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Original poster

Affects of stress in the womb

7 replies

Workingmum994 · 04/12/2023 09:16

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge about what affect stress in the womb has on an unborn baby?

If a mother were to drink to excess (alcoholic), take drugs such as cocaine and heroin and self harm, what affects would this have on unborn baby mentally/ emotionally?

How may they present as adults?

My birth mum did all of the above and I am trying to understand how this affects me now.

OP posts:
MilkChocolateCookie · 04/12/2023 09:22

I know a child whose mum was an alcoholic who has foetal alcohol syndrome. But that's a physical condition and you are asking about mental / emotional effects so I'm not sure about that. Hopefully someone else can help you unpick this. Are you sure it was in the womb as opposed to when you were a small child? Were you removed from your mother as a baby? If so, that can have issues of its own (as I'm sure you know). Good luck in figuring it out OP.

Eyesopenwideawake · 04/12/2023 09:23

Foetal alcohol syndrome is the disorder that may result from a pregnant woman drinking to excess.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder

delilabell · 04/12/2023 09:25

Im so sorry that you are struggling with all of this

Only a tiny amount of fasd presents as a physical illness. The majority is hidden. Its actually more prevalent than autism.
If there is high stress during pregnancy then cortisol levels can be high which have an affect on the brain.
I will try to find some links to help you but the fasd website is very helpful.

Original poster
Workingmum994 · 04/12/2023 09:26

Thank you for the replies.

No, she did all of this whilst pregnant with me and I was removed from her care when I was about 2 weeks’ old as I was adopted.

I don’t have any (I don’t think) traits of foetal alcohol syndrome.

I have OCD which is now under control but I displayed OCD traits as young as 2.

OP posts:
Original poster
Workingmum994 · 04/12/2023 09:27

Thank you @delilabell I have recently been diagnosed with ME/CFS which I have posted about recently. I went to a kinesiology specialist who told me my nervous systems was off balance. Likely to do with all of the in utero stress!

OP posts:
delilabell · 04/12/2023 09:30

My son (adopted) has fasd. He has no physical symptoms but does have it.
He also has spd (sensory processing disorder) due to high cortisol levels, this might be something else to look at?

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