Research: FAS

Here's an excerpt from an article I found helpful. No, I don't binge drink (I don't drink at all anymore period) but I did enjoy wine and wine tasting before getting pregnant. So when "positive" came up on the stick I freaked.

What happens if I drink too much before I’m pregnant?

If you are planning a pregnancy, it is advisable to stay within a safe limit during this time.

Alcohol can affect a woman and a man’s ability to conceive.

Drinking heavily (over 6 units per day) before and during pregnancy can:

• affect your ability to conceive
• increase the risk of early miscarriage

Binge drinking can affect the way you think about yourself and the way you behave in social situations. Binge drinking can affect your relationships and your lifestyle. A baby, in turn, may be affected indirectly by these changes.
Many pregnancies are unplanned. You may have had a ‘one-off’ binge and then later discover that you conceived at or around this time. Many women in this situation want to know whether any harm was caused to the baby as a result of the ‘one-off’ binge. They want to know whether it is safe to continue with the pregnancy.

A single episode of binge drinking around the time of conception is less likely to be harmful to a woman or her baby.

Additional research:

• Reuters
• The Gestation of Stupidity
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists