Seeking Help...
Welcome to BB.....
My sister is a user & was using whilst on methadone as well she has a pill addiction...
Her daughter was born via c/sect & my niece had withdrawals, shaking, fitting , pain & cramping for a few weeks/months...
I would think if you can stay off the gear & anything else other than the methadone (if that helps to keep you clean) & you desperately want the best for your baby then it is a step in the right direction.
I have heard numerous stories about her friends that have not been so lucky with their babies & there have been many sad outcomes, I wont get into it all though...
Obviously it would be best if there were no drugs, chemicals etc passed on to the unborn child, but addictions are not easy to kick!
I wish you luck & I pray that you can stay off it to give your child a great life & future..
hey there,
my dad who is a doctor said there appears no untoward effects on the baby accept of course that the baby will be dependent and will have to be weaned off the drug. No mental or physical effects otherwise. Good luck and keep up the amazing work.
Hello,
Firstly I just wanted to say good on you for taking the harder path. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to stop taking a drug like heroin. How long does the methadone program last? I have absolutely no knowledge so this may be a really stupid question, but Is there anyway that someone can be weaned off the methadone whilst being pregnant? Just so its not as difficult on the baby when it's born. I don't know how long the program goes on for.
Last edited by hannanat; November 20th, 2006 at 10:31 AM.
Good luck, seekinghelp. It's fantastic that you're going through together and can support each other. I have only the greatest admiration for both of you for your strength of character - I only know second hand how difficult herion addiction is. Wishing your partner a happy and healthy pregnancy.
Caro is right - it is really important that your methadone prescriber is aware of your partners pregnancy as soon as possible, so as she can get the most appropriate care (ie: dose / support services). Methadone treatment during pregnancy is very common and there are support services in all major cities to care for the mother and newborn directly after birth. The prescriber/ treatment agency will be able to give you this information.
Also, NA may be an avenue to go down to seek other couples who have gone through this. I am not sure if you are an active user - if so your local needle exchange may be able to link you into a support group. If your not a user - family drug help line is a good resource for links to support groups/ Q& A. Otherwise, your states drug and alcohol information line have a huge data base of different services/ support groups offered in your area.
Seekinghelp,
The best thing is that you are a strong shoulder for her to lean on, support & advice is what she will need from you...
I know my sister dragged her partner back into the drug scene & he is back behind bars, where he had been clean for quite sometime... I hope you are stronger than him!
I hope that you being clean for 4 yrs (which is a massive achievement & I am proud of you for achieving) gives you the strength to help your partner & try to keep her focussed on the well being of the baby rather than her addictive needs...
When I had my youngest baby, my sister came in to see her & she said she had just seen a friend whose baby was born so addicted to heroin that it was basically brain dead & the staff had kept her alive for 13 wks already, the parents were not ready to say goodbye to their baby.... She was about 30wks into her pregnancy when she started bleeding & rather than get assistance she decided she'd have 1 last hit...
The baby girl ended up passing away on the second day that I was in the hospital approx 13.5 wks after her birth & I saw the couple in the hospital they were totally out of it... I guess I couldnt help but wonder why God would bless these people with a beautiful innocent child when they quite obviously didnt realise how totally lucky they were... I also felt sad that they had to experience this & it probably would never be dealt with by either of them & so in turn would feed their addiction forever... I also felt a sense of peace that the baby didnt have to go home with them as parents... I know it might sound cruel, but they were definately not aware of what they'd need to do to care properly for a baby!!!
This is just 1 story that I witnessed...
I think the key is to find out as much as you can & to get your partners headspace & priority on the baby that she is carrying & remind her daily there is a beautiful human being inside of her that will be so dependent on her... Tell her how proud you are of her as she reaches goals, milestones in her attempt to get clean, I really dont know... I wish you every success in the future the fact your trying to get as much info as possible is certainly commendable!!!
Congratulations to you on 4 years clean, and to your partner for making it one month onto the methadone program. I work in an agency which supports people living with alcohol and other drug issues including withdrawal, counselling, and the methadone program. My first advice would be to talk to the methadone prescriber - not just about methadone, but about the normal things they give you advice about when you are over 40 and pregnant. They may be able to find you and your partner some extra support if that is what you need.
Also, I find that a really good source of info is the DrugInfo Clearing House (Australian Drug Foundation). Here's some helpful and positive information on methadone and pregnancy from them:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnant women who are dependent on opiates are encouraged to enter a methadone program as early as possible into their pregnancy, as it is likely to result in fewer complications than the use of other opiates, such as heroin. This is because:
the unexpected periods of drug withdrawal experienced by pregnant women using other opiates (that can be harmful to the baby) do not occur when on a daily dose of methadone;
the lifestyle of women is often enhanced when on methadone treatment, resulting in improved nutrition and less stress, which all contribute to a healthier baby; and
methadone supplied by a pharmacy or treatment centre hasn't been cut/mixed with any other potentially harmful substance that may be passed on to the baby.
Like all opiates, methadone crosses the placenta to the unborn child. Many of the babies born to methadone-dependent mothers go through withdrawal at birth. Their symptoms vary in length and strength. These can be successfully treated while the baby is still in hospital. Overall, women using methadone have fewer problems during their pregnancy than those who continue to use heroin.
As small amounts of methadone may be passed on through breast milk, mothers that are on a methadone program are often encouraged to breastfeed in order to help ease the baby's withdrawal from methadone. Methadone has been found to reach its maximum level in breast milk between two and four hours after a dose, therefore feeding the baby just before a dose or taking the methadone just before the baby has a long sleep will reduce the amount available to the baby.
HI,
I hope you didn't think I was implying that your strugle would not stop, but your sacrifices are admirable.
I have to let you know I am kungfu in name not nature. My DH picked that nickname out for me about 8 years ago for no apparent reason and it has just stuck. It's always my log in.
As you both read the posts I want you both to know that even though most of us have no idea what you both go through on a daly basis, we still care and will be as supportive as possible. This isn't a place of judgement. I would encourage your partner that when she feels the need to follow her vices that she let reading and posting in places like the belly belly forum be her addiction, not the substances.
seeking help, I dont realy have any advice to add to what the others have said, but wanted to say a huge congratulations for being clean for 4 years that is fantastic, I really hope your partner is able to find the help she needs. good luck
A girl I used to work with had a pregnancy whilst on methadone. From memory she had been on the methadone program for around 6 months.
She lost the baby at around 17 weeks pregnant. But I don't know if she was fully following the program at that stage, or if she had had a backward slide to using again. (She had been functioning well at work whilst on the methadone program, but then started taking a fair bit of time off when she found out she was pregnant so I knever really knew if she felt ill from the pregnancy or had gone back to her old ways.........)
I never found out the casue of her losing the baby either, but 17 weeks is a late loss, and not that common.
Hi seeking help I'm a midwife who regularly works on the high risk antenatal ward where we often care for women during the initial methadone stabiliation period, anytime during the anteatal period and also in the postnatal period.
I'm not sure where you are, so i'm not sure what sort of services your hospital will provide. Where i work, we have a group of midwives who are specifically dedicated to supporting D&A mothers - so the women on methadone or the women who continue to use in pregnancy. These midwives work very closely with social workers and D&A nurses to provide a supportive framework for the women during and after pregnancy. Do you know if your hospital has anything similar to this?
I think the key factor is support. Your partner needs the support of people who aren't using - like yourself, congrats! - and i guess the focus of doing the absolute best for the baby.
In practical terms, Methadone is quiet safe in pregnancy - certainly safer than Heroin! There can be complications but your hospital should be monitoring you closely. After your baby is born, he or she is likely to suffer withdrawal symptoms which wont be pleasant, however these will also be monitored by the midwives and doctors in conjunction with the neonatologists. We usually 'score' the baby and if the baby starts to score high he/she will be reviewed by the doctors and usually started on morphine to relieve the symptoms. We teach the parents how to give the morphine as often the babies will go home on it. At my hospital, we like the women who have been on Methadone to stay for at least 7 days so we can properly observe for signs and symptoms of withdrawal.
Hope that helps a little
methadone pregency
Registered User
I'm a midwife who regularly works on the high risk antenatal ward where we often care for women during the initial methadone stabiliation period, anytime during the anteatal period and also in the postnatal period.
- and i guess the focus of doing the absolute best for the baby.
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