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Q. I am now 18 weeks into my second pregnancy. For much of this time, I have been worried sick that one night in which I over-indulged in alcohol, may have affected our baby. At the time I would have only been 4 days pregnant.

The other question I had was the safety of using solariums whilst pregnant. At around the same time as the above incident I was preparing to be in a wedding. I spent 6 sessions at a solarium during my first week of pregnancy. Could this have affected out baby?

I had my 18 week ultrasound last week which indicated no abnormalities, but I'm still worried.

Please advise on all the above questions. Thanks ever so much!

A. You already know that alcohol and tanning booths are not recommended during pregnancy. You didn't yet know you were pregnant when these things occurred!

Your ultrasound has shown normal development so put your fears to rest. While ultrasound doesn't give you all the answers it is a good indicator of growth and devlopment. Enjoy this special time in your life. I'm sure that you will be eating a healthy and nutritious diet, getting plenty of rest, and avoiding unnecessary risks for the rest of your pregnancy. Now you can look forward to planning a lovely birth for this new addition to your family.

Cyndi Klausing, RN, ACCE, has been a childbirth educator and breastfeeding counselor for over 18 years. She currently works as a newborn nursery nurse and is the mother of four sons.

Cyndi will answer your questions on fertility, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and babies. Her advice does not take the place of your practitioner. Personal answers will not always be possible.