alcohol and pregnancy

[janey4]

Hi there everyone. I'm not used to using forums but have found the information from you guys fabulous and so am attempting to give it a go (i'm computer illiterate but will do my best). I am 9 weeks pregnant but can't seem to enjoy my pregnancy as i was drinking before I found out. I particularly had a very BIG night - (the type that gives you a hangover for days) two days before i found out - which was at 4 weeks when i missed my period) I then had bad cramps for a week and thought i was m/c but have had a scan at 7 weeks (heart still beating on little one) and have made it to 9 weeks. I'm terrified of my 12 week scan that they'll find something wrong. I gave up alcohol straight away when i knew but still feel realy guilty. does anyone know the statistics of drinking alcohol in the first month and birth defects/miscarriage.

[Lucy]

Jayney......I don't know the stats, but I will give you my examples.........Olivia was concieved on a very drunken day......I was so miserable at our long TTC journey that I had a huge night out.......and then a quickie resulted in her conception.......like you, I felt v.guilty, but she is quite perfect in every way.

I am due any day for my third baby, who wasn't planned, and was, we think, concieved on New Years Eve, so you can imagine the drunken state I was in.........I have had a CVS and no issues at all........

I can understand your fears, but I have heard SO many stroies of women who drank before they knew they were pg........

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I had a big drinking night at around 4w too (without knowing about the baby) and my baby's perfect, I think you need to be consistantly binge-drinking to have a major effect on the baby - remember, before you miss your period the baby's mostly living in the eggie, not even taking stuff from your body, so you and the baby should be OK. OK, so my big drink was just the one bottle of wine, but I don't get hangovers so don't know if it's comparable.

For the first month of pregnancy - the first two weeks you haven't yet ovulated, the next 10 days the baby is an zygote and hasn't implanted in your uterus, then you have four days in which the baby snuggles in and starts to make a placenta before you miss your period; this starts to comandeer your body, taking nutrients and making you up your hormone doses. But it does take quite a while for this to be fully in place - it takes 10w (from first developing) for the placenta to be able to be the fully gung-ho thing that we assume it is from the start.

Current guidelines say you can still have one unit of alcohol a day and it not affect your child, but it sounds like you've given up alcohol anyway. It's an on-going thing, so the odd glass won't affect the baby, but constantly going out on the razz will.

[janey4]

thanks guys, I suppose i'll just have to stop worrying and enjoy the ride.
janey

[Lucy]

Janey,

Also, have you spoken to your Dr about it? Mine was really reassurring and gave me some good literature on it all........gave me a great deal of peace of mind........

[Lisa]

Janey,
I too had a huge night out when I was pregnant with my son James and didn't know it... I was around people who were smoking more than just cigarettes, and I was in a smoke filled nightclub, before I left to walk home with my then SIL, I even fell over !!!
My son was born a healthy 4.29kgs and is 12 years old now, and a very normal little man
I am certain everything will be fine at your next scan... until then, breathe easy knowing that you're not the first to have had a big night out before finding out about a bub.
Lisa

[janey4]

I'll definitely bring it up at my next visit (which will actually be with my Ob when I have the 12 week scan). I just feel like an idiot as I'd actually been trying to get pregnant (so should have known better than to be binge drinking) but after so many months of dissappointment and negative tests I just thought I couldn't possible be pregnant this month - surpise... I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So happy to be pregnant but so upset to think I may have harmed my little one. But i'll definitley talk to my Ob as it may put my mind at ease - thanks guys its great having someone to talk to.
Janey xox

[Tobily]

Add me to the list.
I had a huge night out clubbing when would have been about 4 weeks with my daughter. Had my last drink at 5am and was sick for two days after. Even worse I continued to drink throughout the next week - it wasn't until my period was nearly a week late that it occured to me I might be pregnant. DD is fine
When I asked my doctor about it at the time I was told not to worry because the baby does not connect to your blood supply until about 6 weeks into the pregnancy - before this it is a self sufficient little unit so you're not actually pumping alcohol into it like you would if you were further along - at 4-5 weeks the placenta is not even developed or functioning. So try not to stress to much everything will be fine

[Ozziehoffy]

Janey, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I had a big night for me...only less than a week before I found out I was pregnant. We were kinda trying so I thought what if I am and I'm drinking...then I thought what if I'm not...so I decided I couldn't live by "what ifs". All is ok so far with me, so take heart as I'm sure people have done a lot worse before knowing.

[Fi]

I actually think sometimes that us having a drink while TTC relaxes us, and gives us the opportunity to fall pregnant.
The month I fell pregnant with Jenna same thing - we were away on holiday drinking up a storm. I think about 2 days before I finally decided I really could be pregnant I had polished off half a 1125mlof vodka bymyself mixed with redbull.
It was a day or two later I decided to slow down until I could get home and get a positive test result.
Even now I have occasional glasses of wine. Maybe 2 a week? I have been told there is no safe limit, but I find that 2-3 standard drinks a week to be an acceptable risk in my life.

Enjoy your pregnancy - there are so many more fun things to come - you dont want to do your head in this early!

[Rouge]

I think about 2 days before I finally decided I really could be pregnant I had polished off half a 1125mlof vodka bymyself mixed with redbull.

I'm impressed! You sound like my kinda drinking partner Fi

I agree with everyone, and I am sure many children of varying generations were conceived on or around drinking binges and the race has survived thus far. And not to condone drinking I've known of severe alcholoics giving birth to babies that were fine, so I think you have nothing to worry about.

*hugs*
Cailin

[Fi]

LOL Cailin - I am a great drinking partner - as long as you are a good sharer. Shane tried to tell me a couple of days ago that I would be designated driver for Grand Final Day. I wanted to hit him......

[Lucy]

LOL, I was just going to comment how we BB girls are coming out in droves as lushes!!

[Ozziehoffy]

LOL, I was just going to comment how we BB girls are coming out in droves as lushes!!

ROFL...that just make me crack up!!

[janey4]

You girls have really made me feel better (certainly put a smile on my face with your wicked sense of humour too). Thank you

[*Rae*]

Yes - i'm another to admit my daughter was concieved somewhere around Christmas and New years...and i was pretty much drinking a substantial amount of the devil's drink the whole summer(was a school teacher so began celebrating the long holiday the day term ended). My little Ella turned out just perfect!

Love that other gals have admitted to being lushes too

[Alan]

One night like you had should not be a problem. The problems arrise if you drink often.

[kmh]

hi i did the same thing with DD1, it was my 21st had a big night and then i found out i was pregnant 1 week later, she is fine, as long as you don't drink throughout the pregnancy it will be fine