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PREGNANCY AND ADDICTION
I am going to post this again. If you are pregnant, know someone who is pregnant, or are thinking about becoming pregnant and have an addiction to opiates, PLEASE read this.
I'm not calling anyone out here but I will say this... the following post comes from experience, extensive research AND actual facts that I received from my peri-natal specialist, who is recognized as one of the country's best and who has been featured in New York Magazine's BEST DOCTORS starting in 2000 all the way up until now and believe me, NY Magazine is an incredibly respected and accredited magazine.
From experience I can tell you that if you are off for at least 8 weeks, your baby will not be born addicted. IF the baby does happen to be born addicted, they can tell right away and you could be in A LOT of trouble because the signs are ridiculously obvious to medical professionals (they are trained to look for it) but IF you are honest about your usgae, you will be ok.
You don't want your baby to go through withdrawals. Although they can easily treat the withdrawals in newborns you don't want to have to medicate your child as soon as they come into the world. Babies who are suffering from withdrawls have trouble eating, sleeping and they have a poor sucking reflex. It's not pretty as they cry excessively and nothing soothes them. You NEED that precious time with your baby to bond, the baby needs it too. It's VITAL which means necessary for life!
I was prescribed pain killers throughout my pregnancy and waened down VERY SLOWLY with the help of my ob/gyn. I had a beautiful, healthy, perfect little girl who continues to thrive and become smarter and smarter by the minute.
I just want to stress to all the pregnant women out there who are using for whatever reason be it legal or not, that you cannot and SHOULD NOT go cold turkey under any circumstances. I don't care what you've been told. I am not tryinkg to be argumentative but frankly, if I can save just one child and mother from the heartache and physical ache of pre-term labor with complications, I will be argumentative!
Cold turkey at any stage, nevermind the later stages of pregnancy, put the mother's body into shock no matter what your usage is and can cause pre term labor and/or miscarriage.
If you are early ini your pregnancy, be honest with your dr and allow him/her to wean you VERY slowly. The drugs that normally would be prescribed to anyone coming off of opiates (valium, xanax, klonopin etc.) are EXTREMELY UNSAFE at any time during your pregnancy. They are all a category X and can and most likely will cause defects or brain activity reduction. So you need to make sure that when you wean that you do it slowly and carefully so that your body does not go through too much stress. It is way better for the mother to be comfortable during this process than it is to go through it quickly.
If you are later on in your pregnancy, again I stress to be honest with your dr. They can and should help you and if you are honest there is less chance of you getting into trouble and having your baby taken away.
If you are so late into your pregnancy that stopping isn't an option, take as little as possible, pray and talk to your dr. Hopefully, it won't be an issue.
I do need to say though that although the pregnancy is obviously important, you need to have some sort of a plan for after the baby is born. Even if you're being prescribed the drugs like I was, you are still addicted physically not to mention mentally and no baby deserves to have an addicted mother. You will need to be on the ball with all of the sleepless nights and crying ahead of you. SO please, talk to a dr., get on suboxone, go to counseling or meetings but whatever you do, get a hold of this problem because you NEVER get those years back and you don't want to be in a fog for the best and most important months of the beautiful babies life where you should be spending your time gazing into their eyes and watching them sleep at night for hours at a time.
May God bless you all and may you all have healthy and happy babies who have a sober and clear headed mother.
I'm not calling anyone out here but I will say this... the following post comes from experience, extensive research AND actual facts that I received from my peri-natal specialist, who is recognized as one of the country's best and who has been featured in New York Magazine's BEST DOCTORS starting in 2000 all the way up until now and believe me, NY Magazine is an incredibly respected and accredited magazine.
From experience I can tell you that if you are off for at least 8 weeks, your baby will not be born addicted. IF the baby does happen to be born addicted, they can tell right away and you could be in A LOT of trouble because the signs are ridiculously obvious to medical professionals (they are trained to look for it) but IF you are honest about your usgae, you will be ok.
You don't want your baby to go through withdrawals. Although they can easily treat the withdrawals in newborns you don't want to have to medicate your child as soon as they come into the world. Babies who are suffering from withdrawls have trouble eating, sleeping and they have a poor sucking reflex. It's not pretty as they cry excessively and nothing soothes them. You NEED that precious time with your baby to bond, the baby needs it too. It's VITAL which means necessary for life!
I was prescribed pain killers throughout my pregnancy and waened down VERY SLOWLY with the help of my ob/gyn. I had a beautiful, healthy, perfect little girl who continues to thrive and become smarter and smarter by the minute.
I just want to stress to all the pregnant women out there who are using for whatever reason be it legal or not, that you cannot and SHOULD NOT go cold turkey under any circumstances. I don't care what you've been told. I am not tryinkg to be argumentative but frankly, if I can save just one child and mother from the heartache and physical ache of pre-term labor with complications, I will be argumentative!
Cold turkey at any stage, nevermind the later stages of pregnancy, put the mother's body into shock no matter what your usage is and can cause pre term labor and/or miscarriage.
If you are early ini your pregnancy, be honest with your dr and allow him/her to wean you VERY slowly. The drugs that normally would be prescribed to anyone coming off of opiates (valium, xanax, klonopin etc.) are EXTREMELY UNSAFE at any time during your pregnancy. They are all a category X and can and most likely will cause defects or brain activity reduction. So you need to make sure that when you wean that you do it slowly and carefully so that your body does not go through too much stress. It is way better for the mother to be comfortable during this process than it is to go through it quickly.
If you are later on in your pregnancy, again I stress to be honest with your dr. They can and should help you and if you are honest there is less chance of you getting into trouble and having your baby taken away.
If you are so late into your pregnancy that stopping isn't an option, take as little as possible, pray and talk to your dr. Hopefully, it won't be an issue.
I do need to say though that although the pregnancy is obviously important, you need to have some sort of a plan for after the baby is born. Even if you're being prescribed the drugs like I was, you are still addicted physically not to mention mentally and no baby deserves to have an addicted mother. You will need to be on the ball with all of the sleepless nights and crying ahead of you. SO please, talk to a dr., get on suboxone, go to counseling or meetings but whatever you do, get a hold of this problem because you NEVER get those years back and you don't want to be in a fog for the best and most important months of the beautiful babies life where you should be spending your time gazing into their eyes and watching them sleep at night for hours at a time.
May God bless you all and may you all have healthy and happy babies who have a sober and clear headed mother.
Yes, everyone is different but do read up on this subject before you say that regarding pregnancy. Everyone has a right to use, not use, taper or go cold turkey when it has to do with THEM but in pregnancy it IS different.
I am not here to start controversy. I haven't been around in a while but this is a subject I feel very strongly about.
It's not a matter of opinion, personal choice or favorite color. It's a medical FACT.
End of conversation....
PS... Hi Kim!!! :) mwah!!
I am not here to start controversy. I haven't been around in a while but this is a subject I feel very strongly about.
It's not a matter of opinion, personal choice or favorite color. It's a medical FACT.
End of conversation....
PS... Hi Kim!!! :) mwah!!
Like I said, it was just my opinion, but I know a health professional told me to quit taking muscle relaxers when I was pregnant even after I had used them for a while.
And I am sorry Lizzie, but everyone is different, even pregnant, especially pregnant.
And I am sorry Lizzie, but everyone is different, even pregnant, especially pregnant.
there is NO "everyone's different" when it comes to pregnancy and addiction. a slow taper is BEST for the sake of your baby. geeeeeeeeez!!!!!
Lady ,this info came from a professional .You are supposed to taper slowly when pregnant .Ct can cause your body to go into shock pre trerm labor and miscarriage .
Yeah guys, but you have to remember what is best for one may not be best for all.....'We are all different. For some it may be safer to taper than go cold turkey or it may be best to go CT, only a professional can determine that, and they still may mess up. I think it is commendable that some people are ready to get rid of any drugs in their system for the sake of their child. I am sorry, this is just my opinion.
~Susan
~Susan
Great move - to put this post on the health pages. Since I am on the male side of gender I don't have the pregnancy experience that some of you ladies have. If I make one of my humorous comments now I will probably get in trouble - so just "way to go!" that information can now be accessed readily and people can be referred to the post.....
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