Marriage Counseling Saved My Marriage

Posted on: 16 July 2016

While it is best to quit using heroin as soon as you discover you are pregnant, it is never too late to make a better choice for yourself and your child. Therefore,  it is a good idea to be aware of the following information about your options for addiction recovery during pregnancy. 

#1-Going Cold Turkey Alone Is Not A Good Idea  

Unfortunately, heroin is known to cross the placenta, which means that your unborn baby is also exposed to the drug. As a result, attempting to suddenly stop using heroin, without medical supervision or assistance, can be a significant problem. Specifically, if you were to go through withdrawal abruptly, without tapering off of your addiction or using a safer medication to minimize your symptoms, your chances of experiencing a miscarriage will dramatically increase. Similarly, your fetus is much more likely to experience distress.

Therefore, you should find an addiction center with experience treating pregnant women and  make arrangements to begin your treatment. The recovery center can help you make the best and safest decisions about recovering from your addiction without harming your unborn child.

#2-Methadone Substantially Increases Your Chances Of Staying Clean (And Having A Healthy Baby)

It is important to note that methadone is currently the most popular method of treating addiction to heroin and other opiates. It is not a cure, but is a very effective treatment option. It works by minimizing the severity of your symptoms. It closely mimics the effects of heroin and its continued use prevents you or your baby from going into withdrawal.

In addition,many women are nervous about using methadone during pregnancy, due to the risk of harming the baby. While methadone is not without risks, it is a stable medication that has successfully kept many people from relapsing to their heroin addiction. Therefore, unless your doctor says otherwise, you should not quit using methadone during your pregnancy and taking the same dose every day will help you to enjoy your pregnancy with fewer side effects from your addiction.   

In conclusion, a heroin addiction is incredibly stressful for your body and if you become pregnant while still using, there are substantial risks to your baby. Therefore, you should be aware of the information provided above and immediately seek assistance from an experienced addiction center. It is never too late to get healthy and provide your baby with a better future. Talk with a local recovery center today for more information.