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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Accidental alcohol in 6th week of pregnancy

27 replies

woollycat · 23/09/2019 06:35

Hi everyone,

In my 6th week of pregnancy I was mistakenly served a rum cocktail instead of the mocktail that I had ordered. I drank all of it without realising it had rum, and later found out that it did :(

I am worried to death how this might harm my baby, have read lots of scary stuff on the internet. Looking for any kind of reassurance at this point!

OP posts:
WineOrGin · 23/09/2019 06:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lillygreen · 23/09/2019 06:47

You will be fine. You would need to drink a hell of a lot and consistently long term to damage your baby.

My doctor said a glass of wine a day is fine, so that's similar to your rum cocktail.

Dyrne · 23/09/2019 06:50

You’ll be absolutely fine, OP. If you were binge drinking or drinking regularly there are studies that show it may have an affect; but one accidental cocktail isn’t going to do anything.

Step away from the internet. I’m not sure what you’ve been reading because the vast majority of trustworthy sites say exactly what i’ve just said?

Nextphonewontbesamsung · 23/09/2019 07:06

Have you actually read lots of scary stuff on the internet about the dangers of drinking one cocktail in pregnancy? Where is that?

CherryPavlova · 23/09/2019 07:09

It won’t make this slightest difference. I’m just surprised you couldn’t taste the rum; it’s quite a strong flavour. I’d be more worried about friends who knew I’d ordered a non alcoholic drink but chose instead to order me an alcoholic one. I assume it was friends ordering for you?

Original poster
woollycat · 23/09/2019 07:38

It wasn't friends, it was the waitress' mistake. We saw later in the bill that it was alcoholic and she confirmed and apologised profusely.

OP posts:
Original poster
woollycat · 23/09/2019 07:41

In terms of what scary stuff I have read - it's more that there is nothing conclusive about having had 1 drink, and scary stuff about drinking regularly, so I am not sure I can just dismiss the one drink. NHS definitely says do not drink at all.

OP posts:
Benes · 23/09/2019 07:42

You'll be absolutely fine and so will your baby.
I got married when I was 10 weeks pregnant and had a couple of glasses of champagne. We were both fine.

WTF99 · 23/09/2019 07:48

You are in for a very hard time through pregnancy and early motherhood if one accidental shot of rum is enough to worry you to death.
It'll be fine.

littlemissalwaystired · 23/09/2019 07:50

The NHS says not to drink at all because people will always push boundaries. By saying it should be a blanket ban, a lot of people will then have the odd glass of wine etc which is fine. If the NHS told people that a glass of wine occasionally was fine, people would then push it to a bottle etc. You won't have damaged your baby by a shot of rum at 6 weeks pregnant, please don't worry. I'm a midwife.

57Varieties · 23/09/2019 07:52

One drink at 6 weeks will be fine. As others have said plenty of people don’t even know they’re pregnant by that stage. I understood the placenta doesn’t start working until after that point anyway which is the route by which alcohol enters the baby’s bloodstream.

You have 2 options , chalk it up to a completely minuscule risk (which it is) or stress yourself stupid over it for 34 weeks for no reason.

I’d have been more annoyed if I’d been driving personally

Dyrne · 23/09/2019 08:19

OP the NHS website also says:

*Women who find out they're pregnant after already having drunk in early pregnancy should avoid further drinking.

However, they should not worry unnecessarily, as the risks of their baby being affected are likely to be low.*

One alcoholic drink as a one off is honestly going to do fuck all.

Original poster
woollycat · 23/09/2019 08:22

Thanks so much for all the reassurance - I feel better with every reply that I read! ❤️

OP posts:
MustardScreams · 23/09/2019 08:24

Tons of people (me included!) don’t find out they’re pregnant till way after 6 weeks.

I carried on as normal, wine with dinner, cocktails etc until I found out I was pregnant. I panicked and cried to my midwife who said it pretty much happens in every pregnancy that isn’t meticulously planned and not to worry at all.

Dd is great! No health issues in the slightest.

Baby is still using its yolk sac at the moment, the placenta doesn’t take over until around 8-10 weeks, so alcohol isn’t passing through to baby in the same way it would if you were drinking at 12 weeks say.

MrsPellegrinoPetrichor · 23/09/2019 08:24

Lots of people don't even know they are pregnant at 6 weeks.

How on earth didn't you taste it,rum is so strong?

You'll be fine, it's regular drinking that is the issue.

Relax and stop googling 😊

Dyrne · 23/09/2019 08:25

I get it, OP - pregnancy can be a scary time where we feel out of control; and the only thing that we can do is follow guidance that’s laid out for us. But as PP said, if you twist yourself in knots over a one off then you’re going to have a long, stressful pregnancy.

It’s even more ‘fun’ when the unsolicited advice starts - do this, no wait do that. All of it will be conflicting and you physically can’t do it all; so it’s good practice now to forgive yourself when you don’t always follow advice to the letter!

fishonabicycle · 23/09/2019 08:26

I didn't k one I was pregnant til 3 months in, so was drinking my usual amount (not lots) and also went on holiday when I generally drink a bit more. It's fine. You need to be a heavy drinker to damage your baby. Lots of people dont know they are pregnant for a good few weeks.

MaryPopppins · 23/09/2019 08:26

Poor you. I can understand the worry.

But as others have said it's fine. And this early on the foetus is still using the yolk sac.

I'd be VERY mad at the bar/restaurant though. That's a terrible mistake.

LadyofDispleasure · 23/09/2019 08:34

It will be fine! I didn't find out I was pregnant with DS until I was about 6 weeks. All the time leading up to that, I'd been drinking normally and had also met up with a friend for a cocktail evening (and I absolutely had more than one!!). Eight years later, DS is absolutely fine 😊

Try not to worry Thanks

Biancadelrioisback · 23/09/2019 08:41

OP if it gives you any peace of mind, I didn't know I was pregnant until I was 9 weeks and I had drank quite a lot in that time. I attended a wedding and a friend's 30th birthday weekend away.
While I did have my son 6 weeks early and we had some problems early on (no one ever said they were related), you wouldn't know now that I had drank, or that he was prem.
Try not to worry!

MonChatEstMagnifique · 23/09/2019 08:46

Try not to worry, you and baby will be fine. With my first pregnancy I had a night out when I didn't know I was pregnant, a few weeks, and had a few drinks. I panicked when I found out I was pregnant but the midwife told me not worry as so many people drink in early pregnancy because they don't know they're pregnant. I felt awful though, really guilty because I'm a naturally a very careful person. The pregnancy went well and he was born perfectly healthy.

MonChatEstMagnifique · 23/09/2019 08:50

I'd be VERY mad at the bar/restaurant though. That's a terrible mistake.

I agree. As well as pregnant women, there will also be people who are driving home and therefore can't drink. I know mistakes can be made but in their type of business they should be more careful.

TrashKitten10 · 23/09/2019 09:08

Baby will be fine but I'd consider making a complaint against the bar/restaurant. I feel for the waitress as mistakes happen but it's pretty serious to serve alcohol to somebody who didn't order it. People normally order mocktails for a reason and to unwittingly drink one or more alcoholic drinks could potentially be very dangerous and upsetting to people. It's not just pregnant women and drivers to consider but also recovering alcoholics or those who cannot consume alcohol for medical or religious reasons. If they can make mistakes about this, what about their ability to deal with food intolerances and allergies. I'd personally be wanting to know how they would stop this happening again. That being said, I feel your worry and frustration but, as others have said, plenty of people drink heavily and regularly into pregnancy and the babies are fine so try to keep calm and relaxed.

MustardScreams · 23/09/2019 09:09

Agree with making an official complaint against the restaurant. If they’re that lax about alcohol, what if someone eats there with an anaphylactic allergy to something and they serve them it? Awful.

Echobelly · 23/09/2019 09:12

It's fine. I had the odd glass of wine or half when pg (mostly didn't feel like drinking at all when pg anyway), my mum I'm sure drank while pg with the 3 of us and we are fine. Even women who are alcoholics have only a small chance of having babies with foetal alcohol syndrome.