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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.
beth,
I am so sorry .I am glad you have found your way to our forum .There is tons of support here .
Avis :)
I am so sorry .I am glad you have found your way to our forum .There is tons of support here .
Avis :)
you should put this in your journal and we could refer ppl to it. i see this question often, addicted and pregnant help! i know nothing about being addicted and pregnant. well i know about it but not together.
good valuable post.
good valuable post.
I don't even know what to say to you except that if your story can help just one person then it has a purpose. You cannotg get those years back and I'm sure this has affected you in EVERY aspect of your life BUT you are here, alive, and seemingly "well", whatever that means in life. I mean, who is "well"???
BUT, God bless you, really, God BLESS YOU! You must know better than ANYONE that LIFE IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
BUT, God bless you, really, God BLESS YOU! You must know better than ANYONE that LIFE IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
i was born to an addict to opiates and valium and everyother thing they perscribed in th early 60's. not only that my mother continued to give me these to shut me up and knock me out when i was to much for her. she ended up selling me for drugs ...i am only remembering now with therapy. i suffer to this day and ill soon be 50. thank you for the message i wish there was someone around like you when i was little.........
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