Alcohol during pregnancy

[bhammumx]

Posting on the behalf of my friend due to her not having internet access

She has just found out she is 16 week pregnant, she hasn’t had periods for a while due to her own health issues etc. but her breast started to grow and ache, she got a ultrasound and she’s 19week pregnant!
Her worries are that she has been binge drinking hard before she know (about 50 units a week) sometimes more!
And some times 1G cocaine a week.

She’s now very scared and worried something will be up with baby?? Even considering abortion at this late stage as she doesn’t want the baby to suffer
any advice ? Experiences?

With that amount of alcohol AND drug use, I would be extremely worried. She needs to speak to a medical professional GP/midwife asap.

She needs to see a HCP about it.

No-one here is going to be able to say for sure whether hard binge drinking and snorting a gram of coke per week, will have affected her baby.

I'm sure we could all take a wild guess, but that's not what she needs.

I’m not sure the midwife or GP can really help, no-one can say whether the baby has been affected by the drinking and alcohol use.

mother and baby don’t share blood in the early weeks- has it been consistent at this level or can she take some reassurance that lately there has been less of it.

termination is an option, otherwise she won’t really be reassured until potential signs of damage develop and for fetal alcohol syndrome that can be years.

She should be worried. She needs advice from a HCP, not random people on Mumsnet.

She needs to see her GP first thing.

I'd encourage her to speak to someone and have as many tests etc as she can.

I was going to come on here to say a lot of people are drinking/smoking etc during the first few weeks of pregnancy without realising it, I know I was ... loads of bbq/weddings/hen dos etc. But this is another level really esp with the coke and the fact that she's almost half way through her pregnancy.

She’s already had a dating scan/ ultrasound so presumably under the care of midwives so not sure why you’d go to the GP?

what tests could you do? Aside from the standard tests pregnant women get. It’s too late for some that measure hormones anyway, nor that they identify drug or alcohol damage.

Contact with specialist doctors would be recommended and sorted by GP around here. After specialists assessment an intervention from social authorities could be discussed. If a child is born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or suspected of having it it will need an intervention from birth.It is above the general midwife level to act on.

Presume the midwives have discussed this already? It seems odd to expect ie drug users who are known to be chaotic to take the initiatives to set up separate appointments etc

OP asked. OP got an answer.
I would expext a referal to a hospital to see a specialist and here it's a GP not midwifes you consult for that.

I think OPs friend needs to know that a medical professional won’t know whether the alcohol and drug use has affected the baby. She will have to live with the uncertainty, potential for years after birth

Hoping that your friend can find some expert help with some urgency, @bhammumx
Meanwhile, her lack of access to the internet is concerning. Pretty much every adult has access to it these days, how come she doesn’t? Is there a coercive / controlling person around somewhere? If so, there are more layers of support that’s she’s going to need as her pregnancy develops & baby arrives.

This, exactly. The effects of foetal alcohol syndrome are still poorly understood, and often don't emerge until a child is past babyhood.

There isn't some kind of test she can take while pregnant which will allow anyone to determine this.