desperate

Question

hi my name is jinna, i am currently 8month's pregnant with a lil'-girl, my question is, i am currently taking 10mg's of methadone in the am and 10mg's in the pm, my will my baby have withdrawl effects when she is born, or is it safe to possibly get off before he due date wich is feb-2....please if anyone is going through this or that can help me please respond back to me, i read other stories where mother's are on alot higher doses as apose to me who only take 20mg's a day..................need's help running out of time.....................

SunWorshiper_26 · Accepted Answer

No no no Majikat, do NOT cut down!!!!!  Do NOT stop taking the methadone do NOT decrease your dosage. Decreasing or stopping can cause and moe often than not causes fetal distress which leads to fetal death, still birth, premature labor or miscarriage. In approx 90% of cases the baby will be born with withdrawal side effects. It is important that your OB knows about this PRIOR to delivery otherwise when baby withdrawals the hospital staff will be required to call the department of child and family services. If your OB knows prior to delivery they can have the proper medical team to care for your child. You should expect that your baby will experience withdrawal and be in the Neonatal intensive care unit for a few days to several days. Baby MAY have trouble breathing, regulating body temp, and eating. Baby may cry bc of physical pain. Your baby would be watched for signs of this and if it happens given morphine through iv an slowly weaned. 

The decision to be clean is one that had to be made prior to conception. Once you are indeed pregnant it is no longer safe to decrease or stop taking any synthetic or non synthetic opiate. 

I myself know about this because I use hydrocodone (an opiate similar to methadone but is short acting) for pain management in pregnancy. I see a pain specialist every six weeks to monitor and I see my OB every two weeks at this point to do non stress tests because of the opiate use. My drs are comfortable with my dosage and taking opiates bc it was necessary. I have a fractured spine and pelvis. 

I encourage you to speak with your OB and be honest with them. If you have any questions I am one of the monitors of this forum and I would be more than happy to speak with you more. I have done a LOT of research on the subject of opiate use in pregnancy.

Christinepagee · Answer

Hi I'm 29 weeks pregnant and I have a slipped disk in my back and I've been on hydrocodone 10-325 for about 15-16 weeks and I take them one a day or every other day when needed and I'm scared my daughter will have withdrawals or something wrong with her...

SunWorshiper_26 · Answer

Sorry I'm full of typos tonight I'm on my cell phone doing this your baby may be in the NICU for a few days to several weeks. If your drs know about your methadone use prior to delivery they won't call DCFS but if they don't know they will call DCFS

Majikat · Answer

She will probably have withdrawl... I watched a show about it the other day.... Talk to your dr about getting off now... Or cutting down more... Withdrawl is not fun for a newborn... It seems quite painful.... Good luck

desperate

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