methadone & pregnancy

[Michi_80]

I'm currently 8 weeks and 3 days pregnant and on methadone.  How does the methadone affect my growing baby and what can I expect before and especially after delivery?

[Ashy_poo]

im a methadone maitence patient on 70 mg of methadone daily and im 6 weeks 5 days im concered of how my baby will go through withdrawl after birth? I've been a patient at the clinic for a year now they say it doesn't mentally or physically affect the baby but it will be in withdrawl

[landbray]

My grandson was in the NICU for 8 weeks coming off methadone. They ween him off with morphine & phenobarbital. He was on phenobarbital for 6 months after he came home. He is going to be 2 now & he is behind about 6 to 8 weeks in development..But he is healthy & strong and so far shows no long term effects. My daughter now struggles with how & when she should tell him about when he was born. I recommend to switch to subutex.  
Good luck!

[Julia M Aharonov, DO]

I feel very strongly that methadone is not the best choice for drug treatment during pregnancy. I am sure you want what is best for your baby and so do I. Methadone is an opiate, very long acting one and very addictive. You are still opiate dependent and if you continue to be on methadone through your pregnancy, your child will also be born opiate dependent. Your baby will be in withdrawals after birth and will have be spend time in the Neonatal ICU to go through those withdrawal. If you choose to nurse your baby while you are still on methadone, there have been documented cases of babies dying due to respiratory suppression (they stop breathing).
You need to get your OB/GYN involved in this and if s/he is not familiar with this process, find one who is. You should not be on methadone during pregnancy. The standard of care for pregnant addicted women is Suboxone or Subutex taper, even though maintenance Suboxone or Subutex is still considered safer than methadone because of much less risk of the respiratory suppression.
Please get a second opinion   before you get yourself and your baby into a whole lot of trouble.  Your baby deserves to be in your loving arms, being nursed at your breast right after it is born, not being for days or weeks in the NICU, not able to go home with you.
Good luck and stay safe.