Pregnancy

[Mamaoflittles]

hello all! I am dealing with some addiction and pregnancy and thought maybe this forum oils be able to help. I have been clean a week now however I am concerned. Has anyone ever done cocaine at 18 weeks positive and stopped and been tested in the hospital and had their baby tested and it all came out ok? I’m looking for shared experiences please!

 

[n3ophy7e]

Hi and welcome to Bluelight

Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy!! Was it a surprise, or planned? First baby, or do you have kids already? How old are you?

Regarding the coke, how much coke did you do? And was it a one-off binge session, or were you using coke frequently during the first 18 weeks of the pregnancy and then stopped using? No judgement here

 

[AbbeyLee]

Hi @Mamaoflittles

Welcome to BL

I've got a good book on addiction with case studies, including a Pregnancy Journal (written by the doctor/author about one of his patients).

She used cocaine and heroin/methadone during her pregnancy and had a healthy baby, except she was also addicted to the opiates. They weaned the baby off those and it says "cocaine does not provoke dangerous physiological withdrawal reactions."

She wasn't allowed to keep the baby though. I don't know the laws where you are.

Anyway it's called "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction" by Dr Gabor Maté. He works in Vancouver with the city's most hardcore addicts. It's a good book. He talks about them here..

 

[n3ophy7e]

Hi @Mamaoflittles

Welcome to BL

I've got a good book on addiction with case studies, including a Pregnancy Journal (written by the doctor/author about one of his patients).

She used cocaine and heroin/methadone during her pregnancy and had a healthy baby, except she was also addicted to the opiates. They weaned the baby off those and it says "cocaine does not provoke dangerous physiological withdrawal reactions."

She wasn't allowed to keep the baby though. I don't know the laws where you are.

Anyway it's called "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction" by Dr Gabor Maté. He works in Vancouver with the city's most hardcore addicts. It's a good book. He talks about them here..

Excellent recommendation. I haven't read his book but I do know of his work and have watched lots of video clips of his stuff. He's one of the world's best addiction doctors

 

[AbbeyLee]

Excellent recommendation. I haven't read his book but I do know of his work and have watched lots of video clips of his stuff. He's one of the world's best addiction doctors

Yeah he's at the forefront.. Not that you have to be that amazing to be more effective than the current doctors. Interesting - "trauma" isn't even part of the vocabulary

 

[Mamaoflittles]

Hi and welcome to Bluelight

Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy!! Was it a surprise, or planned? First baby, or do you have kids already? How old are you?

Regarding the coke, how much coke did you do? And was it a one-off binge session, or were you using coke frequently during the first 18 weeks of the pregnancy and then stopped using? No judgement here

A bingey type. I used a cpl times not everyday. I have 3 kids. This one was a surprise.

 

[n3ophy7e]

A bingey type. I used a cpl times not everyday. I have 3 kids. This one was a surprise.

Okay cool. I'm assuming you're planning to stay off the coke now that you know you're pregnant? If you need help to stay clean please don't hesitate to reach out for help. Which country do you live in?

To answer your original question about the hospital testing you and your baby, each country has a different policy for this. But I think the general consensus is that you wouldn't get tested unless there was a reason to suspect you weren't clean throughout your pregnancy.

Are you concerned your baby and/or kids will be taken away if you test positive for cocaine?

 

[Mamaoflittles]

United States Michigan. And yes I most definitely am

 

[n3ophy7e]

United States Michigan. And yes I most definitely am

I'm in Australia and I'm not 100% sure about the protocols in the US, but I am pretty sure that they don't test you or the newborn baby unless they have a reason to.

Unless you did ridiculous amounts of coke the few times you had it during the 1st trimester, there is a low chance that you've done any major damage to your unborn baby. But of course you won't know for sure until they are born. The very best thing you can do is be healthy for the remainder of your pregnancy to give your bub the best start!

Very exciting!! ❤ I literally just had my first baby so I'm all about babies at the moment haha

 

[Mamaoflittles]

Okay cool. I'm assuming you're planning to stay off the coke now that you know you're pregnant? If you need help to stay clean please don't hesitate to reach out for help. Which country do you live in?

To answer your original question about the hospital testing you and your baby, each country has a different policy for this. But I think the general consensus is that you wouldn't get tested unless there was a reason to suspect you weren't clean throughout your pregnancy.

Are you concerned your baby and/or kids will be taken away if you test positive for cocaine?

Yes I am scared they will get taken away I also feel so fucking bad about relapsing as I never meant to I got stressed and I read that drug tests can go back as far as 20 weeks.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Yes I am scared they will get taken away I also feel so fucking bad about relapsing as I never meant to I got stressed and I read that drug tests can go back as far as 20 weeks.

The hair follicle drug tests can test for the previous 6 months so if they test you at or close to the time of birth, that would go back to just before 3 months....I think? I'm overtired, I might not be thinking clearly.

Anyway, if you stay clean and stay out of trouble, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Do you have any legal issues, that might put you on the radar for the hospital staff to check you out when you are admitted to give birth? Cos if not, and if you're just a regular Jane Doe giving birth like nobody's business, you won't be redflagged for staff to test you. Does that make sense?

 

[Jabberwocky]

I worked in this area if you have addiction in your file they will test you and the baby but if there is no reason at all to think you have used they won’t. If you stay clean it will be out of your blood and urine in 72 hours max and then you are in the clear and unless you do something that raises the concerns of the equivalent of child protective services in your state they will not open a case on you or test the places where it can stay longer (meconium, hair )

the important thing is that you join a support group like na because they have anonymity a therapist does not have anonymity they are mandated reporters and if they feel your child is in danger they are required by law to report that shit

poeple talk a lot of shit about na/AA but you can go in there and tell them all you did the worst shit in the world and what happens there stays there it’s the rule of the group

and it’s free
and you can go online
and get a sponsor you can call up whenever you feel like using which having kids is hard

cocaine can cause heart defects in babies so while your infant is not at risk for withdrawals like heroin they are at risk from heart defects esp. if you use a lot and keep using

you are in the most import part of your pregnancy when everything is being formed

you can do this I know someone whose kid had terrible heart defects from using cocaine in her pregnancy and it was scary and awful but her kid is alive and doing well you just don’t want that guilt

 

[Mamaoflittles]

I have tested negative at every dr visit and never had a reason to be tested at the hospital. I’m just worried…. I am sober and plan to stay this way FOREVER. I hate myself for doing it but I did and I’m just trying to look out.

 

[Mamaoflittles]

Can drugs be detected when the baby is born in the first and second trimester? Mainly looking for answers about cocaine. Any mamas wanna share experience with me? If I stop at 18 weeks will I be ok?

 

[neversickanymore]

Hey Mamaoflittles. Welcome to BL.

My advice is to stop now. You have a little one on board. Why not stop now and resume, if you want to, after you have given birth. It will give your baby the safest start you can provide. You can do this!!

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Hi there. I see you made a thread in Health and recovery about the same question and you got a lot of good comments. From reading your other thread I saw you were in Michigan and I am as well. So here is the skinny on the laws with newborns and Mom's to the best of my knowledge.

When you go in for delivery your OB/GYN may or may NOT give you a drug test. It really just depends. You said in your other thread that you have been peeing clean in all your urine screens so that's good. But the bigger question is why are you having to pee at all? Pregnant mothers aren't given UA's unless they are known addicts or the Dr. suspects you are using. So why do you have to pee in the cup?

Secondly.............IF your Dr. suspects you used in the last 3 months he will probably drug test you. BUT.....he may just do a urine which will only detect the last 7 days ( cocaine ) OR if he thinks you have been using the whole time he will test you with the hair follicle test and look at your use for the past 3 months.

So.....if you pee dirty the child is taken away. You can do rehab and therapy and get the child back fairly quickly.

If you stop now you will be fine. You won't pee dirty and your hair will be okay too so don't worry if you really stop right now everything is gonna be o

 

[Mamaoflittles]

Everytime I have ever went to this dr she drug tests when you do your blood work and the first appointment. They told me they do it with everyone and everyone I know does get tested. So that would be why I got tested. Will the baby be clean at birth too?

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Everytime I have ever went to this dr she drug tests when you do your blood work and the first appointment. They told me they do it with everyone and everyone I know does get tested. So that would be why I got tested. Will the baby be clean at birth too?

Oh okay. You only peed once. Your other thread said that " all" your tests were coming back clean.

Well, no then. If she doesn't suspect you are using I doubt seriously she will test you at birth. BUT.......just to be on the safe side ask her this. Tell her your sister who lives in Traverse City was drug tested when she had her baby and she has never even looked at drugs in her whole life. Tell your Dr. that your sister was pretty mad about it and ask her....." Hey, do you do this to your patients as well ? " She will probably tell you if she is going to test you at the delivery.

The baby will be clean if you stop now. Women that do one off drug experiences during their pregnancy rarely harm the baby. It's chronic users that do the harm.

You are due in 18 weeks right? Calm down and relax and don't stress. You and the baby will both be clean if in fact you do not use again.

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Just so everyone knows I kind of made a faux pas in talking about drug testing. Our new member had no clue it wasn't allowed but I did. I was just trying to give her some peace of mind. So if anyone else would like to help her we need to keep the testing questions out of our conversation. We can guide her through her next 18 weeks we just can't assume we know what her Dr. will , or won't do, because we don't.

And i hope you feel confident @Mamaoflittles that if you don't use again you will be fine ( and clean ) at birthing time.

All the best.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

Oh okay. You only peed once. Your other thread said that " all" your tests were coming back clean.

Well, no then. If she doesn't suspect you are using I doubt seriously she will test you at birth. BUT.......just to be on the safe side ask her this. Tell her your sister who lives in Traverse City was drug tested when she had her baby and she has never even looked at drugs in her whole life. Tell your Dr. that your sister was pretty mad about it and ask her....." Hey, do you do this to your patients as well ? " She will probably tell you if she is going to test you at the delivery.

The baby will be clean if you stop now. Women that do one off drug experiences during their pregnancy rarely harm the baby. It's chronic users that do the harm.

You are due in 18 weeks right? Calm down and relax and don't stress. You and the baby will both be clean if in fact you do not use again.

@Nurse Ratched, while I completely agree with your intentions with this post, I can't say I would use a hypothetical to ask the doctor if they drug test because it happened to your sober sister. If the doctor has an ounce of street smarts, and many of them do, then that type of question could actually be a red flag and cause them to require a drug test. With subjects like drug use, depending on the context, I usually believe silence is the best policy. Like don't ask questions and only answer them when asked.

Since we are not telling anyone how to pass a drug test, I don't think this advice would violate any BLUA rules.