Vicodin use during pregnancy

Ok, so I am 33 weeks pregnant and have been prescribed Vicodin 5/500 since I was 4 months pregnant. The max I am willing to take per day is 2 and I refuse to take them any closer than 5 1/2 hours apart. My OB is the one who prescribes them for chronic migraines and back problems (one near-fatal car accident and have fallen down the stairs at home). The pain gets unbearable, so I know that if I stop taking them, it'll be worse than taking them for both of us. We have done the Peek-A-Baby (3D ultrasound) twice and she looks perfect and heart rate is always regular range.

I have read alot of these posts and the responses to them, please don't reply with "Stop Taking Them Now" or anything like that, b/c it's not like I take them for fun. I am just wondering if anyone has ever had to take them daily during pregnancy without abusing them and how their babies were at birth and if there were any problems. Thank you so much for all your support and help!!

[spade22]

I do not have first hand experience with this but can offer you some information.

Vicodin is a Class C drug - this means that while no studies have been performed in pregnant women, studies in animals show that it does not adversely effect the fetus.  Class C drugs are typically prescribed when the benefits outweigh the risks which clearly applies in your case (severe pain management).  Since your OBGYN prescribed the vicodin and is monitoring the amount and dosage  of drug, and is also  monitoring you and your baby appropriately it is likely that the only adverse effect that your baby "might" encounter is withdrawal symptoms at birth.  I would recommend asking your OBGYN if the dosage you are on is above the threshold at which your baby "might" develop a physical dependence on and if so, if tapering down the  medication below this threshold in the last few weeks of pregnancy would  be appropriate in your particular case.

Here is a link in which a similar question to yours was answered by a doctor (remove spaces between http when using this link):

h  t  t  p://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/69057.htm

[mikaleen]

I was also prescribed vicodin in my last trimester.  I iwas told i could take 1-2 every 4 hours as needed.  I have a few herniated discs in the lumbar and sacral area so t began to get very painful.  I didn't take it very often, only when I couldn't move from the pain, maybe 1 or 2 in 24 hours and twice a week if i could get by.  My OB thought nothing of it but it still made me nervous.  My daughter was born fine, she had no problems and no dependency.  Everyone is different how they process the narcotic so I just figured I'd give you my experience.  Good luck and I am sorry for the pain...I know how debilitating it can be.