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I'm pregnant and on Suboxone

I have been on Suboxone for a little over a year now. . It has been fantastic! I recently found out that I am pregnant. I am 6 weeks pregnant and both my suboxone dr and my obgyn dr know I am on Suboxone. I can't withdrawal from the medication now that I am pregnant because the drs say that it will cause the baby to also go through withdrawal and will most likely cause a miscarriage. I was wondering if anyone has any input? Has anyone else had a child while on Suboxone or knows of someone who has? Did the baby go through withdrawal after birth? I would like to hear good and bad stories? I just want to know what to expect. . Even though I know everyone is different. . Please help. . Thank you!
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Avatar universal
Hey Kerri, i was already pregnant before being put on Subutex.
My first dose was 12mg for the first 4 days, then 16mg for another 4 days, then so forth till i was up to 32mg. So it took about 3 weeks when i first started till i was stabalised on my dose.
Also, we are both from diff states, so every single state does do things differently when it comes to mums on subs while pregnant. This includes what dose they think is safe for you and bubs.
Reavaluate your current situation with your doctors and who ever is involved in your pregnancy with your dose if you feel you need to.
The thing is, its not known why some mothers babies withdrawal on 8mg of subs and why babies like mine, didnt withdrawal on 32mg. In these unique cases, its just pure luck.
32mg a day is standard for Western Australia where i live, but not recommended so much for places like America or surrounding.
So again just get more advice from your doctors.
Best of luck Kerri : )
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Avatar universal
Thank you very much for sharing your story with me. I know that every person is different but it's always nice and comforting to hear a positive story. I am very happy for you and your son and I hope he continues to be as great as he is. I have a question for you though. . Were you already on 36mg per day or did they raise your dose after you became pregnant? I have been on 12mg for a while now but ever since I have been pregnant I don't feel like it's enough. Some days I feel ok throughout the day but as the days go on I feel like it's not holding me throughout the day. . So I was wondering if they raised your dose or not? Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with me. It means more than you know!
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your response! But no methadone is not the only safe method. I was on a methadone clinic for 2 years and it was awful. Every one calls it liquid handcuffs. They hold out on giving you your dose for any little reason and they don't want to see you succeed. I tried to detox off and the dr there said he didn't think I was ready because I was too young. I was 28 at the time and hadn't given one dirty urine the whole 2 years I was there. Most methadone clinics believe that you should be on methadone indefinitely. They keep raising your dose every 4-6 months and I watched many girls get pregnant on methadone. They double your dose as soon as they find out your pregnant. They say that the baby takes half so it needs to be doubled. Most, not all but most of the girls that I watched go through the their pregnancy on methadone it didn't go so well. I only seen 1 girl bring her son home with no w/d symptoms. The others ranged from a couple weeks in the hospital to a couple months in the hospital detoxing. I walked off of methadone July 20,2013 and I got on Suboxone. It was one of the best decisions I have made as far as my addiction goes. It's nothing like methadone. It is so much better in my opinion but I don't know much about pregnancy and suboxone. As I said both drs say that I will be ok as long as I follow what they tell me to do and I will be monitored very close but I am still scared and just wanted to hear of any stories good or bad about mother's who had babies on suboxone. And it's very comforting to talk to people about this. So thank you again for responding.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi there Kerri, a big congratulations on your pregnancy !!!  : )
I know you may feel scared and a little unsure at the moment, but your under doctors supervision which is the most important and safest thing for you and bubby.
Yes there is a 50/50 chance bubby may withdrawal, but i myself think the figures are lower. In my opinion!!!!
Subutex is being studied more and more on pregnant woman now and this is becoming the prefered safest method for mothers carrying.
I was still using heroin when i was pregnant unfortunantly, and i got honest with all the people that mattered and sought help with Subutex.
I never looked back after my first dose.
I was on 32mg daily while pregnant. All my ultrasounds came back with positive results that bubby was well and growing properly and very comfortable. So much that i went 1 week over my due date and had to be induced.
When i delivered i had an epidural and no complications at all with myself or bubby. We were checked on every 2 hours to make sure bubby wasnt withdrawaling. He tested negative everytime for withdrawals so this was a big relief for me.
We stayed in a normal ward, not the NICU, he did not need treatment or meds.
I was what the hospital call " Mothers at Risk " meaning, using a substance while pregnant. I stayed in a hospital only for pregnant woman at risk of miscarriage or using while pregnant. They monitor SO closely !!!
Its proticol in Aus to keep mum and bub in hospital for 1 week even if there is no withdrawal symptoms, just to be safe.
I still breastfed as no matter what, breastfeeding is still recommended even if mum is still taking Subutex.
So for you, this is my success with subs and being pregnant. Bubby is 2 now and exceeds beyond the expectation of a 2 year old.
Just keep doing what your doing, you are doing fantastic.
Dont you dare judge yourself or think your a bad person !!
Your in no way such a person.
You will be a wonderful, loving, caring mother to your prescious baby : )
This is only my story, so please be prepared that your experience may differ completely.
Take care, i hope this gives you some hope.
Just relax and enjoy your pregnancy xx

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Avatar universal
I thought methadone was the only safe drug while pregnant? All doctors I know switch pregnant women to methadone from subs if possible. Maybe I'm wrong? So your dr is keeping you on the subs? I've never heard of a pregnancy on subs only methadone pregnancies. I'm curious as well. Good luck hun! I'm sure everything will be alright as long as you take good care of yourself and that baby :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for answering my post! I am 6 weeks along and I take 12mg per day. I was on birth control so I wasn't trying to get pregnant but it happened. I have a small cyst on my ovary and the dr said that the cyst could somehow fight against birth control. But here I am,  PREGNANT! I talked to my drs about weening down off of the suboxone but they said that it's too dangerous during my first trimester. It would most likely cause a miscarriage. But that closer to the end of my second trimester we could try because the pregnancy is more stable. I am just scared and I feel like a terrible person right now. I don't do any other drugs, I don't drink and I quit smoking last week on the day I found out. I am still in shock! I have been reading so many different stories on different sites about women who took much more than I do and their babies came out perfectly fine, than I have read some where the babies have come out with withdrawal symptoms. . I am just scared and looking for some answers I guess. . Thank you again for responding!
Helpful - 0
4113881 tn?1415850276
There have been a few mothers on this forum that have had pregnancies while on subs. Maybe they will come along and post. After your baby is born, he/she will have withdrawals but the NICU is skilled at making it as comfortable as possible for your baby. They will wean her off.

Heres some info for you

Standard Protocol

When a pregnant woman wants to detoxify from opiates or other opioids, the recognized standard of care, according to the National Health Institute, is methadone treatment while under a doctor's supervision. Methadone is not known to cause birth defects nor have any long-term affects on a baby. There are other medications available for opiate detoxification such, as Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone), or Subutex, (buprenorphine), but because they are "Pregnancy Category C" medications, meaning they are known to cause harmful and possibly fatal birth defects on a fetus, the are not recommended for use in detoxifying pregnant women.
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Avatar universal
My drs know that I am on Suboxone. . I have been on it for a year. . I take 12mg per day. . Both my suboxone dr and my obgyn said that as long as I am monitored closely that me and my baby will be ok... I have an 11 yr old daughter and had never touched a drug during my pregnancy with her so this is a whole different situation for me. Are there any mother's out there who have been on Suboxone during pregnancy and given birth? Please tell me your outcomes, good or bad. . Al
Helpful - 0
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