Alcohol Panic.

[Mayanbob]

Hi... this is my first post here and as a pregnant person. I mean... I just did a test about an hour ago which showed positive. Since then i have been in a tiz and managed to flood the bathroom with the bath already. I am just wondering if anyone can offer any reassurances -the deal is this... -I am sorry if I use the wrong terms for here, i'm just in the house, on my own and just don't know what to do!

we have been TTC for 9 months now, with totally irregular periods, after 6 I eased up on the no drinking- but only drinking one day a week when i'd have a glass of wine- or 2-3 during my period. It was the Christmas do on Friday and I drank 4 glasses of wine I did a test in the morning- negative- and then I had some bleeding- my period- OR SO I THOUGHT-. Cue stomach cramps and hot water bottle on Saturday, and still bleeding- although a lot lighter than usual. Went out to pub quiz yesterday- another 3 glasses of wine, realised I hadn't need to change towel (sorry if too much info), still no bleeding today, panicked and bought another test in Boots after work... and here we are.

I am totally panicking that I have damaged my baby, because believe me when I say that this baby is so very wanted. the stuff on FAS is so confusing. Is it definate that it will be affected- has anything like this happened to anyone else? I'm completely freaking out here.

hi and thanks again.

[LookBehindYou]

Congratulations! Don't worry - you haven't harmed your baby.

[ArkadyRose]

No, a few drinks at this stage will not give your baby Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. You'd have to be downing several pints or glasses of wine every day to bring on FAS. A few drinks before realising you were pregnant will not affect it.

I got right royally smashed on bourbon with my then-husband a couple of days before finding out I was pregnant with DD1. She turned out just fine - in fact she just turned 20 at the end of October. I drank 1-2 units a week when pregnant with DD3; she's 5 now and the top of her class in pretty much everything.

[justalilmummy]

Congratulations! I just wanted to tell u that I also have very irregular periods. I found out I was pregnant at almost 14 weeks. It was over the Xmas/new year period and I was only 18 so belive me when I say I drank and smoked a ridiculous amount! Ds is now a happy and healthy 3 1/2 year old! I think women drinking before they find out if very common, so try not to worry about it too much!

[xmasevebundle]

I also was smoking 50g a week up to 10 weeks pregnant.

I even went out clubbing at got very very drunk!!

(i didnt find out until i was 10w i was even pregnant!)

I have a healthy baby inside me and hes okay nothing wrong with him. You will be be like this as you says its a wanted child.

Congraulations

[Mayanbob]

Thank you- I have now got out of my (rescued) bath to read these messages and am now having a little cry. I hope to be here a bit more when I am less of an emotional wreck.

Thank you SO much! and i'm going to be a mum!

[VickyU]

Congratulations! Please don't worry at all. In the first two weeks of my pregnancy (when I didn't know I was pregnant!) I went to Israel for a 4 day wedding party. The actual wedding itself went on until 6am. During that time I must have drunk over a bottle of wine (at least) + spirits plus smoked about 20 cigarettes. That was just the wedding night....I was completely honest with my doctor about what was basically a 4 day bender while I was pregnant and he said not to worry at all as long as I didn't continue in a similar fashion! I am now 30 weeks and everything is fine so far - and needless to say I haven't smoked or drank alcohol since!

[MerryChristMoose]

You'll be fine OP. Congratulations!

I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was 17 weeks. In those weeks I emigrated to Canada. There were several champagne fuelled parties before leaving and several bottles on arrival to celebrate moving into our house, one or two weekends away etc.

Like you, I panicked a bit, but you can't undo what is done. Try to relax and enjoy.

DS was a 10lb 11oz bundle of joy :)

[kdiddy]

Congratulations! Don't beat yourself up about it, most of us have done it. I got completely trollied with my best friend before realising I'd fallen pregnant. I did feel pretty shitty about it for a bit, but I think a lot of that was bound up in the excitement and emotional reaction to the news.

If I'm right, in the early days of the pregnancy anyway the baby isn't fully attached to you yet - the placenta hasn't formed and it's living off the yolk sac.

DS is 10mo now, completely healthy, and a right handful. All will be well!

[MrsGeologist]

Kdiddy is correct, the embryo exists for a feweeks off the yolk sac, before the placenta has formed.
Even if it has formed, one or two glasses is nothing to worry about at all.

Congratulations :)

[HenriettaTurkey]

At 4 weeks I had a negative test. I then had our 1yr wedding anniversary. As we knew I wasn't pregnant we went crazy.

I had:
Pâté
Champagne
Sauna
Steam room
Jacuzzi
Champagne
Liver
Rare steak
Champagne
Wine
And really really bad and bewildering seasickness!

I now have the most gorgeous, and healthy little 8 month old boy.

Don't worry. It's what you do now that counts.

[sittinginthesun]

Congratulations!

When I fell pregnant with DS2, we'd been away with my parents, staying in a small flat, so no chance of any "trying for a baby" stuff going on.

Thought I had a month's respite, so drank, deliberately ate everything you can't eat when pregnant, for two weekends on the trot.

Found out a week later that I had been pregnant all along. Took us ages to remember a very unmemorable quickie.

DS2 was fine, but I did have a fright!

[Mayanbob]

This has really helped. Thank you so much. It's nice to see that everyone is so friendly here, and to hear about all your healthy babies. Now to come up with excuses to get me through the festive period

[cazbo16]

I had a boozy weekend before I found out I was pregnant with my 8wk old. He's fine. I've 5 children and was pregnant with 2 of them over the Xmas period. I personally don't think the odd glass of wine hurts, and I've had 1 or 2 cigarettes. I did avoid soft cheese liver and pate in all pregnancies and avoided prawns and peanuts in first 4, my MW said advice had changed about these 2 now. Congratulations, you're going to be a mummy[grin

[Fluffycloudland77]

I thought the embryo wasnt as affected early on by alcohol anyway.

I want wine now and we have none.

[OwlLady]

the baby will be fine, it's a free radical or something at this stage anyway (or something, don't ask me I am an owl)

I have to say as well, having experience of children with FAS, they are usually born to proper alcoholics, often who have drug problems on top. I actually have never witnessed anything else tbh. I know statistics show otherwise etc and it's dangerous say FAS only occurs in these groups, so i acknowledge that too as obviously it's ideal that you do not drink moderately or heavily when you know you are pregnant which i assume you will now follow :)

[CaHoHoHootz]

Don't worry about it for a second.

[Mixxy]

What do you mean "proper alcoholics" OwlLady? Some women get worried about a few nights out before they knew they were pregnant. What about women who can really put it away and didn't find out until 6 or 7 weeks along?

[OwlLady]

I mean someone who drinks heavily, consistently. My friend has adopted his grandson with FAS and his Mum drank heavily throughout, I was sort of thinking of that scenario as I know many the same unfortunately. Mixxy, I had a very unplanned third as well and didn't find out until 10 weeks ish, i think i was in denial, but the research I did at the time suggested it doesn't pass to the baby early as there is no placenta to cross or something (god it was 6 years ago I can't remember and I am no expert) I just don't think it's a huge issue to worry about this stage

[OwlLady]

one of my friends didn't find out she was pregnant until 30 weeks too, she had a seriously ill child and she thought her periods had stopped because of stress. She had carried on completely as normal and 6 weeks later she had a healthy baby :) it happens I suppose

[Mixxy]

I didn't find out until I was 7 weeks pregnant (a mixture of being a bit slow and it just never crossing my mind). I drank everyday, went on a very boozy 3 week vacation, attended a very boozy wedding and an even boozier funeral all before it dawned on me...'hey, no period but sore boobs and I could sleep for a week...' Of course I quit that second, but the damage could have been done.

At the twenty weeks mark I had a melt down and started having panic attacks about FAS.

I'm now 31 weeks along. It still gives me nightmares. Help reassure a former good time gal.

[OwlLady]

it will be fine honestly, please don't worry. I had a denial bottle of wine before I tested ffs. He was and is fine :)

I do understand it's not great to be nonchalant, but these things have happened for centuries and whilst it's not ideal ime evidence does support that in the early weeks there is no placenta to cross and the embryo is free, floating around or something. Please don't worry!

[Mixxy]

Thanks Owl. I was so crazed a few weeks back I more or less had to be talked off an emotional ledge by some kind mumsnet people. I was even trying to see if I could spot some defined philtrum on the 20 week scan image...

Lesson well learned for the next time, I can assure you!