Drinking whilst pregnant

Ashleighhh · 2018-02-28T00:53:34+00:00

Major paranoid, didn’t find out until 15 weeks and had binge drank at 2&3, 9&10, 11&14 weeks, very worried Drs and midwives said it’s done and should be fine but can’t stop worrying. Scan at 17 weeks was comepletely fine. Any help would be so appreciated

DalekDalekDalek · 28/02/2018 00:59

A couple of hundred years ago people drank mostly alcohol because water wasn't safe so all babies were born to women who continued drinking through their pregnancies.

You're not the first woman to not find out until a little later and you won't be the last. You didn't know, it's not like you drank alcohol knowing you were pregnant.

tararabumdeay · 28/02/2018 01:20

It'll be fine. You, your baby and your future will be fine. I have worked with children with disabilities for 30 years and only met three (over all those years) who have definitely been affected by mum's drinking.

I didn't know DS2 was on his way till approx 12 weeks so had one or two nights before I found out. He's fine.

DS1 was brought up on Guinness is good for you.

Feel safe, any effect is rare.

ReggaetonLente · 28/02/2018 01:25

I think you have to seriously cane it to affect the baby. I know women who drank multiple bottles of wine/spirits daily, throughout pregnancy, and their children are fine.

I think that decent nutrition and otherwise good health cushions the effect of alcohol for most. I’m not a HCP, but that’s what I’ve observed. The women I know who’ve had children with FAS have been addicted to other drugs and lived chaotic lifestyles for a number of years.

Argeles · 28/02/2018 01:27

You’ll both be fine.

There’s far too much worry placed on women about drinking nowadays. My Mum and her friends and my Aunties all drank in moderation throughout their pregnancies in the 1980’s and none of the offspring have any disabilities, allergies etc.

One of my Nan’s didn’t know she was pregnant until the day she delivered her baby. She had been drinking way more than she should have throughout her pregnancy, eating whatever she wanted, exercising, horse riding and standing for very long periods in her place of work. Her baby was completely healthy at birth.

I’m not saying to follow my Nan’s example, but don’t get so hung up with all the ‘advice.’

TheButterflyOfTheStorms · 28/02/2018 02:01

What can you do? Worry or not and it makes no difference. So give yourself a break and try to relax and enjoy being pregnant.

FWIW I've worked with lots of young mums who did a LOT worse than drink three times (crystal meth anyone?) and only one child was affected.

AjasLipstick · 28/02/2018 02:16

Dalek that's a silly analogy....or whatever it is. I mean...a hundred and fifty years ago women were diagnosed with "hysteria" and babies were slapped for crying.

OP...don't fret. it's done now....no amount of worrying will change that and in all likelyhood it will be fine.

DalekDalekDalek · 28/02/2018 02:24

Ajas It isn't an analogy. I just mean babies were born without problems back then, people aren't biologically any different now. What's hysteria got to do with it?

Aquamarine1029 · 28/02/2018 03:02

If a fetus could be damaged by alcohol consumption early in pregnancy, almost no one would give birth to a healthy baby.

Stop wasting headspace worrying. Everything will be fine.

Absofrigginlootly · 28/02/2018 03:21

If you have a spare £200 you could book your 20 week anomaly scan at the fetal medicine center in London. They are world experts at Fetal screening and have the best scanners. If you book with a consultant they can talk you through your scan and your concerns.

(Btw, how can you be 2 and 3 weeks pregnant? That's conception and implantation week.... so discount both of those immediately as your baby can only be affected by what you eat/drink/illness etc once they are implanted and attached to a maternal blood supply )

Absofrigginlootly · 28/02/2018 03:22

fetalmedicine.com/

hopingandprayingthistime · 28/02/2018 04:10

Ah OP you have my total sympathy. Pregnancy is such a worrying time. I am finding myself worrying about every little thing I might be doing “wrong” e.g. going in a jacuzzi for a few minutes, what I am eating (too much chocolate? Beef not fully cooked through? Runny eggs?), what I am drinking (coffee? Herbal tea?), other “risky” behaviour such as working full time! It’s overwhelming. So many people keep saying relax and enjoy but I know it’s not that easy! Objectively, plenty of people find out they are pregnant a little later and many have been drinking / smoking / doing other “bad” things during that period. Most babies are absolutely fine. You didn’t know. Please try not to beat yourself up. If it helps, I have a friend who didn’t find out until early in the second trimester too and she had been drinking and smoking for those first few months. She worried like crazy but her DC is now a perfectly healthy 4 year old! Best wishes for your pregnancy and congratulations! I won’t say stop worrying as it’s impossible

eeanne · 28/02/2018 04:12

If a fetus could be damaged by alcohol consumption early in pregnancy, almost no one would give birth to a healthy baby.

I agree with the sentiment but, not everyone drinks alcohol. To say almost no one would have a healthy baby seems to suggest alcohol is consumed by everyone!

KochabRising · 28/02/2018 05:08

While you can never say 100% things are ok with any pregnancy the chances are you’ll be ok. Full on FAS seems to need heavy prolonged consumption. Two episodes of binge drinking probably doesn’t reach that threshold (2/3w doesn’t teally count)

This is a really tricky subject because you need to strike a balance between evidence based advice and safety and women’s bodily autonomy. A LOT of women drink before they find out they’re pregnant. The vast majority it turns out just fine. At the same time it’s not correct to say it’s proven to have no effect. The best evidence we have says:
No amount has been proven to be safe.
Minor to moderate consumption is not visibly associated with negative outcomes.

FAS is a spectrum so only the more severely affected children have the characteristic facial features - more subtle cases often go undiagnosed. It’s thought that a couple of percent of children have cognitive issues due to maternal intake, but it’s complex - people seem to react very differently and it looks like the foetus has certain specific periods of development where it’s more vulnerable or less.,

Anyway, enough rambling. What’s done is done and the chances are it’ll be ok. Please try not to panic,

Kitsharrington · 28/02/2018 07:43

Isn’t it 12 weeks before the baby even shares your blood supply? So any drinking before then wouldn’t cause a problem. As for the week 14 I wouldn’t worry. Look up old threads on here and you will see this question asked a lot with women coming on to say they went on a 5 day bender at 16 weeks not knowing they were pregnant and their baby is now a PhD. You have to drink a lot over a sustained period to harm your baby.

Absofrigginlootly · 28/02/2018 13:15

Isn’t it 12 weeks before the baby even shares your blood supply? So any drinking before then wouldn’t cause a problem

No that's not true. The baby never "shares" the mother's blood supply. They are always kept separate. That's why mother and baby can have completely different blood types and rhesus +/-

Nutrients (as well as certain toxins or drugs) can be passed through the umbilical cord in the same way that gases are exchanged between the blood and respiratory systems in ones body, but the blood never "mixes".

Unfortunately the majority of major development happens in the first 12 weeks (formation of spine, brain, organs and limbs) so the fetus is indeed vulnerable at this stage to external/maternal influences (e.g. A maternal fever at this stage can cause a miscarriage).... but in the subject of alcohol I would agree with Kochab

Hillarious · 28/02/2018 13:33

If you have a spare £200 you could book your 20 week anomaly scan at the fetal medicine center in London. They are world experts at Fetal screening and have the best scanners. If you book with a consultant they can talk you through your scan and your concerns.

And what would you do next?

specialsubject · 28/02/2018 13:40

Its done, can't be changed. All you can do is get scans.

Binge drinking is obviously horrific so I hope you get help for that.

DalekDalekDalek · 28/02/2018 13:42

Binge drinking is obviously horrific so I hope you get help for that.

OP isn't the only one who needs help then!

Amanduh · 28/02/2018 13:43

I drank alcohol - big amounts - several parties and nights out whilst I was pregnant, because I found out at 16 weeks. Perfect DC. Please try not to worry x

Alisvolatpropiis · 28/02/2018 13:45

Your baby will be fine op

specialsubject - binge drinking is “horrific”? Bit ott there

Absofrigginlootly · 28/02/2018 13:47

And what would you do next?

Depends on what the scan showed...??

My point is they have the best scanning equipment and are leading experts in fetal medicine. Hopefully a normal scan at the fetal medicine centre would reassure and calm the OP

ReggaetonLente · 28/02/2018 13:55

Binge drinking is common on a night out, surely? I drank at a couple of parties and a meal out when I was unknowingly pregnant - luckily I found out at 4+1.

At the dinner I probably had half a bottle of wine and a couple of cocktails, was slightly tipsy, not even drunk but that’s binge drinking.

RLOU88 · 28/02/2018 13:58

I did the same I didn’t find out until 3 months and drunk in that time. I’m 6 months now and all going well, try not to worry x

tinkywinky2018 · 28/02/2018 14:02

Binge drinking is obviously horrific so I hope you get help for that

three pints is technically binge drinking, thats not even a night out. It's neither horrific or something one needs help for, ffs.

sirlee66 · 28/02/2018 14:19

Please don't beat yourself up! You didn't know! If you had you wouldn't have drunk!!

I can't remember the week, but the baby isn't attached to you and is getting everything it needs from the yolk sac quite early in so you can't pass over the alcohol anyway in the early days.

Worrying will do nothing but hinder you lovely baby so please try to relax. You're going to be a wonderful mumma! Congrats!!!!