anone take narcotics while pregnant

[leolion1]

There has to be someone here with a story about taking narcotics, specificalls percocet while preg....Did the baby come out addicted? How many were taken each day and for how long?

i am on perc 5-8 a day through my entire pregnancy for disc problems...Dr said babies perfect, but i am so concerned about him withdrawing...People say placenta blocks out most of the drug, i need answers plesae help me

[Ga Guy]

Have you discussed this with your doctor? What did he say?

[leolion1]

yes of course.........He said not to worry, that stopping the meds will do way more harm to the bay and the only thing that may happen is baby withdrawing...They would rather have me not in pain and at ease and can give baby something to helpwithdraw then to have me stressed and in chronic pain....They try to reassure me but i want to hear some one elses experience

[Ga Guy]

I wish I could give you some real world advice. I have heard other women on here say what your doctor told you. They said that they were safe in certain amounts and that the withdrawals were worse for the baby than then pills. I'd defer to the doctors advice. Sounds like you're getting good sound care. I hope you and your baby have a healthy start to life. Please, keep us updated!!

[shama]

I TOOK WHILE PREGNANT!!!! I was 6 months pregnant and starting getting really bad ligament stretching pain ( I am pretty small with a big baby) so the doc gave me vic to take. Soooo helpful. I was taking probubly 4-6 5/500 until a week before he was born. My doc told about a week before birth that I might be taking too much and babies WOULD go through withdrawl, they are getting whatever your getting. So I stopped right away. Then one week later here came Blake. The doctor said he showed no sign of withdrawl thank god, but I still had some pain after so I started taking some again, I was breatfeeding and didnt think about it being in my milk.  I weaned him and I KNOW it had a bit of affect on him...he was super grumpy, didnt sleep well ect. Im sure your baby is FINE!!!!

[leolion1]

thanks for the response......there is no way i can just stop a weekbefore...I will withdraw and so willmy baby...........Your dr said the baby will withdraw 100% if u didnt disc from 6 a day? My bdr said in 25 years he has seen maybe a dozen women have babys with withdrawal from that amount and told me not to be concernen and if he does withdrsaw they will take care of it.....Did you ob tell u after how many days a baby would show symptoms of withdrawal? s it days or hours or weeks?

[lady_m]

My doctor had me on Norco 10s during my last pregnancy... the whole time.  I was thinking about tapering off the week before, but baby decided to come 9 days early so I didn't have the choice.  He was completely fine.

[lashamummyof2]

hi
I took about the same amount of percocet during pregnancy but cut down to two a day weeks before my son was born - one month ago. No withdrawal symptoms at all, he was perfect and scored 9 on agpars. nursed within minutes of being born..
I am still on meds and nursing with no ill effects. I have posted here many times since the birth of my son - seems a lot of pregnant women are on narcotics - I'd go into more detail for you, but I have a baby on my lap. He's lovely and never showed signs at all of withdrawal.
don't worry - listen to your doc - he's right...narcotics have a higher molecular weight (I think 400-500 or so) which makes it harder to pass thru placenta...unlike alcohol which has a very low molecular weight (120) that passes through easily. not to say it's totally fine to take tons of pills, but if your doc has prescribed them, then you should have no worries! good luck!

[shama]

I thought you had your baby already!! When are you due? Do you know if your still in pain? If your really concerned then maybe start to taper.  All I can tell you is that for me and my baby there were zero problums after birth, but like I said before there was an issue after I stopped while breastfeeding. My doc said there is more of a transfer from breastmilk than in utero. But it seems like others have heard something else. I think after birth IF there were to be withdrawls it would show up within 12 hours. What you going through is SO common.

[leolion1]

My baby is due in 3 -4 weeks.............I try to wait as long as i can and the perc wear off and i am in agony...As a matter of fact i stoped for almost a day and when i went to the dr by bp was 162/99....Cause i waqs in agony...Dr said not to stop the meds.....

I read these forums and the one on babycenter and i havent read i story of a baby born addicted yet....SOme people are taing vicodin 20-25 a day with muscle relxers.....I am just on my perc, on a terrible terrible day i take up to 8 but its not often.....How many were u taking a day and what mg?

Also I wont be able to breatfeed, so that isnt a issue for me

[lurker]

Don't try to stop at this point in your pregnancy as it will be very stressful on the baby.  Be sure that the nurses and doctors know how much you've been taking.  We (nurses) do something called Finnegan scoring on infants to assess their level of narcotic withdrawal and they are often put on a Morphine taper to keep them comfortable and essentially unaffected by the withdrawal.  The baby will be okay, it will just be a lot stressful for you as mommy to know that the baby is on morphine but don't worry, it happens all the time and as long as the staff know and are prepared, they can make sure your baby has no ill effects and taper him/her off comfortably.  Best wishes for a peaceful delivery and a happy, healthy baby.

[leolion1]

are u a nurse? Do u see this often? If so how many percs a day do u think i need to have taked for my baby to suffer? will 8 a day do it? Are they not gonna let him be in the room with me and put him in the nicu in case he has withdrawalor will they wait and see if he has and? I want to hold him amd have him in the bed next to me.......
My parents dont know about this and I dont want to tell them because of several good reasons...I just dont see the point to worry for a in case situation u know? I hope the drs will respect that and be discreet......

[lurker]

Yes I am a nurse.  We see it more often than we used to because a lot more people are taking narcotics.  You'll have your baby with you  they just watch his heartrate, breathing, irritability and give medications based on the way the baby is acting,  You need to tell the staff IMMEDIATELY that you do not want information about this to anyone - that is your right and there are very strict rules about it.  You can ask them to take him to the nursery to do their exams and just tell any visitors it is routine.  They can give medications away from visitors too.  They should do everything to protect your privacy and believe me, people ask for this kind of discretion all the time. Just be sure your doctor and the nurses know you are the only one who is to know about it.  With regard to how much Percocet, it varies so much from baby to baby which is the reason for the scoring to see how the baby is reacting.  Some have little to no agitation or issues, others have more and I'm really not sure anyone knows why.  You will be able to be with your beautiful baby=don't beat yourself up for this, be happy and thrilled for the miracle that it is!!!

[lurker]

One more thing - your baby won't "suffer" - the staff will give him medicine to make him comfy and he'll just be a bit more sleepy than usual but the "withdrawals' that we go through are prevented by the medication taper the hospital staff will do for the baby.  

[shama]

I was up to 6-7 5/500 a day. I really hope listening to lurker has put your mind at ease. Your not the first and wont be the last pregnant mother with this issue. I want you to be able to enjoy these last few weeks of you pregnancy. Lurker had a good very good point about stopping c/t. That would be putting your son at risk. I was soooo worried when I went into that delivery room, I was thinking that everyone was thinking I was this horrible mother and I could not bare to think about my tiny baby being sick. Everything was PERFECT!! You are being so responsible by asking these questions. Be proud of that. I was too scared. I was just kind of waiting for someone to come in and tell me hey there is something wrong with blake. If you have any questions please ask!!

[leolion1]

Thank you so much for your support im in tears....I am ashamed and like i said i didnt want my family to know what i take and theres a possibility for baby to withdraw......I hope its confinential right
? If they have something to tell me they will tell people toleave the room right?

My nephew was born 2 months ago, and my sister pulled up to the ER with terrible contractions screaming the baby is coming.....They took there time and put her in a wheelchair up tp the labor floor, on the way the baby flew out of her through her underware and shorts on to the floor....The cord ripped in half and my poor nephew was lying on the dirt floor......

Now my nephew suffers from extremely low RBC count....Instead of the normal 100,000 his is 20,000, or lower....He gets ivig and plasma transfusions to keep the rbc up butit only helps for 2 days at a time......

That is a whole other thread i can talk about asking if anyone has experience with a baby born with low rbc.....Anyway, point is i dont need my parents panicking about this grandchild if its not needed and they can make him comfortable and hell be home in a few days....

[lashamummyof2]

hi -
I just wanted to know how you were feeling and if all of the posts were helping you. I think I mentioned that I told the nurse in the triage room when I was in labour that I had taken tylenol with codeine in it within the last few weeks (they asked me what pills I was taking). She was kind of mean about it, but I just looked her square in the face and didn't say anything other than exactly what I had taken (I was a week early and had a terrible sinus infection so I was on sudafed  and antibiotics as well). You will find some nurses are kind and compassionate, and others very judgemental. Don't let the fear of their reaction to what you've taken stop you from telling them what you've been on, it's important to let them know. The last time I had a baby in 2004, and they didn't ask me anything, which was fine as I didn't take even one tylenol during the whole pregnancy, I was very healthy that time around!

Regardless, you have the right to privacy and you can ask that any discussion be done in private. Are you planning on having your parents there for the birth? I just had my hubby and my doula (birth yoga coach), both of whom knew everything. If you are having people there, you may consider asking them to wait in the waiting room until the 'big moment'.

Don't worry about anyone finding anything out about your health, it is the law to have privacy and besides, your baby will be totally fine!

keep us all posted and take care of yourself the last few weeks!
liz

[leolion1]

All thse posts have helped alot.............I am planning to have my mom in the room with me during delivery and my husband...........I will tell the triage nurse before that any conversation regarding my health or sons should be asdked in private.....They arent gonna ask me in the middle of delivery are they? I will keep u all posted after the birth, i guess relly it can be any day but im not due till aiug 28th,,,,,,,SOON

THank u again...you have no idea how much u put my mind at ease....

[Sparkle Plenty]

I, too, was given Percodan (was before Perocet was invented) for my aching back while I was carrying my son who entered this world weighing just under 10lbs.  This was in 1961 when pregnant mothers still smoked and drank during pregnancy.  When I read Michael Dorri's book about the Indian son he adopted and the term "fetal alcohol syndrome" became known, I reflected back to my Percodan days....wondering if that had/has anything to do with my son's later addiction...He also had on-going sinus problems as a youngster and was always being prescribed one thing or another.
When I started asking the questions you are asking now, I was told that taking an opiate while pregnant has nothing to do with what he is experiencing now.  I am still troubled by that because now doctors don't even want the mom to take an asprin.  

As your baby grown, try to refrain from giving him anything that might trigger an addictive response.  Keep your eyes open to see any behaviors that look like addiction...the earlier things like that are addressed the easier it is to get rid of it.  

blessings to you and your precious child, Sparkle Plenty

[ode2shel]

i too am 8 wks away from my duje date, i am on percocet bc of my back, and have gotten down to 3-4 a day of the 5 mg, i have all the same concerns you do and fears and people that know asking about the baby being born addicted.  when areyou due again?

[Marce4]

I'm an L&D nurse at a very busy hospital and I also work in Prenatal Testing where we test high risk moms, drug issue included. Lurker is right, the baby will most likely be fine but you do have to be honest with ALL the staff. We are not there to judge you but our goal is to help deliver a healthy baby and to do this everyone has to be on the same page and have ALL the information available.  Are you having any kind of testing done now?  We typically do non-invasive non stress tests, just a way to check for fetal well being and to give mom some peace of mind.  Just be perfectly honest with everyone involved in your prenatal and postpartum care so that you have a positive outcome and try to enjoy the rest of your pregancy and the upcoming birth!  Good Luck....my prayers to you and your family!
Peace,
Marcie

[leolion1]

I had lots of tests done, but no stress tests....My OB says everything will be fine, not to worry.....If there is a problem they will take care of my son amnd make him comfortable, thats what he tells me every week...I am due aug 28th................

I will be honest as i have been with everone...I also mention before i dont want my fsamily to know if the baby has withdrawals, My brother just had a baby and hes sick in and out of the hosp having transfusions and I dont need my parents panicked for no reason......How do I go about this? DO i tell the triage nurse to make a nte that only me and my husband are allowed info on babys health? My mom will be in the room during delivery, but then after I assume the nurses will say they have to examin me or something in private so they can talk to me right?

[peekawho]

No one can be given info on your baby's health but you and your husband.  However, if your baby is born requiring special care, undoubtably your mother may be upset and ask questions that may be difficult for you to answer.  She may also overhear conversation at the delivery, if there is a problem and there are neonatal staff in the room caring for the baby.

They will try to respect your privacy, but the delivery room is a small room, and it is easy for everyone in there to hear what's being said, if there is an emergency.

Most times, everything is fine, though.  You can certainly make the nursing staff aware of the need for privacy, just to let them know that you are hiding this from your mom.  That way, they can try to be extra cautious not to make overly loud remarks during the delivery.  

[ilikevics]

I am amazed.  First, I do not judge anyone pregnant or not about taking pain medication if it is necessary.  There were times in my pregancies it would have been a god send.  My doctor, though I feel doesn't have much compassion for pregnant women, would be my first choice again if I were to ever become pregnant, and that is highly unprobable.  When I was pregnant with both of my children, I worked in a factory that made JCPenney catalogs.  Between the years of 1985 and 1995, if you got a catalog from Pennys, I had a hand in making it.  I was required to lift 50 + pounds from floor level to above my shoulders at the rate of approximately 2 tons of paper per shift.  My relief person lifted the other 2 tons.  Each press would run 4 tons of paper a shift.  Somedays I worked 12 hours.  I had so many aches and pains just from the job itself, but my doctor would always say "Sheri, there's nothing wrong with you, you are pregnant."  I had to C section and no mention was ever made of sending me home with any pain meds, use tylenol.  He also got his diploma in the Army School of Medicine. Go figure.  I am just jealous of all of you who have more compassionate OB's, but will still keep mine.  No point here really, just venting.

[ilikevics]

And during this time, I was also diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, bulging at L4, L5S1, and my L2 is fractured in four places along with being pregnant and having to lift all that damn paper every day.  Yep, ibuprofen.  UGHHHHHHHHHH.  Probably for the best though in hindsight, if they had given me something, I probably would have been a visitor here long before now.

[arizonamom]

It is so critical that all of us pregnant women have compassionate OB's that will treat severs, chronic pain, and not make us feel guilty about it.  I have chronic, debilitating headaches for the past 3 years, and during my pregnancy have taken a variety of narcotics at different times (not continuously).  I am now on a maintenance dose of tramadol (which is a synthetic opiate, and not monitored as a narcotic by the DEA the way other drugs that are opiates are).  My OB is not open handed in terms of medication, but is very realistic and compassionate about dealing with chronic pain, and how that is just not an option for those of us with 3 other children, husbands and jobs.  So many of the posts from the nurses (thank you so much folks, for all of the wonderful info) are very reassuring to me, especially since there is always that chance that my own dr will not be there at delivery, and it would be someone who doesn't know my history.  I will now make sure that whever is there knows about what I take, so that the baby can be treated accordingly.  I have worried throughout my pregnancy about the effects on my baby, and even though there is less research on tramadol, my dr. seems to feel that taking it in lower doses, the way I do, is preferable to pumping my system with huge doses of narcotics 1-2x per week (which is what was happening) over the course of my pregnancy.  I worry about long term effects, as well as immediate effects, but overall, my dr. seems to be comfortable with it and the baby is now and has always been doing well, so I suppose I should count my blessings.  

Good luck to everyone, and if anyone else out there is taking/has taken tramadol during pregnancy, I'd love to hear about your experience.