Can you drink hard cider while pregnant?
Not advisedNo, skip hard cider during pregnancy. It is an alcoholic drink, usually 4 to 8 percent ABV, and the NHS advice is that no amount of alcohol is known to be safe for a developing baby.
Why
Hard cider is alcohol, and the risk is the alcohol itself, not the apples. The NHS states that the safest approach is not to drink at all while pregnant, because alcohol crosses the placenta and is linked to miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Cider is easy to underestimate: a pint of 6 percent cider carries more alcohol than a small glass of wine, and craft or farmhouse versions often run stronger than the label on a mass-market can. NSW Health notes that drinks sold as low alcohol or alcohol free can still contain small residual amounts from fermentation, so the cleanest swap is a product labeled 0.0 percent or a plain pasteurized apple juice.
Safer alternatives
- Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, which is pasteurized apple juice with no alcohol
- Appletiser over ice with a wedge of lime
- A 0.0 percent cider such as Kopparberg Alcohol Free or Old Mout Alcohol Free
- Sparkling water with pressed apple juice and a dash of cinnamon syrup
Sources
- NHS https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant/
- NSW Health https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/resources/Factsheets/fermented-drinks-and-alcohol.PDF
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 hard cider okay in the third trimester?
There is no point in pregnancy where alcohol becomes safe, so the NHS advice to avoid it holds right through to delivery. Your baby's brain is still developing in the third trimester and processes alcohol far more slowly than you do. If you want the ritual of a cold glass, a 0.0 percent cider gives you the same thing without the alcohol.
I drank cider before I knew I was pregnant, should I worry?
Most people who drank before a positive test go on to have healthy babies, and the NHS is clear that the risk from a small amount early on is likely to be low. The useful thing now is simply to stop, not to replay what happened. Mention it at your next appointment so it is on your record and you can stop carrying it alone.
Is alcohol-free cider safe while pregnant?
Drinks labeled 0.0 percent are the safest choice. Products labeled alcohol free or low alcohol can still hold a trace of alcohol from fermentation, up to around 0.5 percent, which NSW Health flags on fermented drinks generally. That trace is tiny, but if you want zero ambiguity, read for 0.0 percent on the can.
Related foods
All drinks verdicts for pregnancy Browse all foods: can I eat this while pregnant?Get instant verdicts on any food
pregAI scans any dish, product or menu and answers in seconds, grounded in the same official sources.
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.