very very bad choices

[worriedbecauseiwasstupid]

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