Pregnant and Addicted in Florida? What You Should Know

Pregnancy is often one of the most thrilling times in a woman’s life. When drugs or alcohol are part of the equation, it is also one of the most dangerous and complicated times. Women who are in recovery can deliver healthy babies. Without treatment, the risks for both the mother and fetus are disproportionately high.

Addiction does not cease just because you are pregnant, but drug and alcohol rehab in Florida can empower you to make better choices that protect both of the lives for which you are responsible.

Getting Help Before Becoming Pregnant is the Best Possible Choice

Many women dream of having a family one day. Under a cloud of drugs and alcohol, what should be a happy event can endanger both mother and baby. Some drugs, including marijuana and opioids, can negatively affect your ability to become pregnant at all.

For women struggling with addiction, the best time to seek treatment is before becoming pregnant. Treatment might seem like a scary choice. If you wait, you could suffer infertility. Worse, getting pregnant first subjects your unborn child to a stream of chemicals that can affect their development.

Treatment During Pregnancy Helps Reduce the Chance of Complications

For many addicted women, treatment comes after learning they are pregnant. While treatment before pregnancy is best, ceasing drug and alcohol use at the first sign of pregnancy gives babies in utero a fighting chance at healthy development.

Drug use during pregnancy carries some staggering potential consequences. DrugRehab.com names a few of them:

• Miscarriage prior to the 24th week of pregnancy
• Stillbirth after the 24th week of pregnancy
• Placenta abruption, which can cause developmental problems
• Premature delivery or delivery before the 37th week of pregnancy. Preemies face numerous potential health problems, some of which can last a lifetime.
• Fetal alcohol syndrome
• Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome  (NAS) or babies born addicted to drugs and who suffer painful withdrawals, hallucinations, and other effects.
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
• Myriad birth defects
• Small head circumference
• Low birth weight
• Developmental problems
• Behavioral problems

Pregnant Addicted Women Have Special Treatment Needs

Addictions affect women differently from men, whether or not they are pregnant. People entering drug rehab who are not pregnant may have a wider range of treatment options than people who are. For example, detox from certain drugs, such as opioids, can be painful. Medications help manage withdrawal symptoms, but not all medications are safe for women who are pregnant.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), Methadone and buprenorphine may be appropriate medications for managing addiction in pregnancy, at least in some cases, but only under close medical supervision. Babies born to mothers who take either drug usually require close medical care to manage their own withdrawal symptoms after birth. Pregnant women who are addicted have different nutritional needs. They also need obstetric care and may require different types of psychotherapy for a well-rounded treatment plan with a greater chance of success.

DrugRehab.com says over 20,000 babies were born with NAS in 2012, alone. One is too many. If you are planning to become pregnant, the time to enter drug and alcohol rehab in Florida is now. Getting control over your addiction is the best way to protect your health and the health of the child you may one day have.

If you are already pregnant, you urgently need help. Your health and the life of your unborn baby depend on getting sober as soon as possible.
Contact us and talk with us about the different treatment options for a better chance of a healthy pregnancy.