Drank alcohol, now 4 weeks pregnant and scared

[Estrella17]

Hi everyone

Sorry for posting but I am concerned and was hoping someone might have some advice.

I found out I was pregnant yesterday. This was a big shock but a very happy one! I think I am around 4 weeks pregnant, my last period was exactly 4 weeks. All was good until I remembered that last weekend (when I would have been 3 weeks, so during implantation) I had a couple of bottles of wine over the course of 4 days. I haven't drank since then and obviously have no intention of drinking through pregnancy.

Do you think I have majorly harmed the baby? I would be so grateful for your experiences as I keep reading such different advice.

Thanks so much in advance

The baby isn't supported by a placenta yet so you won't have done any harm

You'll be fine, don't worry! Many, many, many women have drunk, been pissed, had a few too many before finding out they're pregnant.
My sister went out for New Year's before taking a test a few days later. A fit and healthy boy. I was on holiday drinking every day and eating seafood etc before finding out I was pregnant - a healthy girl.
The problem is if you continue to drink once you know. Now you will stop drinking and I wish you all the best - congratulations!

@dementedpixie and @inappropriateraspberry
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a response! This really does make me feel a little better.

As others have said, very early on there is limited transmission of what you take it to baby, so it will be fine! You are doing the right thing to avoid alcohol from here onwards Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

Put it out of your mind....so many women have done this before they realised they were pregnant! I really wouldn't give it another thought! Congratulations on your pregnancy.

"Do you think I have majorly harmed the baby?"

At the time of implantation, there is no baby to harm, it's just a bunch of cells. Well, a fertilised egg implanting in your uterus. Technically I think it's a blastocyst (first zygote, then blastocyst, then embryo, then foetus).

Anyway, pedantry aside, it will be absolutely fine.

To give a bit more info - you start to share your blood with baby between weeks 4 and 5. Therefore @Estrella17 your embryo won't have been exposed. The risk with alcohol exposure from 0-4 weeks is that it can prevent you from conceiving, which clearly has not happened! So time to relax for you

Once again, thanks so much. I can't tell you how much your comments have helped - I don't have any pregnant women/new mums in my circle of friends so I didn't know where else to ask!

There's a good book called Expecting Better by Emily Oster which you might find helpful.

I was in the same position 32 years ago. Went out New Year’s Eve and a few days after that then found out I was pregnant. Was so worried about it obviously didn’t drink any more and had a healthy bouncing baby son. Good luck and please don’t worry - many Congratulations 🎉

You will be 100% fine, please don't even give it another thought. Congratulations

Very, very common- I really wouldn’t worry. Congratulations! Xx

I would also recommend the book Expecting Better that tells you the risks of everything that is considered "risky" for pregnant women. This won't have affected anything as the baby is not attached by the placenta yet so to harm it, you would have to have drunk to the point of harming yourself. A few glasses of wine before you found out wouldn't hurt at all.