Didn't know I was pregnant and drank alcohol: consequences and effects on the fetus

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Often, doctors hear that a girl drank alcohol without knowing she was pregnant. Alcohol abuse can not positively affect the he alth of the human body. This is a negative habit, which is better to get rid of in order to keep your body he althy and complete. However, many doctors recommend occasional low-dose alcohol consumption such as red or white wine. But there is a category of people for whom the use of alcoholic beverages is strictly contraindicated. So, are mothers-to-be in early and late pregnancy one of them?

The level of influence of alcoholic beverages on the fetus can be determined by the duration of a woman's pregnancy. Let's try to understand in detail why pregnant women should not drink alcohol.

The effect of alcohol in the first months after conception

Women planning pregnancy consciously refrain from drinking not only alcohol, but also other bad habits and food. But there are times when a woman does not know about the comingpregnancy and consumes alcohol during this period due to ignorance.

The period of ignorance about the onset of conception can last up to 4-5 weeks, that is, almost a month of the first trimester. During this period, when a woman is not yet aware of her pregnancy, she behaves normally and may consume alcohol and other harmful products.

In the first month of pregnancy, the fetus tries to gain a foothold on the wall of the uterus in order to grow and develop further. Meanwhile, the expectant mother does not know about the ongoing processes in her body, she is sure that everything is as usual. Therefore, he allows himself a glass of wine, whiskey or a couple of bottles of beer on holidays and friendly gatherings. So is it possible for pregnant women to drink alcohol without knowing that life is born inside, and can it somehow harm the unborn baby?

It is quite a stressful situation for a woman when she suddenly finds out that she is pregnant, and her lifestyle has remained the same all this time. Many women in this position decide to terminate their pregnancy because they are afraid that alcohol could cause irreparable harm to the fetus.

What doctors say about alcohol and pregnancy

Doctors at family planning centers are sure that alcohol during pregnancy should be excluded from a woman's diet. And directly during pregnancy planning and before conception, not only the expectant mother, but also the future father should give up alcohol. Therefore, if a girl drank alcohol before the delay and turned out to be pregnant, then she should inform the doctor about it.

Breality is much more complicated, because not every pregnancy becomes planned. If the intake of alcohol was until the woman knew about her pregnancy (the first 4 weeks), do not panic. It is necessary to immediately stop any intake of alcoholic beverages after confirmation of the fact of conception. Also, it will not be superfluous to consult a doctor and conduct the necessary examination. If the alcohol consumption was single and insignificant, there is no reason to panic. The development of the embryo will go according to plan without any deviations, the main thing is to adhere to a certain lifestyle that will suit the pregnant woman.

First weeks

During the first weeks of pregnancy, the fertilization of the finished egg by the sperm occurs, the cells divide and the fetus moves to the uterine wall. If a large amount of alcohol enters the woman's body at this stage, or if there is an intense negative effect on the entire body as a whole (an infectious disease, a rise in body temperature, poisoning, exhaustion, and so on), then the fetus may be rejected by the body.

Thus, if a girl drank alcohol, and then found out that she was pregnant, she needs to see a doctor, because a miscarriage often occurs at a very early date. Sometimes a woman doesn't even know she's pregnant because the bleeding and symptoms of a miscarriage are similar to normal menstruation and premenstrual syndrome.

The effect of alcohol on the embryo in the first trimester

The first trimester is very important for the proper development of the unborn baby. He begins to form and develop organs, nervous, circulatory and other life-supporting systems of the body. If you drank alcohol without knowing that you were pregnant, and drinking did not stop at this stage, then this may have the following consequences:

• vasospasm occurs in the uterus, which leads to oxygen starvation;
• the process of obtaining vitamins and useful elements is disrupted, the embryo does not receive the necessary nutrients for proper development;
• poisoning ethanol, which is contained in alcohol, fetal tissues. The development of alcohol syndrome in a child. Children with this disorder suffer from various disorders in development, appearance.

Pregnancy is a very important and responsible stage not only in the life of a woman, but also in the life of an unborn child. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the food consumed, the environment and lifestyle.

Drinking wine in early pregnancy

Many people assume that drinking small amounts of wine during pregnancy cannot harm the unborn baby. This is a fundamentally wrong opinion, since any alcohol can harm the fetus. Wine is useful in small doses to improve blood circulation for people living in mountainous areas, but this drink is strictly contraindicated for pregnant women.

Drinking champagne during pregnancy

Any alcohol should be excluded from the diet of the expectant mother. This also applies to sparkling wines, including champagne. Its alcohol content is equivalent to that of wine.

Unlike other alcoholic beverages, champagne has a special property that classifies it as a dangerous drink for pregnancy. Due to air bubbles, which are a natural fermentation process in champagne, the drink is absorbed into the blood much faster than regular alcohol. Getting into the blood, alcohol goes through the entire cycle in the body of a woman, reaches the fetus and can cause irreparable harm to the he alth and development of the unborn child. It is unlikely that a glass of champagne is worth condemning the baby to various diseases.

Effects of drinking beer early in pregnancy

Beer drinking has become a part of people's daily lives. Many do not even think about the harm this drink brings to an ordinary body, and even more so to the body of a pregnant woman.

It is known that the taste preferences of pregnant women change. This is due to an increase in the level of a hormone that helps maintain pregnancy. Some women claim that they definitely want to drink a foamy drink. The motivation of such future parents is based on false notions of benefit to the fetus. Women suggest that the urge to drink beer is because the fetus “knows what it needs.”

This is a false statement based on unfounded assumptions and stereotypes. Good doctor whopregnant women will insist that alcohol, smoking and poor lifestyle will negatively affect the he alth of the baby.

Beer drinking in the first trimester

The negative impact of foamy and other alcoholic beverages has been proven by research. If the expectant mother drank alcohol without knowing that she was pregnant, then you should listen more to your body. Drinking beer during the first trimester of pregnancy can cause the following negative effects on the baby:

• deviations in the physical development of the baby;
• deviation and lag in intellectual development;
• preterm birth;
• chronic alcohol poisoning in a child;
• late miscarriage;
• fetal oxygen starvation;
• impaired nutrient intake.

Beer harms not only the child, but also the expectant mother. It puts extra strain on the urinary system, including the kidneys, which wear out during pregnancy anyway.

Every day, throughout the first trimester of pregnancy, vital organs develop. If you disrupt this process with alcohol, you can get undesirable consequences.

Consequences of drinking non-alcoholic beer

People who are uneducated in reproductive issues can give short-sighted advice. For example, replace alcoholic beer with non-alcoholic beer. This drink does not contain alcohol, which means it is harmless to the fetus. But it's not reallyso.

The main disadvantages of non-alcoholic beer include:

• yeast used in making any beer;
• chemical additives that add subtle flavor to beer;
• preservatives used for long-term storage of beer.

To keep the pregnancy and prevent abnormal development of the fetus, a woman must completely abandon the use of any alcoholic beverages, even with zero degrees.

Pregnant women are drawn to the intoxicating drink because it contains B vitamins. They help maintain pregnancy and develop the unborn child. But it is better to replace beer with he althy foods that are also high in B vitamins: walnuts, bananas, almonds, avocados, and many others. It's best to eat a proper and balanced diet throughout your pregnancy so that you don't have the urge to eat or drink anything out of the ordinary.

Risking the he alth of an unborn child by indulging in your bad habits is reckless and irresponsible. The more alcohol, harmful products a pregnant woman consumes, the higher the chance of giving birth to an unhe althy child. No need to rely on the experience and stereotypes of "experienced" people. Timely and correct consultation with the doctor leading the pregnancy will help the expectant mother and her child to go through this period as harmlessly and safely as possible.