Learning About Substance Use During and After Pregnancy
Substance use means drinking alcohol, using cannabis, tobacco or nicotine or other drugs. It can also include the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter medicines. It's safest not to use substances if you are planning to become pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Using them can cause problems before, during and after pregnancy.
Find a doctor or midwife you can trust. It's important to feel safe and respected when talking about substance use. Your healthcare provider can help you quit or cut back, and reduce other harms. To find a doctor visit: Alberta Find a Provider. If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s use of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, nicotine or other drugs, contact Health Link at 811 or the Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322.
If you can, bring someone you trust with you to your doctor or midwife visits. This could be your partner, a friend or a doula. They can help you talk to your doctor or midwife.
What problems can substance use cause?
Problems caused by substance use are not the same for every pregnancy.
How substance use affects pregnancy depends on:
- What you use.
- How often you use it.
- How much you take or consume.
- When during the pregnancy you use it.
Problems caused by substance use can include:
- Pregnancy loss and early labour.
- Low birth weight in an infant.
- Problems with how an infant's heart, lungs, brain and other organs work.
- Low energy or fussiness in a breastfeeding infant.
- Lifelong learning, emotional, behaviour or physical problems for a child.
How is it treated?
Treatment includes counselling, and you may also get safer medicines based on your health needs and the substances you use. Joining a support group can also help. Look for a group that is the right fit for you and focused on substance use during and after pregnancy. Your healthcare provider can help connect you to women centered and gender specific counselling and treatment options.
Medicines are often used to treat alcohol or other substance use before, during and after pregnancy. Your doctor can prescribe medicines to help you quit or to help you get through withdrawal symptoms.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
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Adaptation Date: 04/10/2026
Adapted By: Alberta Health Services
Adaptation Reviewed By: Alberta Health Services
