new baby

OK.. odd question- My friend's daughter, who is 17 just delivered around midnight yesterday.  I know from her telling me that she had smoked marijuana throughout her pregnancy up until the night before! I know she shouldn't have done this and I'm sure there will be STRONG opinions about this.. but onto my question-  The baby is fine, no probs.. but don't they do blood work when your baby is born? and couldn't they see that she has done this?  I'm just scared they may take the baby from her.  Does anyone know anything about this?  Thanks for your input!

[have 2 kids]

I don't think they routinely do blood tests on newborns to check for drugs unless they are told about drug usage or suspect it.

[KatsPlayland]

I'm sorry to say I known people to do the same thing when PG...  They didn't get the baby taken away though.  I'm not sure if they test for drugs in every case, but if they do I'm not sure what will happen.  Worst case is they will take the baby away but seeing the girl is still under age they may allow your friend to take custody of the baby.  Good luck to you all and I hope she cleans up for the baby's sake.

[jifnif]

unfortunately it is not just an issue w/ young girls..i know a few people that thought nothing wrong w/ smoking marijuana while pregnant.  in my opinion, that is just selfish.  if you wanta smoke, do it when your not prego.  

[ImmortalOne]

No they don't do testing for drugs on the newborn without reason (suspect, informed, etc).  And from what I understand Marijuana doesn't have "withdrawl (withdrawal)" effects in newborns.  However it does impair them later in life per some studies (nothing has been concrete of course).  

[peekawho]

They don't routinely check for drugs.

Does your friend know about her daughters drug usage?  If not, she should.  If the girl smoked up until the night before she delivered, she's not about to stop now that the baby's here, and the baby needs to be protected.  

[peekawho]

Why would you be "scared they might take the baby from her", anyway?  Are you really asking this question about your own newborn?

[anxiousmomtobe?]

As always, I agree with Peek, a drug user should not be raising a child.  If the mother is not willign to go into a program and commit to living drug free she is unfit to raise this child.

[stephnewmom]

Several things...
*First off why in the world would you even ask that?  What are you.. 12?
*Second,.. I am 27 years old, and am a career oriented woman with a degree in business, management and marketing.  Honestly do you think that I would waste my time?
*3rd, the girl delivered last night.. i'm not even due until september.
*And lastly, since you are so curious.. any normal human being, with any since of empathy would feel for someone if there was a chance that their child could/would be taken from them.
**I'm not really sure what your intentions are, but I hope this thoroughly answers your question.

[have 2 kids]

I started to chuckle when I read your last comment.  I was wondering the exact same thing but I said a few wks ago I would work on not letting people's posts bother me so much when they didn't seem quite right so I didnt ask.
I'm sorry.  I think somewhere in that huge sentence I probably should have used punctuation.  Oh well.  Never once have I said I had proper punctuation and spelling.  

[have 2 kids]

I would think any 27 yr old career woman would have enough common sense to know this child may be in danger if the mother continues her ways.  I doubt it will stop with pot.  
Why wouldn't you say something to the girls mom or the Dr's if you know this abuse took place?

[peekawho]

A 37 year old, well educated woman would primarily be concerned for the welfare of both the 17 year old girl, and the baby in a situation of current, ongoing drug abuse.  

That's why I asked, my dear.  And no, I'm not 12.  I'm 49, and a labor and delivery RN.  I've seen quite a bit over these past 28-some years in this field.  

No need to become ultra-defensive, I'm sorry I seemed to have hit a raw nerve with you over this particular issue.  

[chellybeans]

stephNEWMOM...it seems to be a odd thing to be "afraid they might take her baby away".

drug users have delayed reaction time. particularly so with marijuana. what if the baby is having an emergency and the mother, be it you, or your friends daughter is spaced out and doesn't notice quick enough?

i know a ton of people will say "i smoked, i drank , i did pot ...blah blah blah and my baby is/ was fine", but the fact of the matter is it's harder to judge the impact it has on an infant than on a child struggling with attention span issues, chemical imbalances and many of the other risks a pot smoker takes with their baby neurological, emotional, developmental and whatnot.

what happens to that baby as an adult?

she does not need to be a parent. she exhibited poor judgement from the beginning.

[peekawho]

Oops, 27 years old.  My bad.   See, I'm so decrepit that I can't see well!  

[stephnewmom]

Really, a simple question is all I have asked here.  What is with the accusations?  That is beside the point. I have spoken with her mother and I will leave it at that.  I certainly don't feel it is my place to go any further with the matter.  Her mother is a grown woman and she can make the decision on what to do with her child and grandchild.
Thank you to those that actually posted a response to my original question.  

[peekawho]

I don't agree that a baby should be taken away from her, unless she continues to use or has other issues.  

What happens when an infant tests positive, is that a referral is made immediately to Social Services and DSS.  A case is opened up, and an investigation is initiated into the situation.  The mother is referred for appropriate treatment based on those findings.

A well educated and mature "friend" would welcome and be relieved by the girl getting help and treatment.  

[tomel]

I have a neighbor who used to do meth. She quit but still smoked pot. She found out she was pregnant and according to her (this is what she told me) Her doc told her not to quit cold turkey cause it would cause more harm to the baby.  (By pure luck I think) her daughter who is now 5 seems to be prefectly "normal". However I dont condon that and have serious question about that doctor. Of course hearing this makes me so sad because there are so many mommies out there who take good care of themselves and cant have kids or have problems.

I will add that just because the baby seems fine now, does not mean there may not be problems down the road.  Seems to me also a 17 yr. is not an adult so  where were the folks in regards to monitoring this activity?

[stephnewmom]

I have no problem with her getting help with her abuse. I would agree on that matter.  The fact is, I am curious as to what will happen.  As far as opinions otherwise that really is irrelevant to my question, so why post them?  I posted a specific question for a reason.

[tomel]

What would happen if the baby dies from SIDS? They would probably do a test then and find out then.  

I would probably tell your friend just to keep a close on that baby while he/she is sleeping and other signs of a possible problem (shakes, color, bowel movements, feeding patterns) of course most people do this naturally with a newborn, but in this case really watch it.

Good luck to that little one and her family

[tomel]

I know it frustrating when people throw out their opinions (judegements).

I guess I would just suggest, like what I said in the previous post. If there is a problem down the road or soon, the Grandmother might want to consider being forthcoming instead of trying to hide it. Noone wants to see a child taken away if it is not a potenential abusive env. But it could hurt them more if they are not forthcoming about it now In this particular case though that may not happen that the child be taken away, since the grandmother could take responsiblity for the child. Again though the child may be perfectly fine.

Only you know this family so only you can base on opinion on whether or not the child is safe.
I think its human nature though to question something like this, thats all.

[peekawho]

Well, in your orignal post you did say you expected strong opinions.  

Anyway, I did answer you, anyway.  Unless there are other indicators of drug use, a newborn is not routinely tested.  The indicators used vary by hospital, but are essentially the same in most places.  There are certain behavioral characteristics of a newborn that can trigger suspicion of drug use, but these are not always present.
If they are present, a drug screen could be performed on the baby.

I urge you to talk with the girls mother about confiding in the medical staff.  Ultimately, it is her decision, but I'd want to feel I did everything I could to help that girl get treatment, and her baby have a bright future.  

[stephnewmom]

Thank you.. I really appreciate your response.  I will certainly take your advice and speak with her mother again about keeping a close eye.  She lives with her, and the father is not really in the picture -which is really sad.  More than likely the mother will take more responsibility for the baby because her daughter is still in school.

[lynne1276]

I'm sorry to say but if her baby gets taken away from her its her own damn fault.  No, I have no empathy for anyone that is going to continue drug use throughout thier entire pregnancy.  This baby deserves a much more responsible parent.  It makes me crazy that all these women are trying for years to get pregnant and other people who don't deserve babies can pop them out without a problem.  I'm sorry if you don't like our opinions but thats what this site is for.  

[waitingfor1more]

WOW, I hope I don't ever ask a wrong question....

[pa_pleasure]

thank you for ur thought.  if i can help anyone from my tragic situation it makes me feel like i have done something good in her name.

[waitingfor1more]

I agree if she KNEW about the kid smoking all along would be irresponsible to the well being of the baby...the way I took her post was that the kid just told her before she delivered. Maybe I read it wrong...that's why I never attack someone unless I have all the facts. I HOPE that this lady didn't know about this all along....It's just not a natural instinct as a mother. I'm a child welfare socialworker and probably have seen as much as you....if not more.

[tomel]

Ya Ive been "scorched" myself. It's to be expected.
Ive been treated like a negligent parent because Idont believe in  the immunizations or at least ALL of them.

[waitingfor1more]

Well look at the positive side...if we were all alike...what a boreing world it would be hu? :)

[lovethebops]

I was just thinking to myself the other day, that it has been far too quiet on this forum lately, LOL!!

To answer the original poster, I think the most important thing here is the safety and welfare of this precious newborn...It is so unfortunate that the mother of this baby was so selfish as to continue her drug use as she was pregnant. I am curious, how did you know that she had smoked pot all through her pregnancy and even the night before she gave birth? Was that something she told you personally?(If I was pregnant at that age, even I don't think That I would be so quick to share information such as this w/ anyone other than a doc. perhaps. I would be quite ashamed to admit to anyone that I used ANY drug in pregnancy. But this coming from a gal who is afraid to have too much tylenol or caffine in my pregnancy..I can't imagine an illegal drug!!) I agree with others, The grandmother really should keep an extra careful eye on the newborn, if nothing else. I don't believe they would run a drug test, other than the reasons already mentioned above.
I know my MIL smoked pot when she was pregnant w/ my BIL (DH's bro) many, many years ago, when it was cool to be a pot smoking hippie. He is 27 now, and he definately has some emotional issues, along with obsessive, compulsive behaviors. I don't pretend to think her marijuana use while pregnancy didn't have anything to do with his problems. I believe they have a direct link, but again as mentioned, there is no proof. I hope this young mother is able to get cleaned up and fast, she needs to be clean and focused to sucessfully raise this child, unless she plans on pawning it off on her MOM, while she goes on partying. Let's hope the situation turns out better than that though.

[waitingfor1more]

DITTO :) !!!

[stephnewmom]

I was in the delivery room with her earlier that day and she told me in confidence, because she didn't expect to deliver that early and was actually concerned since she had smoked so close to delivery.  I told her I was unsure of the outcome, and that I wouldn't judge her.  I told her everything will be okay..simply because the poor girl was in labor.  I did tell her mother and she wanted to wait to say anything until after her daughter actually had the child, so she wouldn't worry while delivering.  I haven't spoken to either of them today, so I don't know what the mother has decided to do at this point.  I left the hospital after all was okay, and I've been at work all day.  I will see her after 5 today and find out the result.

[waitingfor1more]

Then you did exactly the right thing...I am sorry that you had to go through judgement day before some people knew the right story. I guess you know now to give full life details before you go on here again... he he he. Good luck with your delievery and I will be praying for the little one already here...I hope she will be O.K.

[have 2 kids]

How early was she when she delivered?  

[lovethebops]

Why would she be so concerned about smoking pot that close to delivery if she had done it all the way through her pregnancy anyways?...Was she afraid they would test her or the baby? I guess there is some good in the fact that she did seem to show a bit of remorse if she was worried about it. Maybe she will now know better than continue this course..best of luck to the baby. I hope it turns out oK...

[stephnewmom]

she delivered @ 30 wks and 2 days  the baby weighed at 3 lbs 1 oz

[AndiJ78]

Not remorse, fear of being caught is what drove her to ask. If there had been any remorse, she would have stopped using it in the first place.

What happens when she decides to blaze up and then is alone caring for her baby? Her mom won't be around all the time.

Out of curiosity, I have to agree with peek on her first thoughts. i don't often recall every detail, but I do recall previous posts by this person asking about Ultram use and pregnancy. Ultram is  not a commonly used med, unless you are diabetic and using it for neuropathy. That is why I remembered it. Anyway, are you still having issues with your use? If it is an rx, there shoulnd't be a concern, but if it is not an rx and your doc is not aware of its use, there could be a concern. I could be way off, but I do remember your conerns from past posts.

Anyway, I am one who feels if you are going to use drugs, you need to face the consequences. Until she gets treatment for her substance abuse issues, perhaps it is better if she is not responsible for the primary care of her infant.

[AndiJ78]

In my first sentence, I meant to say drove her to confess, not ask. My slip in verbage, sorry ; )

[mslkpage]

I agree with Andi- she confessed because she didn't expect to deliver (and possibly be drug tested) so soon. It typically takes about 4 weeks of abstinence for a chronic THC user to clean out their system. Pot mama probably figured she could toke up for another 4 weeks before having to quit.

[stephnewmom]

You are correct on the ultram(tramadol).  I was prescribed tramadol for a pelvic injury that happened in a car accident and gives me severe lower back pain.. I'm not sure the other uses of the medicine.  My doctor is very aware of it.

[tomel]

omg, that is very scary
that baby is at very high risk for some serious problems at 30 weeks their lungs arent even fully developed yet
in this situation I would think yes her pot smoking probably contributed to the premature birth
yes they need to come clean so that baby can be given all the proper care it needs

[stephnewmom]

I thought I had read somewhere that smoking pot, along with gobs of other stuff contributes to low birth weight.  Another thing is respitory problems and ADD... I'm sure there is more, but not completely educated as to what they are.  

I apologize for being defensive in this forum, I was just extremely offended because of the fact I felt as if I were being accused of something that I am highly against during pregnancy.  But to all those who felt my responses are harsh, I do apologize. I am pregnant and do tend to get slightly hormonal.. i'm sure that's an understatement:)

[tomel]

Thats ok. Its hard not to get offended sometimes.
I will just add though that baby is really not cosidered ok in alot of people eyes.
She is at serious risk for serious problems down the road, neurological and physical. It isnt just the fact she was low birth weight it is also because she came so early. Honestly that girl should be scared. I would be scared to death.
I went to the OB triage at 28 weeks I was having contractions from being a little dehydrated and doing to much that day (Its 115 where I live)
The nurse told me (which I knew this already) you DO NOT want to have a baby this earyl, so take it easy. I knew she was right and took it serious I have been drinking more water than any bladder can stand.
Best wished for that little one.

[tomel]

I guess I have another ? is the hospital mabye wondering/questioning why this girl went into labor so soon?

[pa_pleasure]

i'm kinda afraid to answer but, my friend went through the same thing.  she used meth and herion through her pregnancy.  the baby ended up having some kind of infection.  he was in the hospital at least a month.  children and youth services took him but, she admitted to doing drugs.  the child was adopted out.  my friend died before he was even a year old.  if you can PLEASE tell the mother.  i know pot is not as serious but, it can lead to more drugs.  my thoughts are with the girl and baby.  good luck!

[stephnewmom]

I'm sure it is very possible.. I get off of work here very soon and I will find out from her mother what all has happened. I will update Monday of next week.

[stephnewmom]

I assure you I have told the mother.  That is a really sad story about your friend, I'm really sorry to hear about that.  I'm sure that was a hard thing for you to go through, having a friend die like that.

[anxiousmomtobe?]

No such thing as a wrong question, just be prepared for your opinionated, outspoken cyber sisters to say what they really think.....

I've been scorched a few times.  And I've made some too blunt responses as well.

As the mother of a 16 year old dd, I hope and pray I am never in the situation of this women.  However, if my dd was pregnant and I knew she was using I would do whatever was necessary to keep that precious baby from harm.  If that meant foster care for that wee one, I would do it.  I just hope she puts the needs of the baby ahead of the needs of the 17 year old mother.

[myproblem]

My friend had her 1st baby at 17. She said they tested all the babies born to teen moms at that hospital. It wasn't a problem for her though because she was responsible. If this girl is so immature that she was smoking pot while pg, she will probably have other problems as a parent. She will need a lot of help to keep her baby. Usually the court tries to help the parent keep the baby unless the parent refuses to comply with court orders for rehab and parenting classes.

[Crritter]

How sad for the baby.  I can understand being worried for the young mother, but she didn't seem to think about the baby in this.  I would honestly talk to someone and have the baby checked.  If the young mother is trying to get away by smoking pot it's not a good sign, and I would feel bad if I didn't say something and then later on something happened to that baby.  As young as the mother is she just may not be mature enough or prepared for what lies ahead.  She may also go on to be a great mother, but I would not feel bad watching a baby be taken away if it was for the safety of the child.  I hope she's done with the pot and realizes how blessed she is to have her new little one.