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Saturday, May 06, 2006
Ectasy and Pregnancy
Rozanne, 23, from Cape Town-South Africa asks:
I know this is going to sound bad. I was wondering what damages I could have done to my baby by taking drugs at 3 weeks of my pregnancy. I never knew I was pregnant then and I'm not a drug addict just tried it out a couple of times and will never do it again, ever. I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks and immediately stopped drinking or smoking and I have been eating really healthy. But I did ectasy tablets at 3 weeks of my pregnancy and I also drank and smoked cigarettes. So far everything is well with me--I'm 3 months now and feel healthy, do you think I should panic or would everything be okay as I stopped everything as soon as I found out I was pregnant?
Stacy Says:
Chances are, everything is okay. Babies are resilient. They can take alot more than we might think. I went through several medical problems thinking my baby would be harmed. But now she's one tough cookie and perfectly okay. My OB-GYN at one point said some women smoke crack their entire pregnancy and their babies are physically healthy.
That being said, the first trimester is the most cruical time of pregnancy. It's when your baby is forming all it's little organs, tissues, brain...everything. This is the time of pregnancy when drugs can be the most harmful to your baby. Good for you for stopping the ectasy, drinking and smoking. You've already helped your baby! Tell your doctor about the drugs you've taken. Be honest! It's about the health of your baby, not being embarrassed or ashamed. Tell her/him your concerns--maybe he/she can do a more detailed ultrasound to make sure your baby is forming correctly. The hard part of the pregnancy is that you won't be 100% certain until the baby is born. There are no quality studies done on the effect of ectasy on unborn babies.
But DON'T focus on that. Focus on a healthy, happy baby bouncing inside you and do your best now to take care of yourself and the baby.
I know this is going to sound bad. I was wondering what damages I could have done to my baby by taking drugs at 3 weeks of my pregnancy. I never knew I was pregnant then and I'm not a drug addict just tried it out a couple of times and will never do it again, ever. I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks and immediately stopped drinking or smoking and I have been eating really healthy. But I did ectasy tablets at 3 weeks of my pregnancy and I also drank and smoked cigarettes. So far everything is well with me--I'm 3 months now and feel healthy, do you think I should panic or would everything be okay as I stopped everything as soon as I found out I was pregnant?
Stacy Says:
Chances are, everything is okay. Babies are resilient. They can take alot more than we might think. I went through several medical problems thinking my baby would be harmed. But now she's one tough cookie and perfectly okay. My OB-GYN at one point said some women smoke crack their entire pregnancy and their babies are physically healthy.
That being said, the first trimester is the most cruical time of pregnancy. It's when your baby is forming all it's little organs, tissues, brain...everything. This is the time of pregnancy when drugs can be the most harmful to your baby. Good for you for stopping the ectasy, drinking and smoking. You've already helped your baby! Tell your doctor about the drugs you've taken. Be honest! It's about the health of your baby, not being embarrassed or ashamed. Tell her/him your concerns--maybe he/she can do a more detailed ultrasound to make sure your baby is forming correctly. The hard part of the pregnancy is that you won't be 100% certain until the baby is born. There are no quality studies done on the effect of ectasy on unborn babies.
But DON'T focus on that. Focus on a healthy, happy baby bouncing inside you and do your best now to take care of yourself and the baby.
