Unplanned pregnancy - have been smoking, drinking and take prescription meds

[BillieBonkers]

Hi
I suppose I am looking for some reassurance here, or similar stories....my husband and I have 3 lovely boys (aged 10, 9 and 6) and did not plan on having any more children. I had the IUD in place but had it removed due to stomach pains (on advice of GP) and while waiting for appt to have a new one fitted we used condoms. However one split while on holiday and there was no way of getting a morning after pill.
I have just discovered I am pregnant (about 4 weeks). I am in shock to be honest. I am 40 and am worried about all the implications of having another baby - on me, my husband, our boys, finances....
My main concern though is that while on holiday I was drinking some wine (not lots - 1 or 2 glasses an evening) but also smoking 3-4 cigarettes a day (a habit I have been trying to give up but have only succeeded in cutting down). I also take a low dose of Prozac for mild depression and a low dose of propranolol for preventing migraines.
I have no idea what the effects of these will be on the baby but am sure it can't be good :-( I can't see a doctor until Friday and am driving myself mad with worry in the meantime. I have stopped smoking (which I am finding tough) but I don't want to stop taking any medication without advice from the doctor.
Thanks so much for any advice

Billie - I posted something very similar on another thread a couple of weeks ago when I found out I was pregnant and everyone said the same thing: soooo many people have done this and it is very very unlikley to do your baby any harm.

I was on honeymoon when I got pregnant (admittedly we were trying, but this was literally the first few days of trying and it just seemed impossible that it would happen!). I drank every day (more than you described), ate blue cheese, used insect repellant, took painkillers for the hangovers, ate cured meats, and rare beef. Basically, all the things you shouldn't do.

I felt dreadfully guilty about it, but everyone I've spoken to has assured me that this early on it is unlikely to do any harm. At that stage your baby is not even getting nutrients direct from you, but from the yolk sac - it won't start feeding from the placenta for a few weeks. Obviously you have to be good now, but in the meantime, try not to fret.

I've read several times that in the first few weeks, the baby is using the yolk sac rather than taking nutrition from you, so he won't have shared your wine. I'm pretty sure that 1-2 glasses of wine and 3-4 cigarettes a day over the short period that you didn't know won't have caused any damage

You're doing the right thing by stopping now - well done for quitting smoking, that's great. You should also start taking folic acid straight away - it's most important in the first 12 weeks.

I don't know about the meds you're taking, but you could give NHS direct a call - they're really good for things like that and will be able to tell you straight away whether it's OK to keep taking them, and what to do if not.

Take your time getting used to the idea of being pregnant again, and good luck with your pregnancy.

Hi,
With first pregnancy I didn't know I was pregnant until around 10 weeks, had been smoking 20 a day, eating loads of pate & other naughty food & drinking very heavily every weekend. Obvs stopped all that the day I found out & worried a lot but my son is a strong, healthy, kind & sweet almost 5 year old. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy :)

When I was pregnant with my first before I knew so was less than 4 weeks. I went to a wedding and got soo drunk I was still very tipsy in the morning. If not still drunk anyway everything was okay. Some perscription drugs are ok to take during pregnancy I have alredy had to have a course of antibiotics this time around. (the box says do not take if pregnant but its just precautionary)

Contact your gp and they will be able to check your meds are the best for while you are pregnant of not they will change them. Try not to worry.

Thank you very much for your reassuring and helpful replies.

Hi OP,

4 days before I found out I was pregnant I got hideously drunk, smoked and was on fluoxetine at the time. I'm 32+5 at the mo and no probs at all so far. I came off the fluoxetine at my GP's advice but I have friends on low dose anti-depressants who were advised to stay on them throughout their pregnancies by their GPs and their babies have had no ill effects. Don't know about migraine tablets I'm afraid.

Your GP will be able to reassure you and advise accordingly I'm sure. Congrats on your pregnancy

Lots of us conceive when we don't quite expect it, and with bad habits or prescribed medication in place, and nearly everyone is absolutely fine.

I hope this will be the spur to kick the fags for good. What you need to do now is see your doctor as you plan about whether there is a need for alternative prescriptions and to start taking a folic acid supplement.

And congratulations!

Hi OP, I had similar worries, not TTC and had 2 weekends in a row in first month of boozy girls nights, drunk my body weight in cava
My midwife told me not to worry at all, it's so early that the foetus isn't taking much from you at that stage and 'babies are very resilient'. This reassured me, hope it does you. Congrats on giving up smoking too!

My friend found out she was pg at 30 weeks. She'd smoked and drank a lot during her pregnancy, but her LO is very healthy, just small from being born early.

Just get to your GP to discuss your options with the medication.

I found out the day after I got married. The night before I had drunk a load of gin and ended up dancing on a table . Am 30 weeks PG now and baby seems fine. Don't worry, as many have said, it happens all the time and nothing bad happens. Well fond with the smoking tho. That's one of the hardest things to give up! And congratulations!