Seeking treatment for drug addiction is never easy to do, but it’s made even more difficult for women who are pregnant. Pregnant women face unique barriers to overcoming substance addiction that include embarrassment, judgment from health care providers, fear of harming the baby further by going into withdrawal, and fear of losing custody of their newborn child. All of these factors can prevent a woman from seeking necessary drug addiction treatment during pregnancy.
All these fears aside, it is absolutely vital for the health and safety of your unborn child to seek treatment for your drug addiction. In addition to increasing your chance of miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth, children who are exposed to drugs within the womb have a greater risk of being born with birth defects, mental retardation, heart problems, low birth weight, and growth and developmental problems. The earlier you seek treatment, the better chance you’ll have of delivering a normal, healthy baby.
Detox and Pregnancy
The main question many pregnant women who are addicts have is, “Is it safe to detox while I’m pregnant?” The answer to that question is “yes and no.” Detoxing during pregnancy is a tricky matter that should be done in the safety and care of a professional treatment facility that’s experienced in pregnancy and drug addiction treatment.
The earlier in the pregnancy that detox occurs, the safer it is for your baby. You should remember that everything you take during pregnancy is also being taken by your baby, so the longer you take drugs while pregnant, the greater the chance that your baby will also become addicted to or dependent on the drugs you’re using. With the help of a doctor, you can safely wean yourself off of drugs without physically harming yourself or your baby. Withdrawal symptoms may be uncomfortable, but they can only help the health of your unborn baby. The best part of early pregnancy detox is that you’ll have a better chance of giving birth to a baby who is not addicted to drugs the earlier in your pregnancy you do it.
Detoxing from heroin or opiates (such as prescription painkillers) poses more risks during pregnancy. Sudden detox from these types of drugs can be fatal to both the mother and the baby, especially if done without the guidance of a professional treatment facility. This type of detox requires more than just weaning yourself off the drug; it requires controlled medical detox with the help of drugs such as methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone.
Very little studies exist about the effects of methadone during pregnancy, but the fact remains that controlled methadone use is much safer for the baby than heroin or opioid abuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methadone has been used for decades and has been shown to be an effective treatment for pregnant women who are using opioids during pregnancy. It is possible for newborns exposed to methadone to be delivered at a low birth weight or suffer withdrawal after delivery, but a professional drug addiction treatment facility can safely monitor methadone dosage levels and adjust them as necessary to help minimize this risk.
Seeking Treatment
Treating pregnancy and drug addiction is a delicate matter that should be addressed by a treatment facility that specializes in treating women who are pregnant. Substance abuse treatment, safe pregnancy detox, psychiatric evaluation and care, and obstetric evaluation and care should all be part of the treatment program.
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