Meth and Pregnancy?

[mbstar15]

Please no judgement here. I am a recovering addict and i have some concerns. the whole first trimester of my pregnancy I was bad on meth, for half of the time i didnt know i was pregnant, the other half i didnt quite accept it yet. My 2nd trimester i was better about it. however i had multiple relapses, but... looking back on all those bad and careless decisions, im worried about how my baby is gonna come out, i love him to death already and i hate myself so much for what i was doing to him....can anyone educate me please? My main concern, while all of it is of equal concern to me, is mental issues. I will love him no matter what and take care of him no matter what, but seeing as this is my first child as well i hope he doesnt have any retardation or any illness where i willl have to raise him for all of his life.....like i said il love him, but hate myself even more. Anyways, any light on this subject would be appreciated. i hope this is the right category, im new here.

 

[zephyr]

I have a couple of friends who were using during pregnancy. One who stopped asap and went on and everything was normal and fine.

The other cut down but never actually stopped as shes a full on addict.

Bub was okay but a cesarean was needed due to pre eclampsia, bub wouldnt feed so needed tube feeding. Both bubs are healthy and ok now.

All i can say is dont have any at all and if you do make sure you have the least amount possible and always keep eating good food and plenty water.

If you have any later on dont breast feed.

Dont panic. Just keep getting regular check ups.

 

[Asclepius]

You will probably not know this until later in pregnancy and the baby is born. Stressing over what is not under your control will not help you or the baby - keep looking after your body, mind and health - as your child will need you well after the birth, also.


This is an issue for med profs - no one can predict an outcome of any pregnancy on a forum - A terratogen like Meth obviously imapacts development but the level of damage can range from Low-weight; pre-term, to more severe and can not be exactly predicted in every individual case (your child may exhibit problems with behaviour, development, schooling/socialisation etc as he gets older (compared to other peers that is)- you need to remember to be aware of this and do your best to take resonsibility to support him and involve the father, or their family, if thats possible.

Keep your BMI up, with nutritious food, like Zephyr mentioned, and keep yourself strong and healthy (hound the clinicians); looking toward the future and hopefully a clean life - I hope it works out for you both.

 

[zephyr]

All I know is its hard to quit a habit even when its because of pregnancy. I had to quit smoking and found out i was expecting at 11 wks 6 days. I cut down a lot but had a sneak one or two as i was fucking stressed out.

By the time you give birth I believe your baby will be okay to be honest. He/she wont be in withdrawals if you arent.

As for damage done mentally, no one knows what causes developmental delays etc but women who have never taken drugs sometimes have kids who struggle with adhd etc. Theres not much you can do now except take care of bub now.

Alcohol is a lot worse with foetal alcohol syndrome.


Read up on good nutrition and sitmulating pkay games for babies as development is well researched and by certain ages kids should be able to do certain things.

 

[unknown_man]

Honestly, you need to force yourself to stop. You should put your child's needs before your own. It isn't fair to your baby that you can possibly damage his/her growth and development. The love of your baby needs to be stronger than the love you have for your addiction/ habits. I know it's hard, but you would never be able to forgive yourself if something ended up happening to your unborn/born child. Every time you're contemplating on using you should think and feel the love of your baby. It's not only you that's getting high. You're forcing your child to feel the same effects of that drug as you are. You are also altering the physiological makeup of your child by predisposing him/her to addiction. If not now, then certainly as they get older and start experimenting with drugs.

Please force yourself to stop. I have a 2 year old daughter and you want them to be the happiest, healthiest, and most loving kid in the world. I couldn't imagine if something happened to her. I'd lose my marbles! Be strong for your child! You won't regret it!

The fact that you acknowledge this is wrong and your posting here is a first step. Next step is to stop, seek IOP services, or heck, even go into a rehabilitation facility where you're forced to stop and get better. If not for you, then your child.

 

[zephyr]

^Mate she knows that shes got to stop. She has stopped. Telling a pregnant woman to think about her babys needs is really condesending


Pregnant women do care about their kids. Struggling with an addiction when you find out you are pregnant is shit. You feel no different physically and unplanned pregnancies feel surreal .


She has stopped and needs to find ways to cope with stress and abxiety without the meth emotional crutch.

I dont know if its a good idea to confide in your doctir. It probably isnt actually unless you trust him.

 

[herbavore]

mbstar15, how are things going?

Zephyr touched on something very important: your doctor. Finding a doctor that will respect you and your situation is very important. If you do not trust the doctor you have now to be that person, is there a way you could switch to someone else? One thing that exists in many counties in the U.S. is a program specifically designed for pregnant women addicted to drugs. These programs are about the opposite of shaming--they exist to give the women support but to ensure the best outcome for the babies at the same time.

How is the pregnancy itself going? Doing OK as far as morning sickness, etc?