
Can Drinking Alcohol Give A False Positive Report?
No, drinking alcohol can not give a false positive report. A positive report is clearly due to a noticeable rise in the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone.
However, it can give a false negative report due to the production of extra dilute urine.
Can Any Drink Affect Pregnancy Tests?
No, usually, no drink or, to be more general, no food can affect the pregnancy test result.
So, let it be alcohol, caffeine, herbs, weeds, or anything; none of these can result in a false positive or negative pregnancy test.
However, in some fertility treatments, hCG injections are given. In that case, there are chances that you can end up with a fake positive pregnancy report.
Got A Positive Pregnancy Test- What To Do Now?
Once you are tested positive for pregnancy by both hormonal and strip tests, it leaves no chance of confusion.
Therefore, you should immediately put a stop to booze and other alcoholic beverage consumption.
Although there is no way to prevent the already consumed alcohol from reaching out to your fetus, you can now say no to alcohol consumption. Otherwise, it can end up harming your fetus by damaging its organs, normal development or ultimately leading to miscarriage.
Moreover, you can consult a gynecologist for further advice and the safety of the growing embryo.
Does Drinking Alcohol Increase The Chance Of Miscarriages?
Yes, drinking alcohol increases the chance of miscarriage. In fact, research showed that women who continued to drink even after conception were at 8% more risk of miscarriage than normal women who didn’t drink alcohol.
A Few Precautions To Consider
If you are trying to convince or plan to get it shortly, it is recommended by doctors to avoid sipping any sort of alcoholic beverages. It would help keep all pregnancy risks at bay.
Furthermore, various kinds of research, like the one conducted by the ACOG, claim that drinking in the early weeks of pregnancy doesn’t seriously influence the growth and health of the embryo. But there is always a chance.
The reason is that a woman often learns she is expecting in the 4th or 5th week of her pregnancy.
So, although drinking alcohol before conceiving is somehow considered OK, you are never sure when you have fertilized.
Therefore, if you are aiming to have a baby, avoid alcohol consumption. Else, it can lead you to problems like
- high risk of miscarriages
- bleeding
- abnormal baby development
- stillbirth
Don’ts To Consider Before Taking A Pregnancy Test
In addition to not consuming too much alcohol, here are a few additional tips to consider before taking a pregnancy test:
- Avoid consuming too much water or fluid
- Don’t smoke
- Don’t rely on the home test; go for a proper urine test to check your hCG level
- Don’t do the test too early, as it can give a false negative report
Final Verdict
To cut it short, Drinking alcohol doesn’t have a direct effect on your pregnancy test since it has no involvement with the release of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone.
However, its diuretic property can indirectly affect the strip test by diluting the urine.
Therefore, it is best to have a urine pregnancy test early in the morning to get a clear result.
Moreover, if you have conceived or you are trying to, it is best to keep alcohol at bay in order to have a healthy baby!
I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.
