very very bad choices

My name is jennifer and i was incredibly addicted to marijuana since i was 17 and now i am 26, the problem is that i am 36 weeks pregnant and i just quit smoking marijuana 2 months ago, i know that this is very stupid and every night i loose sleep over my choice to smoke for so long pregnant, after being in denile and unable to overcome my addiction i finally quit smoking it cold turkey, and i have been clean for 2 months and vow to never smoke again. But i am extremely worried about 2 things, 1 is will my baby be healthy or will he be harmed by this? so far he seems to be almost 9 pounds the doctor says, but i did not tell my doctor of smoking due to shame and being scared so i dont know, are there special test they are supposed to do if you were a smoker? And my 2nd question is in the state of michigan will they test for thc and or will they take him if they find it in him? I know it will not be in me because of my quitting. Please dont anyone cut me down i have done that enough myself, i just want honest advice and help. The only reason i continued to smoke pot for so long pregnant is because i was stupid and i listened to about 4 of my girlfriends and neighbors tell me that they smoked pot all through there pregnancys and that their children are fine, i know dumb choice of me to listen, and i am glad i got my head on strait but i am still extemely worried. Please someone help me?

[Keith Downing, MD]

Hello,

Marijuana is not associated with any notable poor fetal outcomes.  You may be tested for drugs at some point.  I don't know the law in Michigan.  I suggest you talk to your ob/gyn who can arrange a social work consultation to help with some of your questions regarding CPS.  

Best regards,

Dr. Downing

[socgirl]

To my knowledge, smoking marijuana during pregnancy is not known to cause physical deformities or severe developmental delays  such as with alcohol (fetal alcohol syndrome).  That being said, smoking anything during pregnancy could still cause potential harm to the baby.  Smoking decreases oxygen supply in the blood, so the baby is getting less oxygen.   This can cause babys to be born at a smaller weight and /or length, which sometimes can come with it's own problems.  You said your baby is 9lbs, so that sounds like a good weight.  The amount of damage that may or may not have been caused by you smoking marijuana depends on how much you smoked.  Also, just a word of caution, if you are planning to breast feed...continue to refrain from smoking marijuana as that would affect your breast milk and baby would still get marijuana in it's system.  I don't know how things are in Michigan,..meaning i'm not sure if child protective services would become involved or not.  At least you quit smoking for the past two months and if you were that addicted that you chose to believe your friends and you were able to rationalize smoking pot, then I hope you have a support system to help you through this and continue to stay clean.  Good luck with everything and I sincerely hope that everything work out for you and your child.  Maybe you quit smoking a little late, but you still quit and that's important too.

[Britney83]

they do urine tests when babies are born and sometimes toward the end of pregnancy's to screen for any drug abuse.  If you are abusing STOP! CPS will take your child into fostercare where they will be either put up for adoption for your mom/dad/ family member willing to take them, or if no one wants to do that than the baby go's to a foster house until they are adopted.  I've seen it a million times.  CPS plays no mercy in these situations.  Don't smoke.

[NickyL83]

If they do urine tests to babies when they are born in the state of Michigan that is news to me. I live in Michigan and have a 3 year old son. When he was born i would have been told if his urine was tested. I did not smoke during pregnancy or do any drugs for that matter but I am a Pharmacy Technician and to my knowledge if you have not smoked for two months the marijana just like with yourself will be out of the babys system. I think you will be just fine and please stop trying to scare the poor woman Britney83.

[martikadragoon]

Correct, she'll be fine. Also- if it's positive, they may take the child for a while, and require you to go thru some program to show your clean, but there is a GREAT chance you'd get the baby back as long as you can show your clean. (urine tests)

Your baby will never be taken permanently unless you do something REALLY bad.

[Atia_Julii]

Your baby will be just fine, and do not worry, you made a bad choice, have learned from it, and are a better person because of it.  Marijuana will no longer be in your baby's system, and if you've gone 2 months, it won't be in yours either.  Good luck.

[Kimbee003]

I live in Texas, and it basically depends on what you tell the nurses right before you have the baby. My sister had her son at age 19, and the docs asked if she had done any drugs, she said no, OF COURSE, but she said that she did back in high school,....BAD IDEA! They tested the babies feces, and CPS got involved, all because she smoked weed once a month while she was pregnant. So as long as you don't say anything, i think you should be fine, but then again, i would do some serious investigating/research.  My sisters friend did cocaine while she was pregnant, and smoked marijuana, and they doctors didn't even test her for anything, because she was medicaid, and they just didn't care i suppose. who knows..

[maybebaby29]

I would suggest that you don't tell them. Why risk it? Your guilt alone is punishment enough. You don't need CPS involved.

[zanderpeach]

If you've been clean for 2 month, even if they test the baby you both should be clean.  

[someoneunknown]

that stuff about being addicted to weed is a joke.

[scootie]

First off, don't pay any attention to Britney83.  While we live in NYC, not Michigan, my husband works for CPS and investigates child abuse.  CPS is not lurking in hospitals waiting to take babies away.  Most women who have children removed at birth are already part of the system and have had previous children removed.  The mother has most likely had positive drug tests during the pregnancy.  Drug testing is not part of the normal neo-natal battery of testing in any state, to the best of his knowledge.  As others have stated, if you have been clean for 2 months you and the baby should be clean as per a urine tests (though not a hair test).  Babies in utero take longer to flush MJ from the system because of imature kidneys and liver.  Unless you or your baby have DTs (which you don't get from MJ) there is no reason for them to test.  Here is the thing my husband really wants you to know: by federal law, even if your child is removed from your custody you have 18 months to get yourself in order (take some parenting classes and pass all your drug tests) and get your child back.  Unless you voluntarily terminate your parental rights, your child can not be put up for adoption before that time.  If your child is removed they should try to find a "kinship foster"  situation for the child and you will get visitation.  Don't smoke anymore.  Don't worry.  

[vmvnpv]

My half SIL smoked all through her pregnancy and her baby was fine.  And while you shouldn't tell anyone anything I just hope you don't go back to smoking weed after the baby is born.  Not just because it affects your breastmilk but because of the damage you'll do to your child when it finds out you do.  My dad smoked all the time while I was growing up and I honestly think that's why he's the way he is today (he has serious issues and the weed doesn't help him deal with them, it makes it worse).  I hated knowing he was doing it and I hated smelling it.  I hated my father for doing it and I hated him period.  Put your baby first this time and your selfish desire out the window.  You'll both be happy in the long run.  Please don't take that as a flame because I didn't mean for it to be but I just wanted to give you the perspective of a child growing up in a household where smoking up was all that happened.  I wish you the best of luck!

[dej69]

i agree with someoneunknown.  i dont think you can be addicted to weed.  you might be addicted to the lifestyle, and used to smoking all the time, but there aren't any chemicals in it that cause addiction, like cigarrettes or harsher drugs.   its all in your head, you dont go through physical withdrawals or anything, so the only thing you have to overcome is your want, not need.

[raynie94]

It's pretty pathetic lisening to people like dej69 talk about things that you obviously no nothing about!  So you think nicotine is addicting but the chemical in pot isn't? No you don't go through physical withdrawls like alcohol or coke but it is addicting nevertheless. I have never seen someone stop cigarettes and go through withdrawls besides wanting it bad but it is very addicting, so you cant tell me that pot isn't addicting because you don't go through withdrawls. In fact some of the musicians that have done hard drugs and cigarettes said the hardest to quit was cigarettes. There's addictions of many kinds including caffine, sex, chocolate etc.. Unless you have something constructive to say to people, keep your opinions to yourself.

[dej69]

what i mean is that pot doesn't have any physical addiction properties. if you do the research you will see that this is true.   the only form of addiction when it comes to marijuana is the mental or emotional addiction.  
i did not mean to sound rude or like i don't understand what she is going through, i just mean that she needs to overcome this in her head. its not physical.  why are you so mad?  i wasnt trying to upset anyone, i just was making a point that hopefully helped some people understand that it is all in their head, and they can overcome it.  and by the way, other drugs as well as chocolate have chemicals in them that make it physical. the nicotene in cigarettes does make you physically addicted, not just mentally and emotionally.  

[mfoulks5505]

well as a matter of fact. no weed does not have any chemical that you get addicted too. AND humans have things in their brain called canabanoid receptors which are only active when THC is in your system. im in a substance abuse course and i totally back up what Raynie94 says. Sorry if this offends anyone, but before you belittle someone for saying a fact about a drug which shouldnt even be considered a drug, make sure you know your facts. Everyone needs to pay more attention to the drugs that are at home, in your cabinets, alcohol and pills. That is waht todays youth and young adults struggle with most, becuase is the most easily accessable. Now with that said, i do aggree that you shouldnt smoke pot or cigs or any other form of drug or alcohol while pregnant because you dont want your baby to have that chance of have to suffer because mommy wanted to have a night of fun. But you just need to enjoy your pregnancy and when it arrives your new baby. dont dwell on the past. Admitting that you have made a mistake and recognizing the problem means that you have already taken that first step to fix it. So good luck to you and im sure your baby will be good!