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Antenatal tests

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Original poster

Found out I'm pregnant at 35 weeks

23 replies

sam659 · 25/04/2019 09:50

Hi, I only found out I'm pregnant three weeks ago due to no visible bump or what I considered as symptoms. I'm 38 weeks atm. I never thought this could be me as I was always skeptical of these stories and thought how could you not know. My anxiety is thought the roof as I've taking no pre natal vitamins and I've been drinking alcohol almost the entire pregnancy. I've probably drink a bottle of wine every Saturday night. I'm terrified I've caused Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. All is measured correctly on my scan but I'm still up the walls. Can anyone offer advice please

OP posts:

rubyroot · 27/04/2019 17:29

Wow! Congratulations.

I remember my doctor saying to me that they were taught at medical school that for FAS to occur you have to drink a massive amount of alcohol. Chances are your baby will be fine. x

99calmbeforethestorm · 27/04/2019 17:33

I have worked in schools for 11 years and I have only come across one child with alcohol fetal syndrome. This mother was an alcoholic and drank more than a bottle of wine every night.

knotsandcrosses · 27/04/2019 17:41

Dd found out she was 27 weeks pregnant six weeks ago it's been a bit of a shock. Dd has a health condition that means she takes a lot of pain medication (morphine as well) so it was a worry but from scans baby appears to be perfect. Dd has had to come off all the medication so has been preoccupied by that and shopping. Try not to worry. Have you got yourself prepared ? It took dd a good four weeks before she could actually get her head around being pregnant so you might be distracting yourself with the "what ifs" as a way of processing what is happening. Good luck OP I hope everything goes well.

HollowTalk · 27/04/2019 17:43

I've always wanted to ask someone who this has happened to whether they ever felt any movements. I can understand someone not registering the first flutterings, but what about when their knees and elbows stick out?

knotsandcrosses · 27/04/2019 17:45

Can I add that dgm was an alcoholic her whole life drinking huge amounts (a bottle of whisky or brandy a day) and smoking 100 cigarettes a day (she lived to 88) yet she had df and his brother who had no health problems.

BikeRunSki · 27/04/2019 17:51

@HollowTalk - With DS, his limbs never stick out. He was back to back footling breech abd I had really strong stomach muscles due to Pilates. I felt him moving around plenty, but never saw a hand, foot or knee stick out.

knotsandcrosses · 27/04/2019 17:54

Hollow dd says now that she did feel baby move before she knew she was pregnant but thought it was wind because she couldn't think of another explanation. She was having regular periods and had taken two pregnancy tests that were negative so didn't recognise the movements as a baby until she was told she was having a baby. She went to GP at my insistence because she had a pot belly on her slight size six frame. She still didn't think she was pregnant because of the negative tests and regular periods though. She went into shock when GP examined her and let her hear the heartbeat and said she was 24 weeks or more (turned out she was 27 weeks).

HollowTalk · 27/04/2019 18:08

It must be terrifying to realise you're so far gone without realising it. I wonder why your dd had regular periods - was she on the Pill?

HollowTalk · 27/04/2019 18:09

@BikeRunSki but you knew you were pregnant?

SinkGirl · 27/04/2019 18:15

Try not to panic about the drinking. I hope nothing has come of it but make sure your doctors are aware so that they can monitor you and your little one - it’s not your fault!

I am a bit surprised by a PP as I was on massive doses of morphine when I got pregnant and I was told not to stop it under any circumstances - I was told to cut down very gradually and slowly as much as possible but no more. Fortunately I cut down enough that there was no withdrawal but this is a different situation as there’s no evidence of morphine affecting development and it’s the withdrawal thats dangerous, neither of which is the case for alcohol.

I will cross everything for you and hope everything goes to plan

knotsandcrosses · 27/04/2019 18:36

No not on the pill but regular as clockwork. She had one more since she found out but they seem to have stopped now.

BikeRunSki · 27/04/2019 18:37

@HollowTalk - yes! 😊

Roomba · 27/04/2019 18:37

Had a similar experience and was terrified due to having drunk alcohol (not every day, but definitely more than the recommended amount!) and being on strong opiates long term at the time for a back problem. I was convinced DS would have FAS and Neonatal abstinence syndrome and Googling made everything seem even more inevitable! I reduced the dose of medication as much as I could before the birth, but was told not to stop dead as it could risk miscarriage.

In the end, DS and I were kept in for a couple of days for observation (which would have happened anyway as I had a c section). He was absolutely fine. He's nearly 7 now and has no signs of any issues at all, never has had - he's doing brilliantly all round really. My nerves have just about recovered now

Heymummee · 27/04/2019 18:39

I only found out I was pregnant with my first baby when I was in labour. I had been drinking throughout my pregnancy and was worried sick, he’s now very tall and strong 11 year old, try not to worry.

knotsandcrosses · 27/04/2019 18:40

Dd had to cut down slowly, as well ironically she had been cutting down for some time anyway (her decision as pain was more manageable so who knows whether pregnancy has made a difference) but when she would have conceived she would have been taking a fair amount regularly as well as ora morph when needed.

Alabasterangel6 · 27/04/2019 18:43

Please please don’t worry excessively. Close family member is an senior consultant obstetrician and we’ve had the alcohol discussion loads. I’m not being flippant and I’m not suggesting boozing when knowingly pregnant is okay, but FAS isn’t a given even with massive alcohol intake (way above a bottle of wine level). It’s a bit of a gamble thing; let’s say ‘x’ number of women drinking a litre of spirits a day results in a small % of FAS births. It’s still not a given that every single woman doing this would have a baby with FAS, by a massive margin. It’s chance. But because of that SMALL chance the advice given is to avoid it at all, thus mitigating all risk even when it’s very very unlikely.

Quickthrowaway · 27/04/2019 18:49

DD had a boy in her class with FAS. His mum was a proper street drinker. White lightening for breakfast type. Try to worry too much op

Congratulations!

SinkGirl · 27/04/2019 19:10

Bless her knots, I hope she’s okay now.

1WayOrAnother · 27/04/2019 19:15

Wow! That must be quite a shock for you OP. Try not to waste the next few weeks worrying. Its good news!

knotsandcrosses · 27/04/2019 19:39

sinkgirl thank you she is fine now, even getting excited, but it has been a huge shock and she was fragile for a while. I suppose the blessing to be taken from it is that I had hyperemesis with each pregnancy and she missed all that and seems to be breezing through pregnancy so far. She will be a lovely mum and I'm getting a grandson and that is most unexpected seeing as none of my children planned on having children themselves.

rebeccaw123 · 28/04/2019 22:12

Oh my goodness how amazing, and what a breeze of a pregnancy you must of had!!
Hope all goes well!

thetruthisoutthere89 · 17/12/2021 01:11

@sam659 wondering how everything turned out for you and Bebe ?? I have a friend in similar position .

Blue4YOU · 17/12/2021 01:15

Wow! I must say I knew about every pregnancy before I even missed a period (it’s weird .. my legs go funny).
But I never saw my first DD move until she was 35 weeks- before that, vague fluttering.
I hope all goes well OP

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