Help Please!!

[shorty0128]

First off, im almost 37 weeks pregnant, my baby is due at the end of january. I have been on 500 mg vicodins for about four months, they were prescribed to me by my ob. I recently had an appt with my ob, and he told me that I was already 3 cm dilated, 75% effaced, and my baby is at a -1 station. I take anywhere from 1/2 a pill to two pills a day, depending on how much pain im in. There are also days I dont take any at all. I have been cuttin back to about half a pill a day, but I am still worried my baby will suffer from withdrawls. Has anyone been in this situation before, and if so, what are the withdrawls that my baby will go through and for how long? I forgot to ask my doctor at my last appt because I was so excited about realizing labor is so soon.

[shorty0128]

thanks! I know the risks of addiction, i have seen many friends of mine fall to drug and alcohol addictions before. I have had some minor complications in my pregnancy, so my doctor decided today that he is going to induce me next friday. :) If i make it that long... i will post some pics of baby kael when he arrives!!

[nic374]

I would have to agree with that ur baby will be born perfect, I have belonged to the addicton forum since 2008, and there are and have been woman who are pregnant that have to take pain meds, vicodin is just a lose dose anyway i would not worry everything will be ok, Just a caution of thought though I would for your benfit try to stop taking them, they really do lead into the worse habit ever, I was on heavy dose and for serveral yrs, I decided in August that was i was going to quit and WOW were the w/ds very heavy, Im now 7 weeks pregnant, and I still crave them everyday, and I took them for a purpose of real pain and not to get high it just turned to taking alot, alot of pills a day, Congrats on baby!

[alaysha]

Its such a low dose it shouldn't cause withdrawals. But you still have maybe a couple weeks before you deliver in which you can try to cut back completely. I was 3 cm 80% effaced and at a -1 station for a couple weeks before I delivered.

[shorty0128]

Thanks ladies! I know im not taakin a high dose or anything, and I know the risks, I jsut really dont want my baby to go thru withdrawls! Im due any day now, so I will let u know how things go! thanks again :)

[ProudMumToBe]

You might get advice by posting in the "addiction" forum as well, someone May have more information

[Ashelen]

At that low of a dose, it's very unlikely that your baby will suffer withdrawals. I had to take pain meds during both pregnancies, and with my daughter I was able to take nothing in the weeks leading up to delivery and she was born without withdrawals, despite having to have high doses at 34wks because I had to undergo surgery. With my son, I was unable to stop taking the meds before delivery due to seriously worsening problems, and he was STILL born without withdrawals. And trust me when I say that the doses were much higher than 1/2-1 5/500 mg vicodin a day :-).

You should call your doctor tomorrow and explain your worries. It's always best to discuss your concerns with medication during pregnancy with your doctor, but in my experience I can say that I highly doubt your baby will have any negative consequences. They will of course monitor since they know that you were prescribed these meds, but just to be on the safe side make sure and emphasize to the nurses caring for you when you deliver that you were put on these meds by your OB so that they know what to look for if your baby DOES end up with withdrawals. Which, like I said, is highly unlikely at that low dose.

There are MANY women on this site who have had to take pain meds during pregnancy, and some on doses even higher than I was on, and I don't know of a single baby born with withdrawal symptoms out of all of those stories. So try not to worry...how exciting for you to be so close to the end! Please stick around and share your story with us!

[kamil119]

sorry hun, no experience with meds and pregnancy but try googling it.