Can a pregnant woman be detoxed from methadone?

I am thirty years old and have been trying desperately to change my life over the past few years. I have been using on and off for seventeen years, and have been through eight inpatient treatments and many other outpatient and detox facilitys. I've always wanted to stop but it's been a difficult road. My addiction progressed to herion and I ended up on the methadone maintenence program about four years ago. The first two years were rough but thanks to the grace of God and my family I have been clean now for over a year and a half. My husband and my son have been my anchor to reality and responsibility. My husband does not smoke, drink or use drugs and never has(how we ended up together is a mystery). Also through a stroke of luck I got pregnant with my first son during a time in my life that I was clean, so there where no problems with him at birth. The only problems we have with him is the horrible separation anxiety he suffers from because of my past behavior. I have been to many detoxes during his life and he did not understand why mommy had to be gone and also while I was using I wasn't home much, so that didn't help. Anyway I have been coming down on my methadone dose since last July and I am down to 40mgs. I recently found out I was pregnant. I really wanted to be off the methadone before this happened, but that is not how things have worked out. My husband and I are happy about the baby, we are just worried. I don't want my baby to go through withdrawls because of my problems. I have a big problem with that! The bad part is everone including the clinic I go to says I could miscarry if I detox, but I have read otherwise from mothers that were in the same boat as me. I am so confused. I acually went down at least 10mgs possibly 15mgs before I found out I was pregnant, so I really want to detox if I can. Any information I could get regarding this matter I would be very grateful for. Thank you in advance.   Wendylee

[Pixie]

Go to he hospital, tell them you are pregnant and on methadone. Then get off it.
There are some situations that have lots of shades of grey that allow room for error, experimententaion, rationalization, and delay....
Pregnancy is not one of those.
Baby first. Possibly detoxing would harm the baby-but continuing to use will also harm the baby.
Have you ever seen an infant withdraw from drugs?
I rest my case.
ps-I say go to the hospital because they won't detox you in a way that would harm the fetus.
Pixie

[spook]

I have a 6 page Document all about Methadone detox and Pregnancy,esp during the 3`rd Trimester etc,etc.At the moment I am too upset that you allowed yourself to get pregnant while on Methadone,if I can calm down ,I may post,for now I will go and have a cry.

[spook]

When I was pregnant with my daughter 8 years ago and forced to go to Hospital "X", I had been clean for several months.  But, "X" forced me to detox to a VERY low dose (it was all BLIND dosing).  I couldn't handle the detox.  I began buying "street" methadone, and when that got too expensive, I started buying heroin.  Hospital "X" doesn't seem to care if the women can't deal with the detox and start using again! They just keep on dropping that dose, claiming its best for the baby.  How can it be better for the baby if the mother starts using heroin again!?

Luckily, my daughter was born healthy, although she was one month premature and only weighed 4 lbs. I think it's a miracle, since I was using heroin EVERY day in my 7th & 8th months.  I HAD TO, doctor, because I was so sick from withdrawals, I just couldn't stand it!  I hope you understand.

Over the past 20 years I have been an addict, I have had many girlfriends and known other women who were pregnant and hid it from their clinics as long as they could because they were absolutely TERRIFIED about going to "Hospital X!"  After buying a subscription to Methadone Today, I learned that addictionologists, including the ones who write the TIP and TAP books, recommend completely the opposite of what "Hospital X" is doing to women.  Can't someone make them stop!? Or why can't the other methadone clinics in the Detroit area give pregnant patients a choice whether to stay at their clinic or to go to "X"?  -  A Very Worried Patient (With Not Much Time Left Before I Start Showing)

Dear Worried:

The mistreatment which you suffered eight years ago that resulted in your child's low birth weight and premature birth is now subject to a claim of malpractice due to the clinical research and practice guidelines that attest to the following:

Methadone should be increased, commonly as much as 30 percent, during pregnancy.  Failure to medicate adequately increases fetal distress, prematurity and spontaneous abortion.  Methadone maintenance, when adequate to suppress the need for illicit drug abuse, results in healthier, higher birth weight newborns compared with mothers who continue to use heroin.  Infants born to methadone-maintained mothers do not over time differ significantly from those born to non-dependent mothers in ways that can be attributed to methadone.

Management of neonatal opioid withdrawal is a safe procedure and not to be feared, especially compared to the risks of underdosing pregnant patients who relapse as a result.  Many of the infants of methadone maintained mothers may not require much in the way of management of neonatal abstinence, but it is almost impossible to predict for an individual case (at CAP clinics, there was at least one infant whose mother delivered at a maintenance dose of 180 mg/d whose abstinence syndrome was easily managed).

"Blind" dosage should never be practiced when not requested by the patient.  It is demeaning, unsafe, anxiety provoking, and encourages diversion among nursing staff.  It is a sign of a punitive and non-medically oriented program where administration has little understanding of the disease of addiction and even less empathy for the patients whom they serve.  Run, do not walk, from such a facility.

I have no idea why pregnant patients should be banned from MMT programs and will not comment on this bizarre practice, which you describe, of herding them all into a single clinic.  It is not done anywhere else in the world in my experience.

There are guidelines about monitoring prenatal care that all clinics must observe in the federal regulations.  This implies that pregnant women should be served.  Depriving women of the option of attending the clinic of their choice should be addressed with the State of Michigan or with the agencies who license or fund these no-service clinics.

Providing care to pregnant women should be a primary requirement for licensing or funding in my opinion.  It is one of the truly critical health care interventions that MMT clinics can do better than any other facility.  The federal rule regarding admission criteria for pregnant addicts is minimal compared with those for others and reflects the government's expectation that licensed clinics should serve this population ahead of everyone else and certainly not have the option of excluding it.

[Blueyed_male]

You have been on "juice" for 4 years? You don

[CannabisDave]

The last comment really bothers me.  Saying that methadone is worse than heroin is irresponsible and WRONG. Some people who get off of methadone think it was the worst thing in the world, and that nobody should ever be on it, but their opinion is based only on their personal experience and ignorance.  For MOST people with the metabolic disorder of addiction, the BEST thing they can do is get on methadone.  They may want to detox quickly if they haven't been an addict for a long time, but most people stabilize on methadone for a period of time before trying to detox off of it.  The FACT is that many people who have the metabolic disorder of addiction need to be on methadone the rest of their lives, because their brains no longer manufacture enough endorphins.  In general, the longer one has been an addict the longer one needs to be on methadone.  The main problem with methadone is that its primarily available at clinics, and methadone CLINICS are the biggest problem for people on methadone.  Fortunately, doctors are beginning to prescribe methadone to give people freedom from the bondage of methadone clinics.  The "authorities" are talking about issuing a "license" to doctors which allows them to prescribe methadone, but that is total nonsense designed to continue the stigma.  All it does is continue to stigmatize addiction patients, and they would still be subjected to urinalysis and random inspection of their medication. Granted it would be a bit better than going to a clinic, but not much better, and it would cost a lot for doctors to do meet all the requirements listed in the "proposed physician guidelines" for prescribing methadone. Having responsibility for my own supply of methadone is part of my recovery, and I've reduced my dose considerably since I got out of the clinic system last year. Clinics treat us like we can't be trusted with our own medication, and that is WRONG.  One of the most important benefits of getting methadone from my doctor is that I can take split-doses now. Split dosing is MUCH better than taking the whole dose at once each day. When you dose all at once you have to take much more than you need at the time in order for it to hold you 24-hours.  I take just one 10mg. tablet every 6-8 hours now (3-4 a day), but if I take the whole dose at once each day I'd need twice as much to hold me for 24-hours, and that one big dose causes negative side-effects like drowsiness, constipation, depression, sleep disturbance, etc. Getting back to pregnant methadone patients: it is especially important for pregnant MMT patients to take split doses, because they may metabolize/excreet their methadone much faster than normal, especially during the trimester.  Even some clinics are allowing split-dosing for pregnant patients now. Pregnant patients are much better served by their own physician, and they shouldn't be required to attend methadone clinics. People with other health problems like being HCV+ are also better treated by their doctors, and almost everyone on methadone is HCV+. Methadone clinics are good for nobody except those few who profit off of them.  I no longer have to attend a clinic for methadone, but I STILL devote a lot of time and energy trying to help people get out of clinics, because I know how evil they can be. There will always be a need for "comprehensive" drug treatment clinics that also dispense methadone, but most people on MMT should be getting their methadone presribed from their doctors. Doctors CAN prescribe methadone to treat "pain", so ask your doctor to treat the pain caused by your addiction (leg and joint pain, etc.) - they can do that without being persecuted by the DEA, and after you educate them they'll want to help you if they're good doctors. All they can do is say no, and then you need a new doctor anyway!

[umbros]

im sure u can slowly with doctors advice very slowly of course.!!!! i agree with the other guy methadone sucks !!!!! is disgusting and replacing one habbit with another.. imho..get of that stuff.. its poison... what good is it when ur still addicted mode?.learn new ways and become a new person goodluck u will be agreath mother.

[mommyto3girls]

You are doing the right thing by being on methadone. Dont let anyone tell you any different. I tried detoxing while pregnant and at 10mg and 8months I couldnt go any lower I tried 7mg and couldnt make it throught the night. But everyone is different, before you try talk to your doctor and your clinic counseler. But remember your being responsible and taking care of your baby and yourself by being on the methadone!

[str8happb]

i just found out i was pregnant 2 day 12-14-07 i am taking methadone but being detoxed i really dont know 2 much and i am very worried not to mention i am also a high risk iam currently on 14 mg what will the clinic do will they hold me on that or will i still have to detox the cinic iam currently at is understanding in no way shape or form all they care about is getting their $88.00a wk.any feed back from any mothers who gave birth while on the methadone would greatly help               thanks much......a worried mom

[a_lyn]

I am currnetly on 70 mgs of methadone and I am also 7 weeks pregnant.  I have been on methadone for almost 2 years.  I stayed at 50 mgs for a year then I started to come down but when I did that I felt terrible. I couldnt sleep or anything. So then I went back up and now I continue going up.  I was on 65 mgs when I found out I was pregnant and the doctor justmoved me up 5 mgs.  My OBGYN told me that if I detox or stop taking the methadone I would lose my baby. When I asked the doctor at the methadone clinic about it he said that my OBGYN would know more then he does.

[GoingToMakeIt]

I am so glad that you are here on this forum welcome! You should know that this post is from 2001. It is hard to see but if you look close it says 04/20/01.
We do want to hear from you so start a new post. Click the green Post A Question button and post away. :-)

[ang131]

my name is angela, i too am pregnant, i am 16 weeks along and i wanted to stop takeing my dose at the clinic. but i talked with my doctor and did a lot of self reaserch and found that it IS better for the baby not to stop my dose. my current dose is 63mg. i dont intend to go up on my dose if i can help it. after having the baby i am then going to try to get off of the dose cuz ever since i started my dosing i have experianced some acne on my face, i hate it, i have never before had an acne problem. but anyway i hope this has helped your decison.   GOOD LUCK ang.

[justmeintn]

Today is January 28, 2009.  I have been married to a heroin addict who has been on methadone programs off and on many times over the years.
My own mother was put on methadone pills for chronic pain before she passed away.  And now, my son's girlfriend, who is due to have their son May 22, 2009 has been put on it because of abusing oxycontin AND heroin.  She's not even showing yet and you can't tell she's pregnant at all.
Her mother had to sneak behind her father's back to get her on it and her father forced her off of it last week with no time to detox whatsoever.

He has no idea or does not care what effects this can and will have on the baby.  She told my ex-husband this past Monday that she hadn't felt the baby move in two days and, since I live 500 miles away and can't go to her, I sent a text message asking if everything were alright.

Her father intercepted the text and basically told me that now is the time for me and my family to leave her alone and get on with our lives.  I told him he'd lost his mind if he thought for one minute I'd turn my back on my grandson, IF he survives after what he's done to his daughter, who, btw, is 21 and totally dependent on him financially.

My son also got into a methadone clinic, but has since checked himself into the hospital and they are detoxing him with Seboxin (sp) and he has now moved on to rehab.

Her father hates my son, but this isn't about her father OR my son OR her, for that matter.
It's about the unborn baby and the withdraw he's going through due to her father's inaction to help his daughter kick her habit.  She was just at someone's house days ago begging for pills because she was "sick".  It could also cost us all the life of that precious and innocent baby.

I have to say that I totally agree with some comments made above.  Methadone is a very nasty synthetic form of opium and is much, much harder to kick than heroin.  It destroys your bones, causes you to lose your teeth, and many other side effects aside from the fact that it's extremely addictive.  Even more so than heroin.
That's not to say I'm telling anyone to get off of it and go back to illegal drugs, but there ARE other alternatives out there now that are less stressful and less harmful to you AND your unborn child and it would be in your best interest to discuss this with your OBGYN as soon as humanly possible.

Methadone is no miracle drug.  It's just a plain old drug.  Period.  And way too many rely on it to keep them off the streets and it, too, is abused.  While that may be good for some, I don't agree that it should be the case with anyone who is pregnant.
No baby deserves to come into this world having to fight an addiction to anything.  The world is cruel and hard enough without the added stress of addiction.....on both baby and mother.

[sepsis]

I am currently pregnant and in a methadone treatment program.

First let me start off by mentioning that in New York City, and most of the US, the standard practice is NOT to taper pregnant women off methadone.  Tapering off too quickly has been shown to lead to miscarriage, low birth weight, and premature birth in many cases.  Usually when a woman is pregnant a doctor will not only advise her to stay on the maintenance dose throughout the pregnancy, but to also possibly increase her dose as she gains more body weight later on.  The reasoning is that doctors cannot treat a fetus in withdrawal but can effectively treat a baby once it has been born.

That said I was taking a split dose of 96mg a day when I found out I was pregnant (48mg at the clinic in the morning and 48mg given to me as a take-home bottle for the evening.)  I have always been on a split dose, which is necessary for some people who metabolize methadone very quickly -- this sometimes occurs in younger, more active patients.

When I found out I was pregnant my first reaction was to get myself off the methadone as I did not want the baby to be born addicted.  However I found out that the medical community was very much against this, saying they did not want me to possibly have a miscarriage.  After much discussion and getting many many opinions from many different medical professionals in a variety of different fields (addictions medicine, ob/gyn, pediatrics, etc.) I decided to very slowly initiate a taper during the second month of the pregnancy.

At first I began by taking away 6mg (3mg from each bottle) every 7 days.  After getting down to about 70mg I slowed the taper to go down 4mg (2mg out of each bottle) every 7 days.  After I went down to about 50mg I slowed the taper down even further to go down 4mg (2mg from each bottle) every 9 days.  

I had to sign a number of papers for the doctor including a statement saying that the taper is against medical advice.  I also told the doctor that I would report to him immediately if I was feeling any signs of withdrawal, at which point I would consider discontinuing going down on the taper for that week.  Furthermore, I found an ob/gyn who is monitoring the pregnancy who specializes in high risk pregnancies, particularly for women with substance abuse issues and women in methadone treatment.  She is making me get a sonogram every 3 weeks to monitor the growth of the fetus because she says a methadone taper during pregnancy can result in slow fetal growth.  If she tells me that the baby is not properly growing, I will either slow or stop my taper.

So far everything has luckily been going fairly well, but I believe it is important to pay very very close attention as to what's going on while pregnant.  If you want to get off methadone while you are pregnant, make sure you have a good set of doctors backing you up.  Make sure you speak to both an addictions specialist (shouldn't be difficult if you are part of a methadone program), as well as choosing an ob/gyn that has plenty of experience with pregnant women on methadone.  Make sure the taper is done very slowly.  Remember that if you are, for example, taking 100mg and reduce that by 10mg, you are taking out a tenth of your dose, but if you are taking 20mg and take out 10mg, you're taking away half the dose!  You'll obviously want to go slower and slower as your dose gets lower.  You will, however be constrained by the length of the pregnancy, so if you only have a couple of months left in your pregnancy, I would not recommend initiating a taper unless you are already on a fairly low dosage of methadone, as it could lead to fetal distress and potentially much more serious issues such as miscarriage.  However, if it is still pretty early on in your pregnancy, I definitely would not discourage trying a very slow, highly supervised methadone taper.

Best of luck to you.  Feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

[scaredtodeath297]

please i am beggigng  i just found out i am pregnant and i have been on methadone sence august of 08.i have two daughters the youngest is eight.i smoked some pot and may have ha a drink or two with both pregancies,but only until i found out i was pregnant .so i am terrifyed . I have been doing tons of research for the last week and Irelize how terribly irresponsible iwas for getting pregnant but it is done.I take 150mgs a day and my first reaction was to go cold turkey.i am farely new to the methadone but not addiction.my piont i guess is i dont want my infant to have horrible painful withdrawl (withdrawal) symtoms (symptoms).Actually iwas also taking a benzo and sleep medication but i stopped it.So  i also asked my ob and clinic doc about detox and a taper and was advised by both to continue as iam .i dont think my docs were brutily honest they almost lied as far as whether or not the baby would detox.Know I have been searching the web and my understanding is babies have nasty withdrawl (withdrawal).witch was my first feeling.someone help what do I do?

[jamiet846]

ya your baby will go through severe withdrawls and anyone who tells you different is lieing for some reason.  You say your new to methadone so you probably havn't kicked it before but let me tell you..its the worst thing in the world to do cold turkey...don't do it you will kill your baby and really really hurt yourself.  I went from bangin' more than a gram of heroin a day to 55 miligrams of methadone. People at the clinic were   I have been a herion addict for the past 7 years and been on methadone and kicked it numerous times.  I was a hard core addict for sure.  And let me tell you a lot of your kicking is in your head.  You can detox from methadone while pregnant.  I just did it and my baby is 100% healthy.  I started at 55 mlgrams 5 1/2 months ago and i've been off for 12 days now.  I went down 2 every other day and kept head strong knowing that i DO NOT want my precious little baby going through anything so horrible.  you are on a little bit higher of a dose but i'm gonna say that some of that dose is in your head.  decrease what you think right away, like 10 or 15 or even 20...and be strong! you'll be amazed how not bad you feel.  the whole time i was crusin down with my dose, i was amazed that i was just fine.  try goin down 3 every other day until you get to around 20 or so....trust me it's sooooo much in your head.  rest when you need to and relax more than u used to.  12 days of a methadone free life, so far.. is wonderful :)  i got cold chills right now when a couple minutes ago i was sweatin' with pit stains...  my back hurts so bad, but damn i would much rather keep on crusin and gettin better than ever go back to the life i used to have as a addict.  life as an addict sucked.  keep on goin girl, and good luck.  if you have any questions hit me up i've been doing this whole detox thing a looong time.    

[Gina410]

I am kinda disguisted that women are so rude and judgemental of other women trying to do whats right.  If you have cancer, you take medication.  Addiction IS a disease.  I know I am also a addict, on methadone coming off.  I have been on birth control since my last child was born and it failed me.  No everyone ALLOWS themself to get pregnant but it happens and I have seen a baby withdrawl (withdrawal) and that pushes me even more to finish the last weeks of my detox.  I have been off illegal drugs for 8 yrs, after the first 3 I relapsed with pain pills, found out I was pregnant and had to go back on methadone.  I have great support from my OB, the head nurse at my clinic and others.  We would be putting our littleones at harm more by using streetdrugs.  At least with methadone the doctors know what is in its system.  

TO:  all on meth and pregnant,
   If you follow the plan, and only take the meth, good for you.  you are trying to do whats right and there are people out here that have your back.  Love ya all

[nikki111557]

I am 7 weeks pregnant and on methadone.i get my take homes and am currently on 60mgs, i was on 150 and have detoxed 10-15 sometimes 20mgs a week. The reason that i am doing this is not because i want to mainly because i am being forced to by in-laws who are sending my husband and i to rehab. but the catch is that at this rehab you have to already be detoxed before entering. Its not that I dont want to go because I do but I also want to do whats best for my baby. What really scares me is that i have had 2 miscarriages before.what also scares me is that we have a bed now at the rehab which means that we leave in one week which also means that i will have to detox cold turkey! I AM SOOOOO SCARED.
please help

                                               sincerely,
                                                   desperate

[hellc@mst]

hey. I think you are in an impossible situation. You can not safely detox off your dose in only 1 week. You said you want to do whats best for the baby. I can assure you that such a rapid detox is of no long or short term benefit to either you or the baby. You must seek proffesional guidance from a doctor. I m confident that no responsible doctor is going to endorse your cold turkey plan. Please reconsider your plan

All the best. Regards Jeremy

[gnarly_1]

HI Nikki ...first off there is no way to detox of 60mg of methadone in a weeks time regardless if your pregnant or not...your withdrawals will last for weeks not days from that high of dose....second and more importantly it would be DANGEROUS to even try and go cold turkey will pregnant so this CANNOT BE AN OPTION for you and your baby
many obgyn will keep you on it thew your whole pregnancy..if not they will have you do a very slow taper off to avoid fetal distress ...PLEASE contact your doctor b/4 doing anything you dont want a miscarriage...good luck and God bless.....Gnarly      

[MYLissa3761]

NO....IT IS DANGEROUS!!!!   THE BABY WILL GO THROUGH WITHDRAWL (withdrawal) IT IS SAFER THAN HEROIN~!~

[nikki111557]

Hey its nikki again. Thank you guys so much for your help and comments.i dont want to detox off of the methadone if anything i feel that i should be going up slightly on my dose. But its my mother-in-law who is pushing this whole issue. But its like she wont listen and she has rehab on the brain. I really do eventually want to come off of it and go to rehab but i feel that while pregnant is definately not the right time.She just wont listen.Im really scared and i dont want a dead or distressed baby. Please help me to find the right words to say to help educate her before its too late.

                                                          sincerely,
                                                                  Nikki

[gnarly_1]

HI you need to sit down with your mother/in /law and explain to here that you have done the research and it would be dangerous to just stop the methadone cold turkey for the baby...and express that you do want to get off of it but it is a slow weening process that takes months to do...its nothing you can do overnight also tell her that the baby will be fine they know how to deal with this sort of thing when you deliver ...you might appease her if you talk to your obgyn and discuss tapering off b/4 you deliver but dont do anything without talking to your dr...also make your dr aware that your on methadone if you haven't already they will know what to do...good luck with your whole situation and God bless
.......Gnarly    

[Ldal1980]

Hi um 25 weeks pregnant and I have been on subutex for my addiction and I too have a year and a half clean I just recently found out that I have to havey gallbladder removed And I was in alot of pain and was unable to get out of bed to take care of my 7 year old so they put me on vicoden and I took 2 5 mg pills every 5 to 6 hours then the obgyn was all the sudden like we are not going to supply u the medication I said that that could put me thru withdraw and into preterm labor and the np said I know like she didn't even care so I contacted a methadone clinic and I see them on Monday i'm really upset can anyone give me an idea on what my baby is going to go thru when he is born anyone that has experanced this please email me Ty ***@**** Ty once agian

[avisg]

I would not contact methadone clinic i wouold contact the AMA and your sub doctors when are they removing you GB

[auddie41]

@spook well cry..ok people get sick with diabetes right..they take medicine, dont they? How can you say something about a woman allowing herself to get pregnant??? allowing? dude i seriously doubt she tried and birth control and condoms are not 100 percent.why are you on this forum why did you look this up I mean if you feel so strong about it why do you want to hear it..stay awayyour "concern"sounds dumb and really mean.NE Wa about your question.. yeah I would say suboxone is a better choice..if you had one but already being on methadone..u need to stay on it at least until you are done breast feeding if you decide not to then after birth and try to stay at a lower dose but not low enough that you are sick or uncomfortable..then your baby is... methadone should be a last resort. in the clinics I 1st went to at the beginning of my addiction, I was told 1st thing if you get pregers you have to stay on. Also this was a clinic(like most in the state i am from) that said this is a last resort you have to have tracks on your arms or body. That if you sniff heroin you wouldn't get dosed and pills ..no way! they would say "go to detox" I feel that way too if you have a pill addiction you should not go on methadone its way to powerful and far more addictive its more addictive then heroin..its not trading one addiction for another there are many reasons why you are not doing that and other feel that way I know I hear it all day..it is not trading addictions. methadone stabilizes you ..heroin messes up your brain if you did that drug for over 1 year it will take 10 years to heal your brain chem.Also if you used iv drugs then it gives you time away from being exposed to hep and HIV and also it lets you veins heal.methadone actually helps the growth of brain chemicals like dopamine and you think abot this you can work and not chase a drug all day you take your med you get ready to go to work you live life you become a productive member or society  your  not lying  and stealing and selling your body for medicine you can work and function.not saying you do or did that .I did! and I dont have to anymore..there were other ways but this is what I chose and its my choice my meds my life!!I dont tell anyone mom dad bros sisters I never tell anyone cuz there is such a stigma on methadone patients and it isn't right no one should tell any woman how to care for themselves whatever they feel is not you so, it is your medicine you can kill your child by shooting up while preggers and you can kill it by coming off methadone esp if you come off fast well at all really. if you have been on a good dose that keeps you well  for a while 6 months or more and you are stable then you are doing the best job to keep that baby healthy! chances are your baby will be fine there is nothing that says your baby can get health problems from methadone none only when woman got increases that were amam against medical advise thjis happened to a woman at the clinic i work and evey one said thats what you get for having a junky baby..that is so wrong. when you have a baby while in treatment you are on a stable does you brest feed you should be able to bring that baby home day after labor they do a 25 hour watch to see if there is any withdrawal if not the baby goes home esp when there parent brest feeds there is a ery tny tiny amout of methadone in your milk and it will help the baby not withdrw...this is better then using and having a herion addict baby and people have no lives so the inject you with their stupid things that others have planted in them that are totaly false!   stay on methadone while you are breast feeding  when and if you decide to come off then thats fine I recomend a blinde detox. and then maybe a switch to suboxon. When you are ready!! not your mother in law..in my opion oi dont listen to my mother in law about anything and like most in laws i dont care what she say or thinks what about your hubby what des he think? thats whats important what you your hubby and dr think and by dr..i mean the dr at you local methadone clinic. any dr that says that you can detox off methadone while pregnant is insane and you will end up loosing your baby and that dr should be held 100 percent responsible.this just happened to me at the clinic I work at I had to go into court this past June and tell the judge that this lady's Dr. told her to come off methadone. He went on the stand and said he told her that because he was against methadone while pregnant..well, he was stripped of his med lis. so your doing the right thing I work in treatment facilities I am also a recovering addict i am infertile  so i don't have a chance to have a baby there is a huge stigma on woman who use methadone..its no one's choice but yours its keeping you from using any substances that you were addicted to was it heroin see, when I started  pills..which if you are addicted you will kill your liver all the Tylenol most pain meds besides oxycotin and hydromorphone  or herion which you can get hiv hep c endocardotis and vascular problems from the use of these. just cause you were a addict you are going to be beat up verbally by your ma-in law  she has no idea what you had to go through morally to decide to stay pregnant and stay on methadone..tell her this if I start coming off I will kill my baby...not i may I WILL KILL THE BABY I have seen woman die themselves from it..they say you cant die from detoxing from methadone..well you can!! I have seen it and anyone telling you that is mean and seriously, uneducated on the suibject and its weird why do people talk about stuff they have no idea about..at all they were never an addict..so how can they even weigh in..do research dont look on forums cuz what others say usually isn't accurate and no family or anyone should say anything to you about your choices

[Danelee]

Are you kidding. Who are you to try to make her feel bad. She is trying to better herself. Being on methadone is a way to get off dope and at least she's trying. Things happen millions of people get pregnant when their not ready and this is just another way not to be ready. It's sad and hard. The guilt she's feeling is already enough for you to make a comment like that is sick. She's looking for help. Everywhere you look DRs say don't stop taking her rx med because it will put stress on her baby and could cause a miscarriage. She's not alone millions of women go thru this she's not alone. If you are looking to be mean and hurtful maybe you should find someone on crack or dope from the streets because this women is trying to better her and her babys life!!

[Stacey103076]

I cannot believe you ppl on here would think that us woman would actually deliberately want to remain on methadone while we are pregnant. We are told all sorts of things that Child Protective Services will put us in jail if we leave our Methadone program and we can miscarry if we want to start a blind detox. You people are heartless and until you have been in our shoes and suffered our addictions and other possible issues that come along with it -you should not judge. I for instance..my bf got me hooked on percocet i called the clinic because I knew from previous experience that methadone worked for me and kept me clean from heroine addiction for 6 years. Now add in the equation that i am pregnant and on meth....comes in the fact of the threats from the clinic and doctors and now the fact that the bf literally blocks the door when it is time for me to leave to go get my dose.....I am stuck in a HELL that none of you can even understand or will ever know, with no MIND of my own because i am being TOLD what to do. THE ONLY POSITIVE outcome i MUST say is....I AM CLEAN AND SOBER......and that IS ENOUGH FOR ME.  So in conclusion.....stop guilting us into feeling bad, WE ALREADY DO.......Either provide your support or keep it moving and mind your OWN damn business....NONE of us woke up one day and said HMMMMM i am gonna get high, get addicted, get on methadone then get pregnant and make our babies SUFFER.......

[lucyred68]

methadone was the worst experience of my life, both being on it and getting off it.  i lost my personality, two years of my precious childrens lives, during which my precious daughter was raped and i was mentally and emotionally absent from her.  we have since restored our relationship, but i sometimes wonder if the reason she can't seem to choose a good boyfriend is my fault.Is she still trying to get my attention?  I nearly lost my marriage and all of my inlaws have turned against me, even though it was totally dr. prescribed and never over used.  I despise the stuff.   Lucy

[ashalina]

This is very important so please someone let me know asap! The people who said they are pregnant and the doctor put them on methadone or subutex..! What doctor did that for you? I cannot seem to find anywhere to get help and I really need it ASAP. I am pregnant as well , Im 25 weeks & I am addicted to opiates, I just need to know what doctor is able to prescribe you something to HELP TAPER/GET OFF THE PILLS. PLEASE help!!! Someone let me know! Is it OBGYN or Regular doctor?? Because seems with me, its very hard to find someone who will treat a pregnant woman! THANKS SO MUCH !!!

[pedsty]

I am so scared.  I was just told today that I can detox slowly by the social worker in the ob/gyn office i go to.  but everyone else is saying no.  I am 12 weeks and 3 days pregnant. do you think this is a perfect time to detox from 80 milgrams?

[gnarly_1]

HI.......listen to your obgyn NOT a social worker if the doctor says do it then do it they may not bring you completely off but rathewr lower your dose to make it safer for the baby the less your on the better when you deliver I cant see you coming off it b/4 the baby with most clinical taper plans I think there just looking for harm reduction here we have had many wenen diliver healthy babys on methadone most have to be detoxed in the hospital b/4 they can go home the lower the does the ez that is to do good luck to you and your baby listen ONLY to the doctor and everything will work out fine good luck and God bless.....give this one over to God and rest in his grace.......Gnarly

[PaigeMc]

Several times I heard posts referring to "Blind Detox," any how it's bad. What is a blind detox?  Thanks Paige

[gnarly_1]

hi welcome to the forum during a blind detox they dont tell you when or how much there going to bring you down   this works better for a lot of people because it releaves the anxzity of a dosage drop many people go this rout personally I want to nkw when and how much there droping me so I can tell them not enough oe to much I guess everyone is different
im just glad im threw with all of it....however you go about getting off it will be one of the best decisions of your life goood luck and God bless......Gnarly

[searphia]

Hi. Im 6 weeks pregnant and have been taking methadone for 5 months. Im on 40 mgs and hate the stuff. Its made me gain 17 pounds, I have sweats, Im uncomfortable in the heat....all in all I just dont respond to the stuff very well. Ive decided that I am going to taper after 12 weeks, which is safer to do than in the first trimester. I will go 2-3 mgs every week or so, so it'll be slow. Ive read many stories of women detoxing off of methadone while pregnant, and as long as its done slowly and you work closely with your methadone counselor/ doctor and your OB GYN, it can be safe. They'll tell you its unsafe and may hurt the baby because of possible withdrawal, but thats partially them just them covering their bums. So I have 2 huge reasons to get the heck off this stuff- my beautiful unborn baby and the fact that I dont react to methadone very well. Ill probably lose weight while pregnant once Im off, because methadone makes your cells hold onto water and waste like you wouldnt believe. I cant wait to be off. Its like a stone around my neck and I want to be free of it. Im in the medical field myself and have done lots of research, so to those who want to detox, you can. Just work closely with your doctors and go slowly. I can be accomplished.

[mommytobe273]

hi i'm not sure if you still get on here. I'm on methadone and just find out i'm pregnant i'm not sure what to do. i need some help and need someone to talk to

[gnarly_1]

your on a very old post it would be best if you went to the top of this page click on the green box marked post a question and start a new thread you will get more responses but yes we see you here...........Gnarly

[faithfuless]

I am 22, been on heroin for 2yrs n a bit now, been on methadone on n off for a year, never gone above 55 I am currently on 45, I am 2 weeks into my 2nd pregnancy although this is my first methadone baby so I'm really confused, in the past it only took me a week to fully get off methadone so in my case split dosing was essential. What happens if I keep to a low dose but use heroin every night when I can't sleep. I've read every comment on this page n yet I'm still unsure, some ppl say if u keep taking methadone ur baby will come out abnormal but if u stop it will b in risk of dying. all I want is a healthy baby free from any drug so my concern is do I start slowly reducing my dose now n eventually get off it while I'm still pregnant? Or wait until the 9 months have passed? N then completely stop? Basically do I continue taking my dose throughout the whole pregnancy or stop once I've slowly reduced my dose whether I am still pregnant or not???

Any advice will b greatly appreciated.
Hopefully soon, I don't believe in abortions but I cudnt live with myself knowing I'm putting another life in danger, especially when I'm the who made the wrong choices..

From a mother who is still trying to hang on for hope.

[betrayed993]

can anyone out there please help me?? im soooo scared and disgusted and angry and sad all at the same time! i have been with my girlfriend for a year now and we have moved in together as of three months ago. she made me the happiest man in the world last thursday by telling me that in gonna be a daddy!!!! yaaa me!! i told the whole family and everyone is soooo excited! well my motherinlaw to be.....is in london awaiting a double bypass surgery so we went up to see her in the hospital and stayed at a friend of hers in nearby woodstock. so the next morning we go into london again to see her mom and they tell me they need to stop off at a "pharmcy" to pick up a prescription for her friends daughter!!! well dont we pull up in front of a methadone clinic and my girlfriend is asked to go in with her and me watch the car!! i immediately smelled a rat!! i told her she had better tell me what is going on and after she went into the clinic she came back out and sat down in the back seat and proceeded to tell me she was on methadone and had been hiding it from me for the ENTIRE TIME we had been together andalso living togeter...so i started to cry!!! then started to do some research and the things im reading about the withdrawal symptoms and small head and low birth weight and lower than average development and the risk of cp or downs syndrome!!! im freaking out and she wont tell me the dosage she is on or anything! im absolutely destroyed and i dont know what to do! please someone help me?

[gnarly_1]

HI and welcome to the forum......sorry  you got the news the way you did but most people hide methadone use because of the stigma attached to it
today more and more it is being prescribed for pain management as well as drug replacement therapy to get off hard drugs....dont know the whole story with your G/F but chances are its for replacement therapy you need to let the baby doctor know whats going on they will then decide if she should taper off or stay on it threw her pregnancy there is a lot of misiformation about doing this ....I am personal freinds with a neo/natal nurse that brings babys off methadone heroin oxy ext and methadone is considered safe for pregnant wemen all the way threw dilivery just so the doctors and hospital know about it detoxing is an option but it can be ruff on both mom and the baby so many doctors leve the wemen on it threwout the pregncy its up to your doctor and also how far along your G/F is just know that my freind Jenny deals with this stuff all the time and the babys turn out fine they can be weed off of it you do need to have a heart to heart with your G/F and honesty is the best policy she needs to be able to trust you wirthout having you freak out your in this together but get with the baby doctor as soon as you can I wish you all the luck in the world God bless.......Gnarly  

[betrayed993]

Thanks for the feedback. I have asked my EX g/f to get me into talk to her dr. Everythn I'm reading is sooo depressing I don't know where to put myself! As far as methadone treatment is concerned I think its great that the people with disease have a viable..safe solution to free them of their addiction..in this case she was addicted to oxycotin. Hats off to anyone who wants to help imnprove themselves! HOWEVER what is wrong with this system? Why are there NOT SAFEGUARDS to protect these innocent BABIES?? What is wrong with people? Why is it not MANDIATORY to go on birth control while in treatment? Why do they let this HAPPEN! Give me a chance AT LEAST to have a choice in the matter! If your on methadone and sexually active with someone.. YoU SHOULD BE OBLIGATED BY LAW to tell your partner if your not on BIRTHCONTROL! What she has done to me is immoral..despicable..disgusting! This should be criminal just like not telling your partner you arte hiv positive! Bad example I know but still you get my drift! To all you women out there on methadone..congrats on making an effort to save your life! But for GOD SAKES TELL YOUR MAN!! And when the two of you are ready to have kids..you can PLAN for it and do it the SAFE way!! Why in the world would anyone wanna give herion to their child ? Wake up people!!

[Proudveteran]

Look up what happens to mother and baby when methadone is stopped.  If this is your reaction to people you don't even know I can't imagine how you treated her when you found out.  Did you call the mother of your child disgusting, immoral, and despicable to her face when you found out?  Have you heard of an unplanned pregnancy?   Would you rather have everyone who has had a pregnancy while on methadone have an abortion.  Would that uphold your high moral standings. Go to the doctor with your EX GIRLFRIEND.  Maybe you will stop judging her and start being more understanding.

[mega996]

i had been using opiates when i found out i was pregnant in August. I immediately checked myself into a detox / rehab where i was told that they could not legally detox me because withdrawel is the worst thing for the baby. i was put on methadone in rehab and now am going to the clinic everyday. throughout my addiction i have had periods of sobriety once for three years, without ever being on methadone and i am devastated that i have to be on it now. the thought of my baby girl going through withdrawels is horrible. my boyfriend is not an addict and freaked out that i am on methadone and wanted me to detox myself if no hospital would detox me, until i brought him to the doctor with me who explained that the baby cannot go through withdrawels before shes born. i have been speaking to many women at the meth clinic who were in same position as us and all of them except one told me that there babies did not test positive for meth when they were born. my doc said that some babies take to the meth and some don't. hopefully that will help you cause it def made me feel like a loser a little bit less. good luck

[nevaehsmomma]

I am like 9 weeks pregnant and I have been on the methadone program for like 8 mnonths now. I was already on a slow detox because I didn't want to be on it anymore i hate it. I was in a really bad car accident and when my doc stoped givinging me perscriptions for pain medication I was feeling pretty bad and was having withdraws, I knew a couple people in the metadone clinic and i let them talk me into getting on it which i regret so much. I was in another accident in 06 and had no problem stopping useing them by myself which I should have done this time. I hate the methadone it taste so nasty, i feel like its worst then the pain pills. As soon as I thought i was pregnant i told the doctor I wanted to detox right away faster I decided to go down 3 mlgms a day, and he made me sign a form that I was doing it against his advice, I did not tell him that I thought i was p[regnant and still havent. but no matter what I do not want to be on methadone when i have my baby and make him go through the horrible withdraw. It is not his choice and I could not to that to my child, my kids mean more than anything to me. I have a three year old and before i was pregnant with her I smoked weed and cigarets and occasionaly drank and had no problem stopping all of that as soon as I found out I was pregnat. I have also had a miscarriage a year and a half ago that was devistating but honestly I would rather not have a baby than have one on methadone, I feel very strongly about it. Some one at that goes to that clinic told me the doctor would not let me detox that they would tell me it would kill my baby and a bunch of stuff. but i know some one that did it and there baby is perfectly healthy. I also know someone that was on methadone there whole pregnany and there son was in the hospital for over a month trying to detox and had a really really had time and is still very unhealthy. I worry about it everyday and hope I am doing the right thing. I feel fine I feel great actually I feel better then I did when i was on a 80 mlgm dose. I do not have any withdraw symtoms (symptoms) i dont feel sick dont feel bad in any way. I think alot of the withdraw is in your head and you thinking you need it. But I am so determined and just focused on my baby that it not even efectting me. I will be completly off of it in a week and a half and hopefully still doing just as good. I just want to be off of it and focus on my kids and have the excitement of being pregnant instead of being worried about him because off a bad decision i made.

[sickbutwontgiveup]

thats what I said after having my first baby on methadone. It was a living hell! My poor baby girl in the ICU and people treating me like I was a heroin junkie mother... ugh,,,  when I was on painkillers for my 5 back to back miscarriages which was why I was put on methadone. Withdrawing off this stuff is way worse than any kind of street drug... how do you do it taking care of a baby?? Now I am happily pregnant again, weened down to 40 mg from 170, and I'll get off of this stuff now being 5 weeks pregnant than shooting back up and putting me and my unborm baby in an opiate fog again. With the aid of professionals. I have no desire to go out and find crap out on the street. I just want my family to be well. Anyone who looks down on a woman for getting pregnant on meth- give your head a shake. What situation do you have in your life to be judged upon thatsa probably far worse than this. Withdrawing off metadone with two babies just makes it worse. If you want off it Have some strength and do it now. My husband did cold turkey and after the illness of that, he is totally clean from everything for 2 years. It wont kill you... it just hurts. If you care, do it for your children.

[neithy]

You are a judgemental person. To post such a thing is not only disgraceful but shows that you no knowledge of addiction or the fact that it a disease. What if a women gets pregnant while on insulin because she suffers from diabetes. That could also cause harm to the fetus, would you crucify her. I suggest you read a bible or go to chuch as jesus christ would be appauld at your behavior.

[bes7185]

@ LUCYRED^*wow...obviously then if you were "mentally absent" and you are blaming being on methadone for that you either had to have been on a dose way too high and/or taking psyc meds such as benzos...i.e. xanax, or a combination of mood stabilizers, depression meds, sleep meds that make u incoherent....if you had a bad enought habit to need to start a MMT then you should have known when you felt "not sick" and if you felt like that it would have been noticed gradually not all at once, given the fact that mmt clinics DO NOT ust pick a dose and give it to you all at once. You atart low and go up as needed being carefully monitored by the nurses who see you each and every day and if you were Lathargic, high or impaired in any way they would not dose you that day and make sure you were stabilized at the right dose for you which should only be high enough to keep off street drugs as low as possible to keep from experiencing withdrawals. Also I have no I dea what MMT clinic you went to but you also should see a counsilor weekly as well to make sure that your stabilized etc. SO BLAMING JUST METHADONE FOR YOUR DAUGHTER BEING RAPED AND MISSING 2 YRS OF YOUR LIFE SEEMS TO ME THERE HAS TO BE A POINT THAT YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALLOWING YOURSELF TO GET THAT WAY, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID CLINICS DON'T JUST GIVE YOU A HIGH DOSE AND TURN THEIR HEADS WHEN YOU SHOW UP ALL SORTS OF IMPAIRED 365 DAYS A YEAR, BUT STILL  THEY GIVE YOU YOUR DOSE. COME ON.

[Thee_Thee12]

Will the herion still be in th babys system if u only sniffed half of your 8 month pregnancy??? I know what I did was wrong but im sooo worried cps will take my baby away this is my first child please someone respond to my comment as soon as possible PLEASE!!!!!!

[alana293]

i just found out i am pregnant and would like to get some advice from you. please email me at::  ***@****.  please get back to me asap!!

[Selena78]

I agree, addiction and recovery differ for everyone, we are here to HELP, not insult one another. That is great that your husband got sober so easily. I care about my children as I am sure many of us do. I am not a cruel person so I won't say much more but I feel sorry for you that you would be so hateful to someone who so obviously needs support.
To the people who do understand that it's not that easy please support us. We can't knock each other down. I hope everyone will find the help they need. I hope I will find someone on here to give me advice on how to quit. Sorry that I am not made of stone and cannot quit cold turkey. I will be praying for you

[adgal]

I feel the need to comment on this thread. I have been fortunate enough to miss the addiction road, but I do work daily with folks struggling with addiction in various forms.  When I read some of the comments on this thread, I can say that I find it very hurtful.

Being addicted does not mean that people care less about their children.  It does not mean they love their children any less.  It means that are addicted to something, plain and simple.  It is not disgusting or immoral, it is an illness.  I have had moms to be crying in my arms they so badly want off the drugs.  One of the problems I see quite frankly, is the legal system.  So many pregnant women are terrified to reach out for help for fear of being harshly judged or losing their children.  It is scary and difficult.  To anyone experiencing this problem I always encourage you to reach out for assistance.  If you feel your Dr. will judge you, find another.  Look for a local non profit that deals with this sort of thing.  They are out there.  Sometimes the decision is made to wean, other times to maintain, but these decisions should always be made with the assistance of a qualified Dr.  These babies can lead healthy and normal lives, and many of the families I see going through this are able to stay together.  Do your homework and find help.  It's there, and not everyone is going to judge you.  There are lots of agencies out there like the one I work for who's goal is to help stabilize and keep families together, and baby healthy.  To anyone going through this, I wish you nothing but the best.  

[marycarmel]

Very well said.  And I wholeheartedly agree that part of the problem is the legal system.  I've worked in the court system, and for the most part, they're just not that interested in making sure addicts are given good resources to help them with their addiction.  Our prisons and jails are filled with people that are ill and need help, not punishment, at least for the most part.

I've been fortunate, as well, to not had to deal with addiction, though I've had a taste of it due to dependence.  And I've seen what addiction can do as I've had many family members with addiction problems.  People that are uneducated seem to think it's a matter of will power or character.  Shame doesn't help anyone get better.

[adgal]

This is a subject I could discuss forever.  It's really hard to get pregnant woman, and women with children to get help simply because they are scared.  The judgement, or fear of losing their children or babies, it's just so hard for them.  My city has actually launched a pilot project geared toward keeping addicts and those with mental health issues out of the legal system.  Now, a crime is a crime, and if an actual crime is committed, then that is different.  But when it's possession for personal use, or something of that nature, then we are finally beginning to realize prison is not the answer.  We even have a new branch of our police force where this is there focus.  It's slow, but there is forward movement.  Hopefully we will get to the point that those who want treatment can reach out and get it without fear of legal repurcussion.  I think that is the number one reason I am given for pregnant women not getting help when they desperately want to get clean.  

The OB's at my agency are specially trained to help pregnant women who are addicted.  We are so busy as it's a safe place for them to get help without judgement.  I hope to see more of that as well.  You are so right, shame helps no one, and in all honesty, anyone addicted trying to get clean deserves nothing but our utmost respect.  

[StephyB12]

I am almost a month pregnant .. I just found out . But I'm currently doing heroin daily .. I dOnt want to go on methadone at all ! But they sed it's dangerous to detox .. Even tho I'm only One month do u think it will hurt the baby?  Or if I have a comfortable detox will the baby be ok? Any1 with answers would rlly help.. Thanks

[n8tiv_ndn]

hey stephy you are posting on an old thread.....cut and paste your question into a new Post A Comment and you will get a lot of support.....stay strong peace...........

n8tiv_ndn

[n8tiv_ndn]

my bad...I meant to say Post a Question located at  top of page....peace...

n8tiv_ndn

[gnarly_1]

Stephy I dont think there is a comfortable waty to detox of heroin or methadone your best bet is to get a hold of your obgyn andd let them decide what to do you may get stuck on methadone because it is safer then heroin and legal this is something your doctor must decide for both your safety as well as your child good luck and God bless......Gnarly  

[Drea0223]

I am currently on methadone and pregnant.  Detoxing while pregnant can cause serious harm to the fetus and it usually leads to miscarriage.  You need to go to some support websites and read about other moms who have done it.  I did.  I also worked with my counselor and she told me that 8 of her patients have had babies on methadone.  All 8 of there healthy babies left the hospital after 72 hrs with no withdrawal symptoms.  Every baby is different but instead of trying to detox while pregnant you should be going up on your dose.  Its because your metabolism of the medicine is off when your pregnant.  I have a great website for you to check out.....Everyone of the ladies is giving support to eachother and letting everyone know what to expect....here goes,  

http://www.excoboard.com/methadone_pregnancy_information/86375/1458897

[btock94]

I been on half a methadone a day since i found out i was pregnant. i stopped in the 3rd month but relapsed in the 4th and been taking a half since..im determined to make today my last day so that she doesnt go threw withdrawls when she is born. 6 months today... plz help me figure out if she could still have withdrawls or what percentage is it that i could miscarry if i stop??

[ronniew81]

what a horrible thing to say, who the heck DO you think YOU!! are? PERFECT? I fear not, tis person asked for help not judgement. Obviously she has seen a baby detoxing, that's why she's trying to get off it You un- empathetic human being,I bet you believe gay people chose their sexuality as well. Informtion would have been nice, not your unnecessary comments.

[fm3dub]

did your baby suffer withdrawals?

[sb1981]

People like you should be ashamed..  You've obviously never been through anything in life that was actually "real", otherwise you wouldn't be so quick to judge..  I pray you never find yourself in a situation that others could judge you so quickly.. But let me guess - You would never do that, right??  

[Rene8905]

I am 36 weeks pregnant & have been on methadone for 8 years. I have weaned down to 5 mgs a day now. I hope to be completely off in the next 2 days. My due date to deliver the baby is in 4 weeks. Will my baby have withdrawls? My main question is- how long must the mother be free & clean of methadone for the baby to not have withdrawls at birth? Thank you for any answers & support. R.D.

[skinnieminnie]

I'm currently 9 weeks pregnant and I've been on methadone for 5 months. I've been on birth control for 13 YEARS. I never planned on getting pregnant while in treatment, you can't hold everyone to a standard like that. Accidents do happen. I'm a perfect example. I took my birth control every day on time like clockwork and still wound up pregnant. Some things are just meant to be. I'm hoping to detox in my 2nd trimester because that's the safest time to do so. However, the attitude you have about it is exactly why people hide it in the first place. It adds to the stigma that we're some kind of junkie or something, and NO newly pregnant mom wants to be thought of like that. So by all means, be upset that she wasn't honest with you, be upset that she was hiding it from you, but please, please, please don't be upset about the methadone itself. It's the first step towards a cleaner, healthier lifestyle and it's way safer than using any drugs off the street. For both of your sakes, please give her the support she needs and don't make her feel like a junkie because that's the last thing she needs and the clinic does a fine job of that on their own anyway. Please don't be mad at the methadone and why she's using it, it's because it's the only safe treatment. She can stop cold turkey if you want, but you run a very high risk of losing that precious baby. Put yourself in her shoes and just try to be the best support you can be, if not for her then for that baby and yourself.

[cixaxu]

what ended up happening? i would've taken her with me to discuss it if you felt you had to do what she wanted... some times passed since then so how'd everything pan out?