Drinking Before I Knew I Was Pregnant?

Updated on January 09, 2012
M.F. asks from Colorado Springs, CO
21 answers

I found out I was pregnant on 23 Dec. I think I must have concieved in the first week of December.

From 1-23 December I drank on different occasions. I am not a big drinker, I never got 'drunk' but I did have some wine, a beer....etc.

Will this hurt my baby? or could it cause a miscarriage?

What can I do next?

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M.B.

answers from Washington DC on

Not a problem! This has happened to COUNTLESS mommies- just about an infinite number of moms.

Oh, and Congrats!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.L.

answers from Boca Raton on

You should be just fine. Don't worry at all about it. Just relax and enjoy this special time! And congratulations!

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J.P.

answers from Lakeland on

Don't worry.
You are not the only mom to have a few drinks not knowing you were pregnant.

4 moms found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from Kansas City on

You should not worry as the amount you describe sounds rather benign. Of course, it is best that going forward, you shouldn't drink.

Smoking increases the risk of miscarriage, smaller babies, and premature birth and certainly more harmful effects to the baby than a small amount of alcohol.

Prolonged alcohol usage, on regular basis and binging will cause "fetal alcohol syndrome" and baby will be addicted and born sick. Use of drugs of course are a no no.

Nutrition, properly balanced food, vitamins and minerals are far more important for your and your baby's overall health, if only more people were concerned about unhealthy lifestyle practices, sexually transmitted diseases, environmental hazards, drugs, etc.

Congratulations and best wishes for a healthy pregnancy!

3 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Dallas on

We lost a baby, then after trying for another year to get pregnant with no success, and the anniversary of our lost baby came, I got horribly depressed and drank (alot!!) for the next five days. I'm talking 6-8 drinks 6 beers, 2 shots of whiskey a night. After that five days, I found out that indeed, I was pregnant!! I freaked! I had been good for a whole year but that ONE week... Well, my Aubrey is now a beatiful, healthy, amazingly smart 4 year old little girl.
Don't worry. And CONGRATS!!!

2 moms found this helpful
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A.F.

answers from Houston on

Unless you don't ever drink or stop drinking because you're TRYING to get pregnant, nearly all women drink before they know. Some drink heavily before they know.

I'm sure since you're not a big drinker, eliminating it at this point won't be difficult for you.

Your baby will be fine. Congrats!

2 moms found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Detroit on

I had a number of cocktails on a few different occasions - never enough to get drunk - before I knew I was pregnant. I did not drink a drop after that. I also ate sushi and got my fair colored before I knew I was pregnant. Baby ended up totally fine. She is now one of the smartest, healthiest 4 year olds you will ever meet.

A friend of mine and her husband took a week-long trip to Paris - they drank tons of wine, smoked like crazy, went all out. Found out after they got back that she was, like, 2 to 3 weeks pregnant during that time. Babies (yes, they had twins!) turned out completely okay.

Seriously. It's good that we know so much more now than back in the day, but there was a time that women smoked and drank their entire pregnancies and nothing happened. Not saying it was okay - we know better now - but it's not like we ended up with generations full of kids with issues because of it. There's a big difference between the sporadic small glass of wine and fetal alcohol syndrome.

A friend of mine is 8 weeks pregnant now and her doctor gave her the green light to have a glass of wine or a beer if she really wants it, up to 2 or 3 times a week. She probably won't as she gets further along and it's more obvious she is pregnant, just to avoid everyone giving her dirty looks.

I would not wish a miscarriage on anyone, but if you happened to miscarry, it would not be because of the drinking. Miscarriages happen for all kinds of reasons, and sometimes a cause cannot be determined. But unless you were on a mission to drink the baby to death, I don't think there is really anything to worry about.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.L.

answers from Atlanta on

As the other posters said, I really don't think you need to worry about a small amount of alcohol for a couple weeks so early in the pregnancy. To give some perspective, doctors didn't even start to be concerned about drinking during pregnancy until the 1980s, I think, so there are generations of Americans (myself included ) who were born from mothers who drank alcohol in varying amounts while expecting and most of those pregnancies turned out normal. That's not to say that you should ignore the current advice and drink now that you know you are pregnant, but just reassuring you that a few drinks during the first two weeks probably won't have any effect. Congrats!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Detroit on

This was the case for me before I found out I was pregnant with both of my children! I was actually on vacation both times and drank way more than I typically would have had I not been on vacation!! I remember being really scared and concerned as well! Obviously, I took care of myself in all the ways we are suppose to when we are pregnant once I learned that indeed, I was pregnant! Both of my children were and still are very healthy and incredibly bright, so try not to worry about this. Congrats!!!

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K.F.

answers from Cleveland on

I wouldn't worry about it. I had no clue I was pregnant with my first until I was about 7 weeks along. I was 22 years old and did a lot of drinking during those weeks and had no problems with my pregnancy and have a healthy 3 1/2 year old now. Congrats!!

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J.B.

answers from Atlanta on

No, you're fine! Just don't keep drinking. I drank, heavily, and smoked before finding out I was pregnant with both of my sons. They are perfectly healthy and normal (actually a very high IQ for the first). After spilling my guts the first time around to my doctor, she told me she would have retired years ago if she even had a nickel for every woman who asked about that! The embryo doesn't even implant itself and start living off of you immediately, so that first month particularly is largely a "no harm/no foul" time. Just have a healthy pregnancy from here on! Congrats!

S.A.

answers from Chicago on

I drank before I knew I was pregnant with my 2nd and 3rd. My doctors told me that the placenta forms after the first few weeks and it's nature's way of safe-guarding the baby from being exposed to those types of things early on. My babies were 100% healthy. I have known so many moms that have had some drinks, have even been drunk of their butts and all of the babies have turned out fine. No worries!

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K.W.

answers from Seattle on

In France the docs recommend that pregnant women have a glass of red wine with dinner and recommend they don't eat raw lettuce.

No worries.

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I was at a wine tasting the weekend that it occurred to me that I was late....no problems to report here. Congratulations!

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T.F.

answers from Miami on

I'm not a drinker, but I did have a couple of drinks at my brother-in-law's wedding, which was a few weeks before I found out I was pregnant. I was a bit freaked out, but my OBGYN said not to worry about it and all turned out just fine!

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

.

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S.S.

answers from Miami on

Your baby will be just fine. Eat organic, take lots of vitamin C ( you can't overdose, it clears the toxins) don't get any vaccines,don't go to the dentist,don't eat fish ( no safe amount). drink RO water. De stress each and everyday with yoga or meditation. Give baby plenty of opportunity to be on belly and your baby will be strong, healthy and happy!

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J.O.

answers from Tampa on

I was told that there is no blood supply to the baby until the 6th week...Don't sweat it.

☼.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

You'll be fine. I was enjoying daiquiris and celebrating our new home for a couple of weekends right before finding out that we were pregnant. Our daughter's now 6 and absolutely no issues to report :) Congratulations!!

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A.B.

answers from Pittsburgh on

No, it wont hurt the baby. My 7 month old nephew is proof!

My SIL went out for a night of fun and had more than a handful of my jello shots. Which are known to be made quite strong. Needless to say she was feeling quite numb. No this isnt an every weekend nor even a once a month thing. She is lucky if she lets loose this much once a year!

I then seen her a few days later and she found out that following Tuesday that she was pregnant. My nephew is a happy go lucky, right on track milestone wise, healthy baby.

By the sounds of it you in no means went as far as my sil did so your baby should be fine!

R.B.

answers from La Crosse on

I think everything will be ok.

With #4 it was our honeymoon/ family vacation. My entire family went to South Dakota for a week. I had a couple of wine coolers or a glass of apple pie each night. One night my husband let me stay with my family and he took the kids to bed, I got really drunk that night. I was amazed at how bad my hang over was! I had never had a hang over like that. Three days later I found out I was pregnant. My Dr told me everything would be ok.

They say a little in moderation is ok. My grandma use to push for me to drink a beer a day during my last month. She swore that it helped with the milk production ( an old wives tale). I don't like beer so I never did. But my Dr has told me a little bit here and there while pregnant was ok.

Everything will turn out just fine :)

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