Can you drink champagne while pregnant?
Not advisedNo, skip champagne for the whole pregnancy. Alcohol passes straight to your baby, and no amount has been shown to be safe.
Why
Champagne is wine with bubbles, usually around 12 percent alcohol, so a small 125ml flute is close to 1.5 units. The risk is the alcohol itself: your baby's liver cannot process it, and the NHS links drinking in pregnancy to miscarriage, premature birth, low birthweight and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. That is why the NHS puts alcohol on its short list of drinks to avoid in pregnancy rather than giving a safe weekly allowance. A celebration toast is the classic sticking point, and the honest answer is that the safest glass is the one without alcohol in it.
Safer alternatives
- Thomson & Scott Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay, labelled 0.0
- Freixenet 0.0 Sparkling
- Welch's Sparkling White Grape Juice in a flute
- Soda water with elderflower cordial and a frozen raspberry
Sources
- NHS https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant/
- NHS https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/
Every verdict follows our sourcing methodology: official health guidelines only, most cautious position when they differ.
Last reviewed by the pregAI editorial team.
Frequently asked questions
Is one glass of champagne at a wedding okay?
There is no amount of alcohol that has been shown to be safe in pregnancy, so the NHS position is to skip it, including the toast. If you want the ritual without the alcohol, pour an 0.0 sparkling wine into the same flute and nobody at the table will know the difference.
I drank champagne before I knew I was pregnant, is my baby harmed?
The risk from a small amount of alcohol in the first few weeks, before you knew, is low. What matters now is stopping, and plenty of people in exactly this situation go on to have healthy pregnancies. Mention it at your next midwife appointment so it is on record.
Is alcohol-free champagne really alcohol-free?
Look for 0.0 percent on the label rather than just the words alcohol-free, because in some countries that wording still allows a trace of alcohol up to 0.5 percent. Bottles marked 0.0 are the clean swap, and most supermarkets now stock at least one sparkling option.
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Get instant verdicts on any foodpregAI is informational only and is not medical advice. Always check with your doctor or midwife about anything specific to your pregnancy.