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Adoption
Anyone raising a baby with FAS/FAE?
This post is NOT adoption related, so I apoligize if it doesn't belong here. I am also not trying to offend anyone or be presumptious, but I figured there are a lot of fostering moms on this board, and I thought someone might have experience with this,
Anyway, my good friend recently found out she is 14 weeks pregnant. She has been on b/c and I truly believe she had no idea. Anyway, she has drank and smoked throughout the entire duration of her pregnancy.
Although she didn't want to get pregnant, she also does not want to terminate the pregnancy (which people have actually been suggesting to her b/c of the drinking/smoking) Obviously, she has quit using those substances but I know the research she has been finding has been pretty severe, worse case scenario stuff.
I am just wondering if anyone has any useful (positive) advice I can pass on to her.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Anyone raising a baby with FAS/FAE?
I'm just an occasional lurker on this board so I don't feel comfortable posting, but I sent you a private message.
PS- HI everyone =D
Im not a dr nor should this be taken as medical advise...
Sometimes these things happen (they have a whole tv show about women who don't relise they are pregers till they give birth.)... go see the dr ASAP!!
Start prenatle vit ASAP!! I would look into omega 3s and do research as to what organs have devolped so far and what vit those organs need and try to boost those vit now.
Start a healthy diet ASAP.
Your friend still has 26ish weeks to turn things around.
We aren't parenting a child with FAS/FAE, but we were required to take a class on the different things children can be exposed to in utero and how it affects them.
If the fetus has FAS/FAE, there is nothing she can do now to change things, but going forward, she should take good care of herself and her fetus. She may be lucky - some women drink heavily and their children show no signs of FAS/FAE, although some binge once or twice or even just just drink occasionally and their baby is born with FAE.
I agree with the PP...she needs prenatal care immediately and she needs to start taking care of herself.
Happily, drinking does not = FAS 100% of the time. In fact, FAS is relatively rare in women who drink (or the time prior to 1973 would have been a mess).
There is little research on alcohol consumption and what that increased risk equates to. Some women can have very little to drink relatively and their baby ends up with FAS, while other women can drink a lot and not have it.
I have a friend who did not know she was pregnant until she was 24 weeks. She drank a good bit (travels and entertains for work), and her son has no residual problems.
Our BM smoked 1/2 pack a day, and so far, no issues except being born 5-weeks premature, and she's developing normally. The weekend is pretty slow on this board, but many adoptive parents on this board have adopted children with varying levels of exposure of a wide range of substances, and hopefully you'll get more replies during the week.
At the very least, your friend should see a Dr. and start pre-natal care, as it's very important.
Your friend needs to speak with a Dr ASAP about her concerns and fears for the baby.
DD was exposed to a long list of drugs with herion being her BM's drug of choice. DD spent 1 month in the hospital having withdrawn systems and being treated. DD's BM also smoked and may have drank. DD is fine so far but she could have problems later so could a child that I gave birth to having done none of these things. A Dr. would the best resourse of information.
Good luck to your friend.
I'm not sure where you have gotten this information from--but there is a LOT of information about what the risks of alcohol consumption equate to---throughout the stages of pregnancy. It is very clear that drinking in the first trimester= an increased risk for developmental damage and or delays to the fetus and thus delays in later life.
I believe I have seen you post some similar information to this before--and it is misinformation, or at least the way you state it appears to minimize the risks of drinking while pregnant! While it is true that we do not know at this point how alcohol affects each individual--we DO know that alcohol consumption increases the risks for a multitude of issues--and this risk is large enough in the general population that it is termed "a risk" that is put out there for us all to be aware of.