Ambien first 12 weeks. Didn't know I could conceive!!

[Anonymous]

Hi, I am 44 and just discovered I'm about 12 weeks pregnant!! This was a huge shock to DH and I, as I thought I was infertile. I had one DS at 38 with the help of fertility treatments but have been unsuccessful in giving him a sibling since then.

Fast forward to now. My periods have been erratic lately,so when I didn't get it for a few months, I thought nothing of it and went about life as usual. However, after about 3 months of no period, I decided to take a pregnancy test on a whim - BFP!!! Saw MD - estimates I'm about 12 weeks along?! This would be the happiest moment of life - indeed, I've always wanted a big family - except that I've been taking Ambien 10mg every night to sleep!! MD's advice is basically, what's done is done, should be okay but of course there are no guarantees.

I don't know what to do/think. I want this baby so badly, this baby I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to have, but I'm so terrified about the harm I could have done already. I've been scouring the internet to see if there are any stories like mine and I've found a couple where the women took it throughout their pregnancies with no adverse effect AND it was approved by their doctors - including some stories on DCUM.

Please, if anyone has any experience with this drug, please please tell me your story. I've never been so scared.

[Anonymous]

I didn't take Ambein but I had to take a much stronger medicine my entire pregnancy for health reasons. Mine.

My child turned out perfect - I did double the dose of folic acid recommend for "normal" women (as recommend by my doc).

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

It was prescribed for my sister when she couldnt sleep in 2nd and 3rd trimester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't take Ambein but I had to take a much stronger medicine my entire pregnancy for health reasons. Mine.

My child turned out perfect - I did double the dose of folic acid recommend for "normal" women (as recommend by my doc).

Good luck.

Thanks for the response! Can I ask what the medication was? How old is your daughter now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was prescribed for my sister when she couldnt sleep in 2nd and 3rd trimester.

My sister actually took it too, but also only in 2nd and 3rd trimester. And she took it every night, but only 2.5-5mg. I'm freaking out because I pretty much ruined the whole first trimester. I keep reading about how sensitive the fetal brain is at that time and, well, I'm panicking!

[Anonymous]

I was pregnant around te holidays and was on a BENDER! I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant because I had been heavily drinking for 2 weeks. DD is happy healthy and very bright girl.

[Anonymous]

Congrats!! I am a little bit jealous you made it thru the first trimester without morning sickness. There's no way I could go that long without knowing because I'd be throwing up constantly.

My doctor prescribed it for me as well and I took it a few times a week my entire pregnancy. Agree with your doctor that what's done is done and no sense in worrying about it now. It's probably not ideal, but you didn't know you were pregnant and at least you weren't taking something more dangerous.

Did they estimate your due date with an ultrasound or based on last period? If the latter, you may not be as far along as you think, so less risk of harm done.

[Anonymous]

Congrats!

I just looked it up and it's category C for pregnancy: which means they can't prove it's safe or unsafe but which also means that they don't know that it can cause harm. http://www.drugs.com/ambien.html

I'd be freaked out too but only because it's my nature. Objectively, chances are high it's 100% fine. ESPECIALLY given how frequently this must happen.

It's not the sort of thing that you would do if you knew you were pregnant (maybe- although see the sister above) but frankly that's because they haven't proven things are un/safe and that's because they can't do experiments on pregnant women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congrats!! I am a little bit jealous you made it thru the first trimester without morning sickness. There's no way I could go that long without knowing because I'd be throwing up constantly.

My doctor prescribed it for me as well and I took it a few times a week my entire pregnancy. Agree with your doctor that what's done is done and no sense in worrying about it now. It's probably not ideal, but you didn't know you were pregnant and at least you weren't taking something more dangerous.

Did they estimate your due date with an ultrasound or based on last period? If the latter, you may not be as far along as you think, so less risk of harm done.

I know, right?! With my son, I was sick 24/7! Another reason I was so shocked, no real symptoms! They estimated based off ultrasound..

Did you take it in the first trimester as well? 5 or 10mg? What did doc have to say about it? How is DC now?

I'm totally interrogating you, hehe, but I'm super anxious right now

[Anonymous]

At your age there may be other problems completely unrelated to the medication, so just proceed as normal. Get the genetic tests and ultrasounds as you normally would with AMA. If nothing is picked up then you will most likely be in the clear. Congrats!!

[Anonymous]

Most I the first trimester teratogens cause structural birth defects. This you will know at your 18 week scan. Not clear of ambien is on that category since class c drug. Aside from the initial patternin of the brain the majority of neurogenesis happens later so I wouldn't worry about subtle brain defects. If this is a viable pregnancy you will know soon and as pp mentioned if it is not it is likely due to your age rather than the ambien.
Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Congrats. I had a child at 40, and had taken ambien before I knew. The doc (GW MFM) allowed me to continue to take it "as needed" but encouraged me to consider other options too. I took it maybe once a week throughout the pregnancy, and my doc had no concerns. My baby was totally fine, and has been the happiest and easiest of my three. (And smartest too, but I'm not supposed to say that out loud, right?) I think you'll be fine, and congrats on your surprise news!

[Anonymous]

To preface: this is completely unscientific and hopefully others will have better information out there. But, just to throw out a different way of thinking -- perhaps it helped you conceive under less stressful conditions, have fewer symptoms, or sleep better than you otherwise would have. Maybe there is an extra benefit from that. Perhaps it isn't anyone's ideal, but maybe it somehow helped you behave more healthfully in other unknown ways.

Best wishes.

[Anonymous]

OP,
Congratulations! Try not to worry. Ambien has been around long enough that if it were likely to cause problems, your Internet search probably would have at least turned up some anecdotal evidence.

[Anonymous]

The difference between a class C and a class a a drug if often in the amount of money spent on studies. Ambien used to be a class B drug until recently. When it switched I wondered if they FDA demanded more studies to stay class B and the drug maker declined to fund them. I would feel safe taking it. Other commonly prescribed class a a drugs include zofran, which tons of women take in their first tri.

As for the PP who says you should be more worried about genetic anomalies at your age--do the testing you choose and disregard the noise.