Soon to Be New Mom and Worried About Birth Defects, Etc..

You've done everything you can since finding out, and that's all anyone can do. I took an antidepressant through about half of my pregnancy (and it wasn't even one of the "safe" ones) because my OB was afraid to take me off of it. It made me violently ill when I took it, but my daughter ended up perfectly healthy, and is now a happy, healthy 2-year-old. No one does it completely perfectly when they're pregnant; we all just do the best we can. Make sure your doctor knows everything, but don't beat yourself up now; it's not worth it, and chances are, everything will be just fine. Good luck,
T.

You go girl. You will be just fine.You know with my first one 22 yrs ago i was 8 wks b/4 I new I was having a baby and I to smoked a little over a 1/2 pk a day,but like you the minute I found out I quit.I wasn't on any meds but she is a awesome 22 yrs young lady.And I've known alot of ladies who raise a baby on thier own and you will do just fine. I too belive that God only gives you what you can handle. You know I'm a firm beliver that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. This baby was meant to be. So good luck and have fun with it (baby) D. H.

E.,

I think every mom thinks about this stuff. I believe you are going to need to trust God, that He will take care of you and your baby. If you really think about it, worrying will not change anything. It will just rob you of the joy of the life that you are carrying. They will be able to see alot more as the pregnancy progresses, usually at 20 weeks they can detect any abnormalities. But still, I think you need to just trust that God has a plan for that little life inside of you, and whatever the outcome, there is a reason for it. Babies can endure a lot inside of a mom. I bet a lot of us have done stuff prior to knowing that we are pregnant that makes us wonder if we have hurt our babies. I think God watches out for these little ones despite us! Congratulations and have fun being pregnant! It is a wonderful thing! Stephanie

A friend recently made a comment to me that the fetus doesn't start "leeching off your body" until a month in. I really don't know how true that is. Ask your Dr. If that's the case then hopefully you needn't worry. Ask how long those chemicals stay in your body tho.

I didn't take great care of myself before I knew I was pregnant (I was a lot younger than most moms) and my child turned out 100% fine.

Best wishes to you. Congrats on motherhood and quitting smoking!!

I hope the best for you. You'll

First off, make sure that you tell your obstetrician that you were taking the meds. Then be sure that you let your doctor who prescribed the anti-depressants that you are not taking them, and that you are pregnant. I'm not sure how they would affect you that early in your pregnancy, but I am concerned that you aren't taking your meds, even though I understand the reasoning. Just please make sure that both doctors know what is going on and make sure that you have family or friends to support you if you are going to be off your meds (someone to keep an eye on you in case you start to have some problems). Good luck, and congrats, and you aren't alone... there's MANY parent support groups and friends to help!

You already have the answer GOD, if He brings us to it, He will see us through it. Everything will be fine, trust GOD.

It's very easy to get caught up in the worry that every mom has during your pregnancy, but try to focus on what you do know-good test results so far, baby's growing, hearing the heartbeat, and soon a little kick, and most of all focus on your faith. Know that God will not give you more than you can handle and since finding out you were pregnant, you have done everything you can do to make it a healthy pregnancy. That's what's most important. I've been at both ends of the spectrum, first a healthy baby, but also a miscarriage, but signs of that showed up very early in the pregnancy and I was doing everything right. Trust that God will protect you and the baby. God's Blessings to you!